Back in march I developed severe anxiety over my health, I basically started to believe every little lump and bump of my body was cancer. I had this tiny lump on my ribs checked out a few weeks ago after months of stressing non stop and the doctors said they couldn't even see it on the scan so it must be a fatty knot.
I was very relieved and even started to think clearly again until I felt a little pain in my knee, my brain instantly told me I had cancer in that spot, then I found it to be very hard to breathe so my brain forgot about my knee and told me I had lung cancer, I was feeling my foot (I have a bunion, sorry if thats TMI) and since it felt irregular (because of the bunion) I was worried I would have cancer there too, my mind even shifts back to my invisible ultrasound lump form time to time.
I really want this to stop. I have developed such bad anxiety over everything being wrong with my body its hard to do much. The only thing that takes my focus off of this is my art projects and work. I lifeguard in the summer time and I can't even do that well anymore, every time I see a small child enter the deep end I fear of him or her drowning and me not reacting properly, this causes a lot of deep breathing and I get very light headed. The last thing I wanna do is pass out on my guard stand.
I really don't wanna see a therapist, something about talking to them freaks me out. Is there any ideas on how to overcome this? I will appreciate any advice anyone can give me!
I am much like this, you are not alone. I convince myself something is wrong and my health checks out fine. I'm currently going through some tests now, even though the doctor has reassured me I'm fine, I cannot relax until I see those results.
This is our anxiety. We need to do something about it - you need to discuss that with your doctor. I am in the process of doing that now. I was on anxiety medication a few years ago, but stupidly took myself off them. I'd been fine until recently - we cannot let anxiety rule our lives.
Try to monitor your thoughts and breathing. I have the same problem.
All you can do is control your thoughts - don't let them get the better of you.
I exercise every day for at least one hour until I'm breathless. I run by the lake, winter, spring, summer and fall.
I have a mantra I say over and over when I'm really scared so I can sleep. Sleep is very important.
I have struggled with this for years and put my self at a lot of risk by having so many tests done with exposure to radiation! See a counselor, confide in someone find help before it’s too late!!! Don’t wait because it will ruin your life like It has done to me. I haven’t been able to sleep hardly at all in the last year from stress and health worries and now suffering far worse than I ever could have imagined! No answers yet from many specialists and I struggle to just exist. Please don’t let it ruin you, get help now!
i got to the point if i saw a strange lump i didnt like id try and take off my self because the doctor wouldnt. so it was many trips to the doctors to sort out mess id made to myself. you dont want get this bad trust me. i spent a bit of time in a residential place( dont like to call them nut houses). that didnt help as i didnt want to be there. im not as bad as i used to be but still have severe health anxiety. thats what health anxiety does if you dont get help quickly it causes nervous breakdowns. i hope you can hold of this before it takes control of you.