Health Anxiety

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

I tend to get bouts of anxiety, which I've learned to manage OK with a bit of meditation, exercise and sometimes just crossing my fingers and hoping it eases. One pattern I've noticed though, is if I happen to be going through an anxious period, and get some sort of physical symptoms not related to anxiety, I become convinced I'm dying until its been proven otherwise.

 

Anyone have any tips to stop the ridiculous thought spirals that have me almost arranging my own funeral?

[Rushies tash]

7 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

I tend to get bouts of anxiety, which I've learned to manage OK with a bit of meditation, exercise and sometimes just crossing my fingers and hoping it eases. One pattern I've noticed though, is if I happen to be going through an anxious period, and get some sort of physical symptoms not related to anxiety, I become convinced I'm dying until its been proven otherwise.

 

Anyone have any tips to stop the ridiculous thought spirals that have me almost arranging my own funeral?

I found that getting things checked out by a doctor as soon as possible helps. Don't worry about bothering them. Don't, whatever you do, start checking symptoms online - you'll convince yourself you've got some hybrid of ebola and plague. 

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Just now, Rushies tash said:

I found that getting things checked out by a doctor as soon as possible helps. Don't worry about bothering them. Don't, whatever you do, start checking symptoms online - you'll convince yourself you've got some hybrid of ebola and plague.

 

Cheers. Too late for the google tip unfortunately. But been to the docs and ill see where that goes.

 

Reading back at this, I have obviously posted it in a jokey tone, as is my way, but I'm genuinely spending large parts of each day worrying about my health, the future, by daughter growing up without me etc, when I know, statistically, it's really, really unlikely that I'm right about my own self diagnosis. I want to kick the fuck out of myself.

[Elite]

6 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

I tend to get bouts of anxiety, which I've learned to manage OK with a bit of meditation, exercise and sometimes just crossing my fingers and hoping it eases. One pattern I've noticed though, is if I happen to be going through an anxious period, and get some sort of physical symptoms not related to anxiety, I become convinced I'm dying until its been proven otherwise.

 

Anyone have any tips to stop the ridiculous thought spirals that have me almost arranging my own funeral?

I think everyone has health anxiety to some degree and it probably gets worse as you get older which makes sense as that's when most problems start.

 

My advice would be to speak to a doctor about any health concerns and from experience they will refer you for all sorts of tests and scans, which will put your mind at ease (hopefully they don't find anything) which is one of the great benefits of the NHS. 

 

Past experience also helps. The amount of times I thought I had clots again I couldn't count on my hands but once you've been through the symptoms that are brought on through anxiety and they ease a couple of hours/day later, you can rationalise it's probably all in your head. If it's acute you will generally know if you need immediate help. 

[Rushies tash]

Have you tried CBT for your anxiety mate? You can usually book it online directly through the NHS. It doesn't make anxiety go away, but it does help you to cope with it and rationalise the thoughts you are having. I was sceptical about it, but found it really helped.

[Section_31]

I'm the same. I've never been the same since I pissed a bit of blood about ten years ago.

 

I went to the doc's and he was like "I'm very worried about this! We need to get you checked out ASAP, you're relatively young and healthy so you've got every chance."

 

I went home in a total daze. I had about seven tests in the space of ten days, every day I'd come home to a new letter asking me to go for a scan. I had  a cat scan, ultrasound, x Ray, prostate exam, camera down the dick, blood tests. Nowt came of it and I've been fine since.

 

At 30/31 though it was the first time I've ever been faced with my own mortality. In your 20s you don't give a fuck. I'd bad a lump on my testicle when I was about 21, turned out to be an infection, but I never lost a single night's sleep over it, I just didn't give a fuck. It'd be a completely different story now.

 

Basically anxiety is a state of high alert. You're looking for threats outside and inside, including health. I had an ear infection recently and I was convinced I'd have to have my entire jaw removed. When I got bitten by horse flies on my legs in the summer, I thought I'd have to have my legs amputated.

 

Anxiety is basicslly "what's the worst that could happen?"

 

If I get ill now, no matter how trivial, I can't relax until the symptoms are gone.

 

I saw a Councillor years ago and he said it's pretty natural when you go through a shocking health experience, say people who choke on food or something will get it, or who are sick on holiday/in public and feel vulnerable.

 

I try to look back now and ask myself how many of my health fears turned out to be baseless, and the answer is all of them.

 

I think CBT can help in things like this, I'd have a look into it.

[Harry's Lad]

My lad has bouts of that every now and then, seeing me with my health problems I think is the root cause.

He had struggled with it for a while but was sensible enough to talk to the Dr about it who organised some sessions with a therapist which happened quite quickly and made a huge difference.

