Extreme health anxiety

[Aspychata]

Good you are writing about this. We will always find another worry. I think l just quantify my life by my different degrees of worries. Sometimes l step back and think do l really need to worry about this. But encroaching senior citizenitis (lol), is making me realize, yup, back to being a worry-wart. Does this ever end?

 

[Slime_Punk]

We will always find another worry.

This is so true. Although some are more consuming than others, it's interesting how we're never really going to get rid of all of our fears, we can just choose better things to fear than things we really have zero control over. A lot of health anxiety falls into the category of no direct control, so it's easy to get fixated on that IMO.

Sometimes it's nice to know we're doing everything we can to stay out of harm's way, but to also know that we don't control the chaos and randomness of our universe. Being worry-free is a pipe dream for most humans, so I prefer to gel with the worries as best as I can now by acknowledging them and try to be brave in spite of them.

 

[Magna]

This is so true. Although some are more consuming than others, it's interesting how we're never really going to get rid of all of our fears, we can just choose better things to fear than things we really have zero control over. A lot of health anxiety falls into the category of no direct control, so it's easy to get fixated on that IMO.

Sometimes it's nice to know we're doing everything we can to stay out of harm's way, but to also know that we don't control the chaos and randomness of our universe. Being worry-free is a pipe dream for most humans, so I prefer to gel with the worries as best as I can now by acknowledging them and try to be brave in spite of them.

^ This is wise. Making the best effort to control what we can try to control (e.g. attitude, outlook, perception, philosophy, belief, etc) in spite of what we can't control (ie our mortality). The following outlook actually helps me to try to pick out and focus on good things each day in spite of the bad: Life is a terminal condition. For me, being aware of that literally every single day helps me to be more present each day and to focus on finding good things and appreciating them. The seemingly negative statement (I don't see it that way. I see it simply see it for the fact that it is) also helps me when I worry about health issues. I catastrophize as well. I'm going through some internal health issue which I have no idea as to what it is and to what severity. I've already jumped to worrying that it's cancer. "Life is a terminal condition." helps me with health worries too because if/when someone does battle a disease like cancer, they must find the good things in each day even if every moment is overshadowed by the disease.

 

[Questionsilencescape]

It is not almost unbearable for me, it IS UNBEARABLE for me. I go into overdrive panic.

Oh damn, sorry to hear man. Hope you find a solution

 

[GrownupGirl]

Yeah, I have health anxiety. And WWIII anxiety, climate anxiety, anxiety anxiety, etc.

Last night I read some posts by people who suffered from covid and they said it was the worst experience ever and they still have health problems and can no longer enjoy the most simple things anymore. And they even got all their shots. There is no reason to go on living, because covid will be around forever and anyone at any time can get it and it's clearly as contagious as a common cold so eventually we'll all have it and our lives will be ruined forever, if we survive. I just want to scream my lungs out while they're still functioning and slash up my arms.

Long covid can cause diabetes and kidney failure, so if you much as cough, you'd better make sure you've written your will. Not me though, I don't really have anything worth giving to my family members and they're doomed as well.

Most humans are blithering idiots. Every time there's mention about the covid or even flu vaccines in the news feed there are always many more dislikes than likes and I don't even think of reading the comments because they're nothing but a bunch of lunatics. The human race is screwed.

 

[chincey_james]

I had hypochondria quite intensely growing up. It's still there, but it's a little more subtle. Or maybe I've just gotten so used to it that I don't notice it as much. I definitely don't like going to the doctor or the dentist. I hate the environments, especially the white walls and flourescent lights. Those spaces seem so unhuman to me.

The biggest health anxiety I have nowadays revolves around heart attacks. I hate the idea of dying suddenly and without time to process the event. My partner helped me to trace this fear back to something my father once told me when I was anxious. He said, "If you keep worrying so much, you're going to give yourself a heart attack." Probably the worst thing he could have said to me.

 

[Dadamen]

Yeah, I have health anxiety. And WWIII anxiety, climate anxiety, anxiety anxiety, etc.

Last night I read some posts by people who suffered from covid and they said it was the worst experience ever and they still have health problems and can no longer enjoy the most simple things anymore. And they even got all their shots. There is no reason to go on living, because covid will be around forever and anyone at any time can get it and it's clearly as contagious as a common cold so eventually we'll all have it and our lives will be ruined forever, if we survive. I just want to scream my lungs out while they're still functioning and slash up my arms.

Long covid can cause diabetes and kidney failure, so if you much as cough, you'd better make sure you've written your will. Not me though, I don't really have anything worth giving to my family members and they're doomed as well.

Most humans are blithering idiots. Every time there's mention about the covid or even flu vaccines in the news feed there are always many more dislikes than likes and I don't even think of reading the comments because they're nothing but a bunch of lunatics. The human race is screwed.

I also have all those anxieties. But health anxiety is the worst. A few degrees warmer climate won't kill us. Many people live in tropical and subtropical areas. Zagreb will likely have climate like for example Georgia, USA or Tokio, Japan in few decades, still livable. WWIII is probably still not very likely, it seems more like some Cold war II.

But these microbes are awful. Everywhere I come people around me cough and this makes me very anxious. This winter we have colds, flu, covid and whooping cough epidemics at the same time. I am also very afraid of ticks because they carry Lyme disease and Meningitis. Also am an hypochondriac. A few months ago I thought I had sleep apnea. Spend 250 € on polysomnography. This week spent 56€ to get my stool checked for parasites becuase had anxiety I have a parasite. The microbiology lessons on university have worsened that anxiety for me. I thought we are safe from bacteria because of antibiotics, but it turns out many bacteria are either resistant or treatable only in early stage.

 

[thejuice]

Yes I've lost a job because of it and had many bad periods. It's much better now that I was honest with my doctor about it, I tried to hide it before.

First step was stopping Google and any queries I have, I'd ask for a call from a doctor. (maybe not everyone can do that). The internet might have the information but I do not possess the interpretation skills nor am I able to put the information into appropriate perspective. This is especially true in an emotionally volatile state. I take what you see on the internet as purely hear say. One hundred misinformed opinions are useless. The only person I trust is a doctor.

Second step was mindfulness and exercise and eating well to keep baseline anxiety lower.

Also stepping off of any 'thought trains' before it gets too far down the track where the next stop is pure hell.

You can also crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy, having some kind of purpose or helping people. Live within the day only.

I stay away from any triggers. Like if there is a post from a fellow anxious person, I have to be selfish and will skip it I feel that jolt of unpleasant anxiety or if they're clearly indulging these negative thought patterns. This is a contagious condition! I sympathise as I know how bad it is, but the only person who can truly help is a professional.

It really helps to have an empathetic doctor.