Hi all. I’m new to this so bare with me! I was diagnosed with health anxiety a few years ago and have been on citalopram 20mg once daily and have had CBT. Lately I have relapsed more than ever.
I am constantly worried I have cancer and I have no idea where this stems from! I currently have back ache, slight belly aches and urinating more and I am convinced I have something seriously wrong even tho 1) I sleep in awful positions 2) I’m drinking more!
How do you guys cope? I am only 23 and I can not carry on feeling this way!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated as I am so upset and the waiting list for therapy is another 12 weeks
Hello there. I'm sorry to hear you are going through such a tough time Have you ever had these symptoms before? You were diagnosed with anxiety years ago hence question. Have you ever been examined by doctor to rule out any health issues?
I can imagine how hard it must be for you but waiting 12 weeks will be tough if you are so bad niw. Could you go private? Even for a couple of sessions? I would start from doctor if you haven't done it yet as it will give you some peace of mind. The way I deal with my anxiety is that I read/educate myself over this topic whenever I can as it helps me understand this process and why it is happening and how to help myself.
, I have health Anxiety too, and I'm alwasys thinking that I have heart problem, and I feel pain in chest and in left arm, some time breath problem too, so I saw my Cardiologist about 6_7 times , and he did ECG, BP, and ECO too, but all comes back OK, so he gave me some meds about Anxiety, that I'm taking right now, even my Doc told that I'm alright but again my mind says something is wrong and my Doc just missed that, and its matter of time I have have heart attack, so 1st thing what I did I started Morning Jog/walk for 30 mint, and 2nd thing i start watching a movie every night, 3rd joined this fourm to read and discuss about Anxiety, 4th taking my meds, 5th make some time for your feiends,
When you say you’re drinking more, do you mean alcohol or a constant thirst? The reason for asking is being thirsty is one of the first signs of diabetes. A quick urine test at your gp surgery will show the result straight away.
If on the other hand, you mean alcohol, then join the alcohol consumption forum and put your post on there.
I am not medically trained, but 20mg of citalapram is a very low dose. I was exactly the same and my dr doubled the dose and I felt much better.
I suffer from generalised anxiety, and used to use alcohol to help. It is only a temporary measure, as I’m sure you know, and the danger is that the amount of alcohol increases and you can become dependant on it very quickly, as I know to my cost. Alcohol actually is a depressant and can cause anxiety, or make it worse in the long run. Drinking whilst taking antidepressants is pointless, as the alcohol cancels out any good the medication does.
Try the alcohol forum if you are drinking alcohol and you’ll get excellent, non judgemental help and advice and you’ll see you’re not alone.
I go through the same thing! I woke up in the middle of the night one night with a panic attack, and somehow convinced myself I was bipolar. I have been to a psychiatrist, a CBT counselor, My OBGYN, and my GP, who ALL say i am NOT bipolar, yet I fear it, and every little symptom and feeling, and thought I have, I think it is bipolar. It is something awful. I CAN tell you when I can grab more control of my anxiety it gets better when I come to point and say if I am I am there is nothing I can do to stop it. ....Which is usually when I can come to "normal" thinking and realize I am not. Good luck!
I might be wrong here now but I read that Beeu says she drinks more fluids (rather than alcohol) hence she urinates more. The anxiety by it's nature can make a big deal out of nothing that is normal and you've been through loads of times. I have health anxiety that started after I had a miscarriage and remember being in hospital thinking I am going to die. Obviously that never happened but that was my first panic attack. Since I thought I had: heart attack, stroke, tumor, stomach ulcers, cancer, IBS. So far I experienced pains in stomach, under rib cage, my back, around kidneys, stiff neck, chest and breathing problems, "lump" in my throat, severe headaches with scalp burning sensation, twitching of eyelid, numbness pins and needles in my arms and hands, gastro problems, constant burping, complete lost of apetite (while I normally love food), dizziness, feeling sick all the time. These are somatic symptoms I experienced, never mind my emotions on the top of it. And guess what, I am healthy and despite from the fact that I know it well, I still have this BUT/WHAT IF in my head sometimes...
I learned to move forward and keep doing stuff, shopping, started new job, excerscise even tho at first I thought I am going to die, collapse, make a fool out of myself, have a heart attack when my blood presure goes up etc. But you need to keep going, prove to your subconscious that you are fine. When it wants to give you a panic attack tell it to go for it! You will see that you are not going to die!!!! It is tough but take baby steps and it will be worth it in the end, you will see. Educate yourself too as the more you know how it works the more you will know it's all in your head.
Hi Sylvia. Yes I have these symptoms sometimes but never been to the doctors as often I make an appointment and then cancel because my anxiety exaggerates the pain. A slight tummy ache feels like the worst stomach ache in the world. I may very well consider private - good idea. I just don’t feel I can wait 12 weeks. Such a shame there is just not enough staff to keep up with demand in the mental health sector
Thank you so much for your reply. I am so sorry to hear what you have been through but I can tell you are a fighter I am the same in worrying of all these problems and it is so so hard. BUT/WHAT IF thoughts are the problem. I need to be able to acknowledge we all get aches and pains and that is just life. I think I am going to try exercising more to keep a positive outlook. Thank you so much for replying and good luck with your journey
Thank you and the same to you x I've always been a fighter and I will keep doing it till I drop I would strongly advise you to go to your GP, a) it will give you peace of mind and b) if there was something you need to address you will know about it and can act upon it.
I have loads of pains in my stomach, till the point I was forcing myself to eat, crying while eating as my stomach was so tight... stomach pain started anxiety for me. I have pains today again in it since last night but I know it's just anxiety therefore I am just ignoring it. I take Spasmonal forte sometimes to help relieve the tension. We just have to wait it out. But when I went to my GP it was a huge help, after 3 weeks of constant pain after the scan of abdomen the pain went itself straight away for over 2 mnths!!! Good luck and keeping my fingers crossed for you x
Hi Sylwia. Your post was the best I have ever read. I am 74 now,male,always been active. I still cycle every day,15 to 20 ks. I am a rock musician still doing concerts. The major downside to this is that I have had health anxiey since 1965 and in the Royal Navy at the time. In my life,like you,I have had in my mind,brain tumours, skin cancer,foot cancer,lung cancer (don't smoke) liver cancer,prostate cancer,throat and oesophagus cancer,bone cancer,thyroid cancer bladder cancer and more. If there was hair cancer,then I would have that too! At the moment I still feel like a zombie,as though I am "sewn up" from my back to my head,which throbs all the time. I have had tests for all these hellish symptoms. All ok. My p.s.a result was the best ever for a dude of my age. Now I am afraid to see a doctor. My family have stopped listening to me crapping on at every opportunity I can. Unless you have had this "scum" as I call it,you cannot understand what anxiety can do to you. I have NEVER let this beat me however! My advice to the younger people reading this would be, please don't lose hope. It will not kill you. Face it,focus on it,ask it what the hell it wants, thank it and just carry on. Hard I know.