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Health Anxiety! Obsessed with cancer!

Posted , 50 users are following.

stephanie03505
stephanie03505

About a year or so ago i found a pea size lump on my neck i was bored at work at decided to google what this could be! Lo and behold all websites sent me to the dreaded C word mainly Lymphoma, I was driving myself crazy poking at it constantly feeling if it had changed shape or grew in size until i finally decided to go to the Docs! My GP practically laughed at me and stated the node was just swollen and would go away over time and assured me he did not suspect cancer, The node has never gone down nor grew or changed shape/size and now i have practically become obsessed with the fact i have cancer and i am being fobbed off. Any ache or pain i suspect is another symptom i am constantly poking around my body and if i find any slight lump/bump i am at the GPs demanding scans etc part of me feels like i am going mental but another part of me thinks this is my gut feeling and i have got cancer! I have basically runined the last year of my life with the constant worry panic and stress but the thoughts just dont seem to be going away. My family are very supportive but i feel like they are losing there patience with me as each week i have a new "Symptom" i have discussed my anxiety with my doctor but i dont feel like they understand the extent of it. I just wish i could move on with my life! I am 30 yrs old 2 years ago happy and outgoing now a shell of my former self! Anyone in the same boat or anyone with advise i would love to hear your thoughts on this.

7 likes, 70 replies

70 Replies

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  • gareth47391
    gareth47391 stephanie03505

    Posted

    Hi I’ve been getting pains under both my ribs and in back and very frequent urination I’m only 26 but I’ve lost a stone in 4 weeks and I can not stop worrying I Carnt remember the last time I ate a proper meal I’m very worried I had blood tests which were all fine  I just never feel hungry anymore I’m waiting on a scan date in the post but surely the bloods would show sinister things some advice would be greatly apriciated
  • Fa6anii
    Fa6anii stephanie03505

    Posted

    I thought i was alone, everytime i google symptoms i get the c word. I can’t stop googling symtoms, two weeks ago i was convinced i had cancer. After that scare ended, i google other symptoms and now i’m anxious that my mom may have colon cancer. Now i’m acting as a concerned parent, its even worse when you think of a loved one being sick. Anxiety is a b***h, i can’t sleep at night, i don’t go out anymore, this really is devastating i wouldn’t wish it for anyone.
    • tiffany82780
      tiffany82780 Fa6anii

      Posted

      It is hard to get over these fears. I haven't had a severe obsession with cancer for a few months so I hope it stays gone. Hang in there, you are not alone.

  • Darbles
    Darbles stephanie03505

    Posted

    I am so relieved that I am not the only one experiencing this. Over the last three months I feel like I have been going crazy. I convinced myself that my hands were heating up and there was something seriously wrong with my blood circulation (turned out I was fine, I was just becoming incredibly sensitive to the sensations in my hands). I had chest pains and became convinced I had a heart condition (I was fine, it was just muscular pain and anxiety). I have been back and forth to the doctors over pains in my throat as I convinced myself I had throat cancer. Doctor's carried out multiple tests and found nothing was wrong, it was just a throat infection. I convinced myself I couldn't breath and my lungs were failing, it was just a respiratory infection that went away on its own.

    It is something new all the time, I managed to stress myself out so much that I completely forgot to actually eat, my appetite just vanished for about a week. I am getting help in January as my GP has referred me to a therapist but this has been so difficult to cope with.

    • jason55524
      jason55524 Darbles

      Posted

      It is nice to know you are not alone and glad to know that I am not alone in this. As I mentioned in my first post, whatever parts of the brain that control mental stuff is very powerful and convincing. I been having "feels" in my abdomen/stomach area for years, and not long after my anxiety started I was convinced it was cancer. I had an Ultrasound done a few years ago and everything looked ok. I know that there is something called the "Brain-Gut Connection" and I think my mental communication with that connection is all messed up from the constant, chronic stress, anxiety, and obsession I get each day for the past 4 years! The mind can play tricks and convince us what we feel or see is bad when it is most likely not bad.

  • jason55524
    jason55524 stephanie03505

    Posted

    I know EXACTLY how you feel!! About 4 years ago I went through something similar. Found an odd spot on top of my head, initially did not think much about it...but it started to "gnaw" away at me and led to a spiral of anxiety and obsession I still deal with! I was convinced was melanoma...but a DR said it was not and it went away, never to come back. Despite all that...the anxiety, stress, etc I created for myself made a mess of my personal and professional life. It almost cost me my marriage and other things!! My brain is convinced that anytime I "feel" anything in or on my body that I have cancer!! I do get yearly physicals with labs and have a great relationship with my PCP! Despite some common, chronic ailments like hypertension, minor heart issue...I am in good health...but what whatever parts of my brain that "deal" with anxiety and obsession tell me otherwise!!

    Again I know how you feel and prior to all this, I was a happy go luck person and did not give much thought to my health! Kinda funny, in a sad way, how one little thing that turned out to be nothing led to all this! To this day I still get obsessed and do "Dr Google" regardless if I "feel" anything or not and go down that rabbit hole a lot each day! I have been on some anxiety meds, but gonna change to something else to see if that helps. I hate this and it feels like a "switch" was turned on 4 years ago and wish I could turn the switch off!

    My rational said tells me that most likely the stuff I "feel" i.e. pains or whatever, are most likely related to my constant up and down moods! The brain and mental stuff are very powerful and convincing!

    I hope you are able to find some relief and able to enjoy life as much as you can!

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