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Health Anxiety! Anyone wanna talk about it?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Health & Wellbeing
Hi guys!

Since this seems like a really nice forum, I wondered if anyone else here suffers with health anxiety? I do, unfortunately. Specifically focussed on cancer :grump: It's not something many people understand (or have even heard of) so wondered if anyone else has similar issues?

Thanks! x

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    anxiety and depression

    Brynja

    I think Im going through this but not with cancer. I have been eratic and bad tempered. Everything seems insurmountable and have just been suspended from work. I have tantrums and cannot remember what I have said. Several people said they were worried I was having a breakdown but I don't know. I am under investigation and probably am looking at a disciplinary and the sack. Going to docs in morning. Nothing makes sense. My behaviour certainly doesn't.
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    Soph001Soph001 Posts: 105 The Mix Convert
    Hi Brynja, I hope you're finding the boards useful so far. If you tell us a bit about the symptoms, how health anxiety appears in you, it might help people identify with what you're experiencing. Just an idea - of course, say as much or as little as you like.
    Hope you're feeling happy and well at the moment anyway.

    Witchipoo, that sounds like a hard situation. Are you seeing anyone about how you're feeling?
    Take care, both of you.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think my boyfriend has this...every now and then, when hes feeling down, he gets reeally anxious about health issues. for example hes convinced himself theres something wrong with his heart and went through a phase of checking his heartbeat constantly and saying he was having palpitations. but when he went to the doctor there was nothing wrong.

    a few times hes said he has worried himself to death that he might have aids (even though theres no chance of him having it!). another time he was thinking he might have diabetes...it sounds like hes a hypercondriac but its not that at all, the thing is it only happens when hes feeling down or depressed. 98% of the time hes fine.

    id be interested in hearing if you've been to the doctors about or anything? am i thinking along the right lines here. :]
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is health anxiety newspeak for hypochondria, or something else? Either way I don't suffer from it, though I have a friend who does. Whenever he gets down he always thinks there's something wrong with him physically. I think for him it's a form of avoidance. He doesn't want to deal with his real issues, so he subconsciously makes up phony ones. It's not just his health he talks about. I'm not sure if this is the case with other sufferers, but I think it is with him.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    witchipoo wrote: »
    Brynja

    I think Im going through this but not with cancer. I have been eratic and bad tempered. Everything seems insurmountable and have just been suspended from work. I have tantrums and cannot remember what I have said. Several people said they were worried I was having a breakdown but I don't know. I am under investigation and probably am looking at a disciplinary and the sack. Going to docs in morning. Nothing makes sense. My behaviour certainly doesn't.

    Witchipoo

    I hope the doctor manages to help you in some way; it sounds like some kind of similar issue (I would say mental illness issue because that's what this all is, but unfortunately there is such a stigma tied in with that phrase still) Something is obviously going on and it's coming out in the ways you said above. I am no expert, but all I know is when your body or subconcious is trying to tell you something it can present itself in different ways and it's good to listen to it.

    let me know how you get on, and feel free to pm me if you want to chat further. I have been dealing with anxiety as part of my life since I was about 18, so 10 years now - and it's not properly understood or treated by most GP's - through no fault of their own, they simply aren't specialists! So I have done years of research and reading and managed to go back to the doctors a little wiser and tell them what help i wanted to try, rather than wait for their suggestions. It seems to be working anyway!

    Good luck!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Spawn of Stan:

    Sorry to hear about your friend; I think Hypochondria and Health Anxiety present similar symptoms but they're not the same - it's very easy to be confused... I imagine it would be hard to diagnose which it was. I wouldn't be surprised if one could lead into the other though. The basic difference is that hypochondria is more of a personality issue, just the way someone is and always focussing on their health (my mum is like that which probably didn't help me! haha) it's almost like she likes to be ill, and if there is something wrong with you she's had that too, only 10 times worse!

    Health Anxiety is one of a few different forms of Anxiety illnesses - and after lots of research I discovered it's a form of OCD. Like many types of OCD and anxiety they do get worse in times of stress or depression so maybe this is what your friend has. Finding this out helped me to go back to my doctor and tell him what I knew and he prescribed me an antidepressant which is used to treat OCD. I have been taking them about 5 months and they have made an amazing difference. I have also used self help stuff, Cognitive Behavioural Stuff, to try and change the way I think.

    firey firenz - it sounds exactly like Health Anxiety that your boyfriend has. That is how mine stareted too! As Soph001 suggested I will describe my symptoms in more detail - I just wanted to see if anyone knew about it first as it seems not many people do understand... including doctors.

    But yes, I have been to the doctors countless times with lumps and palpitations and headaches and always there is nothing wrong - sometimes I get so scared and worked up they I do actually have palpitations... but then I also have to remember that everyone does! It's very common.

    I hope your boyfriend gets some help, it sounds like you are incredibly supportive anyway

    Take care x
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