 

My daughter has as well but that coincided with her having her little ones which I think happens a lot with new mums.

The Dr arranged therapy sessions for her as well and again they made a difference

 

What I'm trying to say is, rather than worry, worry, worry, see your Dr because worrying just makes things worse especially during these times.

 

The help is out there, you just need to ask for it.

Good luck Rick.

 

 

 

[ZonkoVille77]

I suffer from anxiety and as Section says every little thing feels like you're about to die. I had a toothache the other week and gave myself cancer of the jaw bone. Went to dentist to get it filled and I always get anaesthetic without adrenaline in it because the one with it sets my heart rate off and a spiral of anxiety. Even with the normal injection I was convinced my heart was going to explode but that was the anxiety putting my heart rate up. 

 

I've tried beta blockers but that made me feel shit. I refuse to go on antidepressants due to an awful experience years ago with them. 1 week on them and I was walking through a shopping centre and just burst out laughing uncontrollably over nothing and couldn't stop. I didn't feel human at all. So off of them I went. 

 

Best way I deal with it now is through mindfulness and meditation and a few drops of CBD oil before bedtime. CBD really helps me. I've noticed I'm a lot more on edge the days I've not taken it. I'm never full rid of the anxiety but I'm able to rationalise things a lot better than I was before.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Can you get CBD oil on the NHS by any chance? Not that I'm too tight to pay, but I have just experienced terrible jumps in "quality" when buying online. Some stuff did nothing, some stuff seemed to help. But I was never sure it it was placebo. Any recommendations welcome. I found some CBD flower to be quite effective but given my current health anxieties are lung related, I don't think smoking is the answer.

 

I have a mad couple of weeks here with uni and my work performance reviews, but after that, I'll be trying some CBT courses to help gather my thoughts. Can anyone recommend a particular online course/documentation/tutorial on how to get started?

 

Thanks all. Glad I'm not alone, but also sad that its something a lot of us have to go through. Seems like such a waste of potential happiness.

 

[Captain Howdy]

10 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

I suffer from anxiety and as Section says every little thing feels like you're about to die. I had a toothache the other week and gave myself cancer of the jaw bone. Went to dentist to get it filled and I always get anaesthetic without adrenaline in it because the one with it sets my heart rate off and a spiral of anxiety. Even with the normal injection I was convinced my heart was going to explode but that was the anxiety putting my heart rate up. 

 

I've tried beta blockers but that made me feel shit. I refuse to go on antidepressants due to an awful experience years ago with them. 1 week on them and I was walking through a shopping centre and just burst out laughing uncontrollably over nothing and couldn't stop. I didn't feel human at all. So off of them I went. 

 

Best way I deal with it now is through mindfulness and meditation and a few drops of CBD oil before bedtime. CBD really helps me. I've noticed I'm a lot more on edge the days I've not taken it. I'm never full rid of the anxiety but I'm able to rationalise things a lot better than I was before.

I think everybody suffers anxiety to some degree and I think it’s very important to realise that everybody’s different , for example beta blockers didn’t work for you but for me they literally changed my life, they helped me no end. I,like Section and the OP, thought that every single thing wrong with me was worse  case scenario and that death was inevitable. Interestingly it all started when my three children were young, now that they have grown up I no longer suffer from it. I’m pretty convinced that a subconscious fear of leaving them vulnerable to the world is what was behind it all but like I say everybody is different and the main thing is to get help because I remember it well and it was as miserable as fuck, sleepless night after sleepless night.

[3 Stacks]

I've shared this before on here, but when I had to get my testicle removed, some dickhead emergency clinic doctor told me he thought it was cancer. When I went to the hospital to get more tests, they basically told me that based on my symptoms, they had to remove it, but that cancer was basically impossible. Doesn't matter, from that point on, this doctor who scared me with the fucking C word has changed my life. I was 21 and since then, I've basically been a shell of who I was. And I've done the anxiety medication and counselling, with pretty much no benefit. I have no solution to the OP, unfortunately.

 

The mental grapple between, are my mental issues the cause of my symptoms, or do my symptoms cause my mental issues is infuriating. Currently, I've got symptoms that have persisted for years that are legit cancer symptoms. That I've had checked out at the Doctors, but not to the full extent to rule out anything. No biopsy, no camera up my ass hole. And these persist, so I'm on the neverending cycle where I call my Doctor every 4-6 months for a solution and I get the same solution of "go get a blood test." And I'm a young man, so now I get a persecution complex because I feel like Doctors are ignoring my problems and think there's nothing wrong with me. I get anxiety even calling my damn Doctors office to do the same song and dance every time. 

