So Scared of Being/Getting Sick. Freaking Out

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi,

I'm gonna try to condense this as much as possible, but also wanna make sure I get everything. (To start, I am a 19 year old female).

So it all started about 4 months ago in December (I was just finishing up my first, very stressful, semester of college). Now before then, in September, I was feeling dizzy so I went to the health services at my school and first was told it was vertigo, and then I asked if it could be stress related (a friend of mine had just passed away suddenly and tragically about 2 weeks prior), so the doctor said it was stress and told me I have anxiety. Anyway, that eventually went away and I was okay. Then December came. It was around finals so I was stressed and spent long hours writing and reading in the library. I started getting these headaches (I got headaches pretty often since I can remember) but they were more pressure than pain. Also my neck was stiff and felt tight. I made the HUGE mistake of googling my symptoms and Dr. Google told me it's a brain tumor. Still scares me because I still have the pains/pressure in my head (sometimes one sided, sometimes in random spots) and I have neck pain. (Usually when I press on a certain spot on my neck where it hurts, the pressure in my head goes away). My parents told me its just stress and probably some eye strain. While I was home for winter break I went to the doctor and she told me it's tension and stress and she felt a spasm in my neck which was probably the cause. I was still not convinced, but my parents refused to take me for an MRI because they don't think I need it. Dr recommended a neck x-ray just to check so I had that done and it came back normal. 

Then right before I went back to school I went for a routine eye test to see if my prescription changed, but I did not go to my normal eye doctor because I couldn't get in with her so I went somewhere else. I've read that a brain tumor can usually be picked up in a routine eye exam, which gave me some relief but I still worry.

Then last night I had a very little bit of alcohol (less than a filled-up shot glass - it was whiskey) and an hour or so later I felt very nauseous. Didn't sleep very well last night and early this morning I felt like I had a flu or food poisoning or something. Aches, felt like I had a fever, nausea, cold. Of course I had to look stuff up and it seemed that most of my symptoms were associated with a hangover, but I'm not sure how I could have had a hangover from so little alcohol. My dad said it could have been something I ate. Not really sure what caused it. Nausea has gone away, but I still feel a bit achy. For whatever reason, it got me worried about bone cancer (won't go all into it - I have a slightly sore spot on my left forearm and 2 small very slightly discolored dots but don't remember hitting it for the dots to be bruises). 

Over the past few months, I have had a dream that I have a brain tumor and I feel like I hear or see something cancer related at least once a day and I take it all to be signs telling me that something's wrong. I even downloaded a fortune/horriscope app that told me my fortune today and it said something like my career plans will get delayed, they're still on track but will just take longer than expected (I leave school on Thursday and I am transferring to a commuter school in the fall). I felt sick after reading that. Also, today on Facebook I saw an article of a young woman who had shoulder pain that turned out to be melanoma and she died. Just the whole idea of getting sick or thinking that you're fine and them boom you're dead scares me more than I can even begin to say.

Forgot to mention that when I would go home for the weekends my head and neck would feel better. I would barely notice it or it wouldn't bother me at all and I feel fine. I wanna talk to my parents about it but they will just tell me I'm overreacting and I'm fine.

The more rational part of me feels that this all really is just stress and anxiety from being away at school, losing my friend (he was 18 and shot himself in the head), and I've also lost my Grandma to pancreatic cancer and my Uncle to a heart attack, so I feel that this all could just be my body's way of processing everything (delayed reaction for my grandma and uncle as they have been gone a few years), but then the other part of me is really scared and feels that there is actually something wrong. I really can't take feeling this way anymore. I'm only 19 and want my life back. 

Does anyone have any advise? I'm basically desperate. 

0 likes, 30 replies

30 Replies

Prev
  • Posted

    Your last paragraph is the crux. Do you have a therapist to help you work through everything? Youre not over reacting your body is over loaded and some therapy would help advise you. Dont drink anymore its not a good idea with anxiety attacks at all. I think its a great idea to talk to your parents. If you feel over whelmed write it all down in a letter. That way you wont forget anything and can include everything and every thought. Then just give it the parent you feel closer too, they will show it to the other. You will get your life back but doing nothing doesnt seem to be working out. 
    • Posted

      I'm gonna make an appointment with a therapist and go as soon as I can get into one. I haven't had these problems since I started college so I've just been waiting until I got back home to go
  • Posted

    I personally think you need to see a psychologist / therapist.

    I know what you're going through. You're manifesting events in your life and exploding them into every bit of detail you observe or hear and think its a sign.

    It seems like there is a lot has happened in your life so far, you need time to be stress free, clam, and collected. I know that sounds so cliche, but with anxiety, that's probably the best thing to do. Just relax, meditate, go on a holiday, have a proper diet, sleep and most definitely exercise. Find someone to confide into, when you talk to someone that listens and understanding, it can help you a long way.

    Don't exaggerate your thoughts. When you have negative thoughts in your head, control your breathing and replace those negative thoughts, with 2-3 positive toughts that make you smile.

    You're only 19 and have A LOT infront of you to live for. smile

    • Posted

      Thank you so much! I actually teared up reading your comment. It really means a lot. And yes, I'm definitely gonna go see a therapist. I leave school tomorrow so I'm gonna cal for an appointment and go as soon as possible
    • Posted

      Just remember, if your therapist is someone you don't bond with, you can always request for someone else. i.e my first therapist was someone who kust kept blabbing on and on and on and wouldn't let me talk much so I just requested for someone else.

      Just keep smiling and KNOW everything will be ok. Happy thoughts ok?!

       

    • Posted

      Thank you! I'm really gonna try and work on myself now that I'm home. It's weird cuz sometimes I don't really feel stressed or anxious and I still have these problems, but I've been told it could be subconscious. And I think I only worry a lot cuz I haven't had an MRI done but anyway, I'm just hoping after being home and less anxious for a while I'll feel better
  • Posted

    I think you have answered your own question you are stressed you have had a lot going on and its leading to mild anxiety.

    Dont google stuff its a really bad idea.

    Consider therapy to learn how to cope

    Stay Strongconfused

    • Posted

      Yeah I definitely have to control my googling haha it's horrible. It's more so just the "signs" that scare me the most but I'm trying to just tell myself that I'm okay. Very hard though.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.