Is this just anxiety? About what if thoughts and health anxiety

Posted , 4 users are following.

I have been worrying over some things the past few weeks. Mostly, I struggle with health anxiety and find myself trying to rationalize my thoughts over why I don't have the particular illness that I've diagnosed myself with.

However, recently, after some sessions with my therapist, I was starting to feel better but now, I'm having some thoughts again. Its like my mind can't believe that I'm okay and have nothing to worry about.

This time, its about me questioning my therapist's competency. She's an amazing person and takes it at a nice pace with a goal for each week. But just like how I used to question doctors because of my health anxiety, now, I'm questioning her without any reason.

I mostly struggle with a lot of what if thoughts about developing different health conditions- both physical and mental. But recently, I've started questioning if this is just my anxiety? If me having so many repetitive what if thoughts about my health and trying to rationalize them is just anxiety? Or something else? What if my therapist is missing something?

Its ridiculous because it totally sounds exactly like anxiety and yet, the what ifs won't stop. Why can't my mind comprehend the idea of me being okay?

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    that’s exactly what anxiety does. It causes us to overthink things and start the what if thinking.there’s really nothing else that it can logically be

    . I’ve experienced this for many years and I’ve learned many things about it. One of the things is that when I got the overthinking what if thinking, it continued and got worse the more I question everything.

    At some point we have to let go! We have to let go and trust that our doctors and therapists know what they are doing.

    if you keep going around in circles trying to diagnose yourself, you are not going to get anywhere and will be left feeling even more frustrated. You’re not going to be able to diagnose yourself on Google.

    Just know that your what if thinking and overthinking and self diagnosing is a PRIME feature of major anxiety and possibly even depression. at some point you have to trust in your self and in your health. I had to toughen my mind!

    your therapist is trying to help you. Mental health issues like anxiety are helped with therapy and sometimes medication. But besides that, the patient needs to do his or her own work also.

    It would be helpful if you worked on finding some joy in life, taking care of your health by eating good foods, getting some exercise which will raise the serotonin levels in your brain and help you feel better, a little socializing helps, looking for the positive things in life and being grateful for what you do have. These things along with therapy and maybe medication will help you. we have to get out of our head and into our life to be happy.

    dont overreact to your thoughts. Just acknowledge them and let them go because they are not based on reality or fact.

    you maybe searching for something wrong that’s not even there and that’s exhausting!

  • Posted

    Oh I wish I had an answer for you but im the exact same and its eating me alive!

    I thought i was doing better with therapy but i went to see the GP again about an abdominal pain ive been having for a year and hes referred me for more tests to "rule out cancer" -and its totally triggered me, im in pieces tonight.

    Ive had normal endoscopy, colonoscopy and abdominal MRI recently so should take comfort in that but cant help thinking something has been missed and completely panicking

    Im just doubting all the doctors before that said it was nothing to worry about and the fact he has come up with more tests i havent done is really making me panic especially as i can feel the abdominal pain and expecting the worse

    I just hate that im living my life in fear of dying and not able to enjoy what i have as im living like im about to get terrible news all the time

  • Posted

    I can relate to this so much. I have had health anxiety for about 4 years, but the last year it has gone into absolute overdrive. I am convinced, utterly convinced I have pancreatic cancer. I had had a year of testing including x2 ultrasounds, x2 CT scans, x2 MRIs and an endoscopy. Waiting on one CT result but everything has come back clear. I have loads of upper abdominal pain, esp the left side, constant burping and heaviness in my stomach. I can barely eat, I've lost over 2 stone in weight.

    Ive given up everything I love, don't see friends, don't see family. I am petrified all the time. I sleep about 2-3 hrs a night. I also have this strange tugging and pulling sensation on my left side.

    All I have read is that it can only be PC with these symptoms, and yet the Drs cannot find anything. I am even seeing a gastro/pancreas specialist who specialises in the early detection of PC. He doesn't seem bothered at all. I can't put this worry to bed.I cant move on from it, although everyone has told me to.

    Everyone in my life believes I am manifesting the symptoms, esp with my history of health anxiety.But I just know there is something up, and no-one believes me. I just wish something would show up on the tests so i cn now what it is a treat it, rather than the agony of always wondering. It's ruining my life.

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