 

Point is, this is gonna sound like a "woe is me" thing, but I personally don't know what to do in my situation. Generally, my advice would be stop Googling stuff, I guess. 

[Jennings]

Mate, I get this too. I think lockdown has exacerbated this too.

 

Some really good advice on here.

 

One thing that really helps me, is to consider the symptoms that I don't have. I know that sounds weird - but when you are proper ill, there's a shit-load of stuff going on.

 

Also, when you feel anxious do this :- breathe in deeply for a count of four seconds. Feel your chest expand - nice and slowly and comfortably. now hold for a count of two and then breathe out for a count of eight. Your numbers may vary - but that works for me (I am 52).

 

This seriously works. I find that when I am anxious my chest muscles tighten and my breathing is affected. It's amazing how this causes loads of weird symptoms. 

 

Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Rushies tash]

13 minutes ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

Can you get CBD oil on the NHS by any chance? Not that I'm too tight to pay, but I have just experienced terrible jumps in "quality" when buying online. Some stuff did nothing, some stuff seemed to help. But I was never sure it it was placebo. Any recommendations welcome. I found some CBD flower to be quite effective but given my current health anxieties are lung related, I don't think smoking is the answer.

 

I have a mad couple of weeks here with uni and my work performance reviews, but after that, I'll be trying some CBT courses to help gather my thoughts. Can anyone recommend a particular online course/documentation/tutorial on how to get started?

 

Thanks all. Glad I'm not alone, but also sad that its something a lot of us have to go through. Seems like such a waste of potential happiness.

 

Try this mate:

 

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Cognitive-behavioural-therapy-(CBT)/LocationSearch/1908#

 

It may only be a video session with things being the way they are, but (personally speaking) I would still find it better speaking to a person than reading a book.

[Section_31]

 

14 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

I've shared this before on here, but when I had to get my testicle removed, some dickhead emergency clinic doctor told me he thought it was cancer. When I went to the hospital to get more tests, they basically told me that based on my symptoms, they had to remove it, but that cancer was basically impossible. Doesn't matter, from that point on, this doctor who scared me with the fucking C word has changed my life. I was 21 and since then, I've basically been a shell of who I was. And I've done the anxiety medication and counselling, with pretty much no benefit. I have no solution to the OP, unfortunately.

 

The mental grapple between, are my mental issues the cause of my symptoms, or do my symptoms cause my mental issues is infuriating. Currently, I've got symptoms that have persisted for years that are legit cancer symptoms. That I've had checked out at the Doctors, but not to the full extent to rule out anything. No biopsy, no camera up my ass hole. And these persist, so I'm on the neverending cycle where I call my Doctor every 4-6 months for a solution and I get the same solution of "go get a blood test." And I'm a young man, so now I get a persecution complex because I feel like Doctors are ignoring my problems and think there's nothing wrong with me. I get anxiety even calling my damn Doctors office to do the same song and dance every time. 

 

Point is, this is gonna sound like a "woe is me" thing, but I personally don't know what to do in my situation. Generally, my advice would be stop Googling stuff, I guess. 

 

Yeah it's amazing how much damage a GP can do, it was the tone and basic 'panic' from the GP that first saw me that fried my noodle, and I've never quite been the same since - it's probably a form of PTSD. 

 

To this day, my arse and heart go wild when I go near a hospital. I had to go for a bum camera a few weeks ago and they very nearly weren't going to let me home because my heart rate and blood pressure were through the roof. 

 

I've had this feeling now for a long time that there's a piano dangling over my head. If I get a symptom I'm like 'ah ha! Here we go, I knew this was coming sooner or later', then when it turns out to be heartburn I feel no better about it, it's like the good news doesn't count. 

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

23 minutes ago, Captain Howdy said:

I think everybody suffers anxiety to some degree and I think it’s very important to realise that everybody’s different , for example beta blockers didn’t work for you but for me they literally changed my life, they helped me no end. I,like Section and the OP, thought that every single thing wrong with me was worse  case scenario and that death was inevitable. Interestingly it all started when my three children were young, now that they have grown up I no longer suffer from it. I’m pretty convinced that a subconscious fear of leaving them vulnerable to the world is what was behind it all but like I say everybody is different and the main thing is to get help because I remember it well and it was as miserable as fuck, sleepless night after sleepless night.

