I just started this forum yesterday I suffer from severe health anxiety and I would just like to know what some of you others do to help cope with it mine is very severe I'm constantly in and out of the doctors office constantly with new physical symptoms that make me think that I'm dying I'm a 23-year-old female! I would just like to hear some of your stories and how your anxiety started and get to know some other people who are dealing with the same things!
I used to see my doctor almost every week because of health problems caused by anxiety.
And every time I had a panic attack I would end up in hospital.
They ended up drugging me with Chlorpromazine and Fluoxetine.
I have not had a panic attack for 7 years and I no longer have anxiety.
I even used to worry about having a blood test, and now I wouldn't care if they give me a tattoo with it.
How well do you sleep Kelsey? If you spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about things it can make things worse.
As it's an aspect of anxiety in general, sadly there is little to do to cope, really treating the root anxiety is the only real thing to do. Ask your Dr for therapy to help you deal with the underlying issues
Hi Kelsey, have you spoken to your Dr about your health anxiety?
When mines started I was going to different doctors office every two weeks...it was like I thought I was going to die and I would just lay around all day I wouldn't even watch tv because I didn't know what my triggers were but I started seeing a psychiatrist and counselor and I'm doing better but I do have some good days and some bad ones
I don't sleep very well I toss and turn all night long it's like my brain won't shut off I constantly have physical symptoms that make me think something is terribly wrong with me I wish I had that don't care attitude I feel like that would help me a lot
Yes I have spoken with my doctor several times and I have tried a lot of medications but most the time they make me feel weird or dizzy or feel like I'm not here I don't want to take medication because I'm scared of the side effects because I'm very hypersensitive to my body my dr recently prescribed me Celexa and boost bar but I have been on Buspar and it made me feel dizzy
I see a therapist every once in a while My anxiety is really bad but sometimes I feel like I need bigger help like a psychiatrist! What does a psychiatrist to do differently than a regular therapist?
Well I've been to the doctor so many times that I feel like my family and friends think I'm crazy and even the doctors most of the time people don't listen to me and they just write it off as anxiety which it probably is but the back of my mind thinks that it's not mine it's so bad it manifest into physical symptoms that are really their
A psychiatrist prescribes medication to treat mental disorders.
I therapist just talks to you.
Maybe a psychiatrist knows more about the disorder maybe they would be able to help more I've been prescribed medicine from my doctor but maybe talking to a psychiatrist and getting the right medication would be the best
This sounds very fimilair to a friend I once had and I bet people tell you it is nothing get over it. Right? People are only start to realise that this is more that that.
My way of copping is the traffic light system Red = Stop Amber = Pause Green= do something postive. The thing is if you focus your mind on one thing that thing will come bigger and bigger. You will worry about it and the trick is distract yourself
write a poem of your problems and train your brain to focus on something else
postive it is hard but it work for me. The hardest time for me is in bed when there is little else to think off .. I tend to write stories and poems. It helps me relax.
Generally, but not always. Im currently seeing a psychiatrist who is doing talk therapy, I must say they are a lot better at it than any therapist I've ever seen, but it is rare
For therapy to work you really need to be more invested than that, once in a while probably won't help very much, it needs to be quite regular
Hi, I have suffered health anxiety for six years.
Have a look at this it may help you (you might have to cut and paste the URL, its an NHS Self Help leaflet for Health Anxiety) Good Luck..
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Hey Kelsey, I also suffer from health anxiety it all started when a was having burning pain all down the left hand side of my body all tests including an MRI came back clear but I still continued to suffer so a convinced myself they had missed something and that's when my health anxiety got terribly worse a finally tried to put it to back of my mind and was able to live normally again but then got hit with the worst stomach pain I'd ever had and convinced myself it was bad news health anxiety came back even worse all tests came back clear and had the camera down was just inflammation but the anxiety at this point just got stuck on and a couldn't get rid so ended up on a drug called sertraline but it made it worse and a had bad side effects after 9 weeks suffering worse on that i came of it took weeks to feel bit normal I still suffer but not to extent I did in beginning I've had this cough over a week and back chest pain and sometimes goes into my back and a fe myself started again with health anxiety it really is a constant battle... so I totally understand what your going through it's horrendous... so many folk just want you to snap out of its not that easy... a have to keep my mind buzy at all times or a become and anxious mess.. hope you feel well soon...