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Super Anxiety and Hypochondria

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debra83792
debra83792

For the past few weeks I have been having panic attacks nearly every morning when I get up.  I live in fear of a dreadful disease or just plain dropping dead.  I fixate on every ache, pain and digestive system noise and action.  I have had just about every disease, in my mind, that I can come up with. I am a hypochondriac--one of the best, having learned from my Grandmother throughout my early years!  I have a physical coming up in about 10 days and I fear the very worst!!  I really can't take much more of this.  I worry I won't wake up in the morning so that my sleep is screwed up!  This is the worst I've ever been in recent memory.  I'm pretty sure it is the impending diagnosis from the doctor.  Is anyone else here a hypochondriac??  What do you do to combat the dreaded feelings?

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • samantha69249
    samantha69249 debra83792

    Posted

    I am! It's a nightmare. I forever think I have this horrible disease with any symptom I get and then I start reserching sad

  • zahir43897
    zahir43897 debra83792

    Posted

    hi debra, im sorry for what you are going through.  It might be a good idea to jot down your fears and thoughts about what diseases you have and then to schedule frequent, like monthly appts with your doctor so that you can have your fears put to rest.  Also you can look into therapy options like cognitive behaviorla therapy or mindfulness meditation.  If worst comes to worst you can always ask about SSRi medications at very low doses to control your anxiety. There is also a herbal called Kava Kava which you can look into. Hope this helps.
    • steven47549
      steven47549 lee12629

      Posted

      Monthly seems a bit extreme if basic diagnostics (bloodwork, etc.) don't indicate any abnormalities, but I do agree with the spirit of the suggestion.  It's always good to get checked out and have fears addressed!  I just caution against going down the endless rabbit-hole of testing based on every minor concern.  Tests like ekgs, bloodwork (which can help diagnosis many conditions), and other first line screenings generally can indicate if there're are any areas of concern in need of additional investigation.  I don't want to dissuade anyone from pursuing tests, it's always great to have peace of mind, BUT I know I personally would be at the doctor every week requesting a different test if I had my way, but the truth of the matter is that at a certain point it becomes very difficult to medically justify additional diagnostics.  This is all dependent on the nature of symptoms presented, the type of anxiety, and if the sufferer accepts their anxiety diagnosis.  

  • steven47549
    steven47549 debra83792

    Posted

    I am a hypochondriac, and perhaps strangely, receiving diagnostic tests provides me with comfort and peace of mind.  I too have thought I had every disease under the sun at some point, my symptoms still are constantly shifting and I tend to switch focuses once one medical issue is ruled out.  I like getting tests that provide reassurance that I'm fine, but at the same time that's sort of an endless rabbit hole since I am always coming up with new worries.  

    Still, I think that once you have the physical results, it's going to confirm that you're healthy, and you're going to feel a world of relief and probably find your general anxiety lessened to some degree.  Your physical will likely subject you to tests that would reveal if there was anything majorly wrong with you, try to embrace the positive results I know you'll receive and use them as a tool against your anxiety.  

    I often worry about my heart, but have had it extensively tested with scans, blood works, ekgs, etc.  When I think I'm having a cardiac episode, I tend to think back to those tests and the fact that they indicated I was healthy, while I for sure have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and panic attacks.  

    • debra83792
      debra83792 steven47549

      Posted

      I am usually reassured for a reasonable amount of time after any tests, etc. Although my window of reassurance has often only a lifespan of about 6 months before I feel they may not cover the next problem I come up with. Don't ask me why, it just seems that way. It can be very frustrating. I don't tend to get to the point of major testing until I end up in the ER and they keep me overnight. The symptoms don't usually last long enough to warrant that measure. I just tend to overreact and dwell on a disease until I get a different one.

    • steven47549
      steven47549 debra83792

      Posted

      I'm literally the exact same way!  My mind will always come up with something that could've been missed on a test, or a new disease I could have.  The tests provide a temporary reprieve at best.  

    • samantha69249
      samantha69249 debra83792

      Posted

      That's exactly how I am. As soon as a get a symptom I'll deal with that for several weeks until the doctor reassure me that nothi g is wrong. And a couple of weeks later I'll come up with something new. And so on and so on. I feel like this is how my life will be forever and it drives me insane. If it's not one thing it's another.

      Right now im going through headaches and dizzyness feelings and I'm and thinking the worst. Ive gone to the ER for this about 4 times and 1 time with my primary doctor so she's referring me to a neurologist. But I'm sooo worried and scared something might be wrong.

    • debra83792
      debra83792 samantha69249

      Posted

      I suddenly had a bad headache, sweating, tingling in arms, faint feeling and dizziness along with pains in shoulder and chest one night in February and my husband rushed me to ER.  They hooked me up to EKG and did a battery of tests and I was seen and checked out by a neurologist, etc.  They kept me overnight under observation.  They were mainly checking for heart problems or stroke.  Later the next day they conferred and said that everything checked out normal.  Conclusion was an anxiety attack which was obviously the worst one I'd ever had!  Since then i keep reminding myself that the tests were normal, but there's still always the "but maybe....".  My husband keeps reminding me about the tests whenever I feel off, so I try not to mention my fears when they come up.  Still I worry.  It's so frustrating!  Recently my panic attacks are over the thought that a recurring backache is a sure sigh of gallbladder problems even though my chiropractor has been able to relieve it and has it under control.  My fear is deep seated because my father died due to gallbladder problems. Therefore I worry because of heredity.  Seeing my dr. next week for physical and very frightened that she'll tell me something dreadful is going on.  Klonapin eases the panic attacks, but my mind spins on and overthinks.  Really hard to get anything accomplished!!

    • samantha69249
      samantha69249 debra83792

      Posted

      Horrible I completed u understand you. And what sux about it is that really no one understands what we go through. My fiance doesnt understand me. I'd be huat like you if my father died of gallbladder. I'm always anxious like something is wrong with me besides my amxiety.

      I thought I was alone in all thissad

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