 

My daughter is eleven and I'm very close with her. When I think of something happening to me I don't give a shit about myself (well, maybe a bit) but I'm overwhelmed with sadness at her expense. Im not thinking of x, y and z that I wanted to do, except to be there for her and see her grow up.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

If someone invents a cure for this I will personally suck them off every day for the rest of my life (probably 2 weeks cos I'm dying obviously)

[Section_31]

1 minute ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

If someone invents a cure for this I will personally suck them off every day for the rest of my life (probably 2 weeks cos I'm dying obviously)

I would definitely explore some treatment options, we're not powerless against it. CBT done well can help you rewire your brain, the problem is finding someone that does it well. The NHS hands it out like tic tacs but it's basically a cut down, self help shite version. A good practitioner could probably change your life. 

[Elite]

24 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

I've shared this before on here, but when I had to get my testicle removed, some dickhead emergency clinic doctor told me he thought it was cancer. When I went to the hospital to get more tests, they basically told me that based on my symptoms, they had to remove it, but that cancer was basically impossible. Doesn't matter, from that point on, this doctor who scared me with the fucking C word has changed my life. I was 21 and since then, I've basically been a shell of who I was. And I've done the anxiety medication and counselling, with pretty much no benefit. I have no solution to the OP, unfortunately.

 

The mental grapple between, are my mental issues the cause of my symptoms, or do my symptoms cause my mental issues is infuriating. Currently, I've got symptoms that have persisted for years that are legit cancer symptoms. That I've had checked out at the Doctors, but not to the full extent to rule out anything. No biopsy, no camera up my ass hole. And these persist, so I'm on the neverending cycle where I call my Doctor every 4-6 months for a solution and I get the same solution of "go get a blood test." And I'm a young man, so now I get a persecution complex because I feel like Doctors are ignoring my problems and think there's nothing wrong with me. I get anxiety even calling my damn Doctors office to do the same song and dance every time. 

 

Point is, this is gonna sound like a "woe is me" thing, but I personally don't know what to do in my situation. Generally, my advice would be stop Googling stuff, I guess. 

I'd like to apologise again for making light of your situation, genuinely didn't realise what you was going through.

[Remmie]

With anti-depressants, is it worth considering not ruling them out completely based on one bad experience? I don't want to make light of it, but perhaps the sum of all the anxiety is worse than the single bad experience and different anti-depressants cause different reactions? 

[Elite]

5 minutes ago, Remmie said:

With anti-depressants, is it worth considering not ruling them out completely based on one bad experience? I don't want to make light of it, but perhaps the sum of all the anxiety is worse than the single bad experience and different anti-depressants cause different reactions? 

I've been on a few different ones and they all interact differently. I settled on Mirtazipine as it knocks you the fuck out at night and it doesn't have sexual side effects.

 

I could have been having a threesome with Sofia Vergara and a prime Kelly Brook and it still would have taken me 30 mins of pumping to shoot my load on whilst on Venlafaxine.

[Remmie]

2 minutes ago, Elite said:

I've been on a few different ones and they all interact differently. I settled on Mirtazipine as it knocks you the fuck out at night and it doesn't have sexual side effects.

 

I could have been having a threesome with Sofia Vergara and a prime Kelly Brook and it still would have taken me 30 mins of pumping to shoot my load on whilst om Venlafaxine.

You need a bit of that

[Section_31]

1 minute ago, Elite said:

I've been on a few different ones and they all interact differently. I settled on Mirtazipine as it knocks you the fuck out at night and it doesn't have sexual side effects.

 

I could have been having a threesome with Sofia Vergara and a prime Kelly Brook and it still would have taken me 30 mins of pumping to shoot my load on whilst om Venlafaxine.

If I ever have a band, that's the name. 

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

1 minute ago, Elite said:

I've been on a few different ones and they all interact differently. I settled on Mirtazipine as it knocks you the fuck out at night and it doesn't have sexual side effects.

 

I could have been having a threesome with Sofia Vergara and a prime Kelly Brook and it still would have taken me 30 mins of pumping to shoot my load on whilst om Venlafaxine.

 

At least the missus was happy though

[Elite]

1 minute ago, Section_31 said:

If I ever have a band, that's the name. 

You'd have to be a soft-rock band 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

2 hours ago, Rick Sanchez C-137 said:

I tend to get bouts of anxiety, which I've learned to manage OK with a bit of meditation, exercise and sometimes just crossing my fingers and hoping it eases. One pattern I've noticed though, is if I happen to be going through an anxious period, and get some sort of physical symptoms not related to anxiety, I become convinced I'm dying until its been proven otherwise.

 

Anyone have any tips to stop the ridiculous thought spirals that have me almost arranging my own funeral?

Stress and anxiety as you know can make other symptoms come out of nowhere, it happens to me when I worry about things upcoming and I get through it. Pain suddenly goes.