Health Anxiety

[MonkeyTennis]

I was diagnosed with OCD - specifically around health and harm - after the birth of my 2nd child. I can really empathise and attest to how debilitating this type of anxiety can be. The good news is that it’s really treatable, with the right therapy. OCD action and specific OCD charities are the best place to go (and GP of course). I have had bouts of OCD relating to health since being a child - I’m now 42 and have finally cracked it ! Good luck - it will get better x

That's so good to hear that you're doing well, proof that OCD can be overcome.
A lot of people are embarrassed discussing OCD particularly if it involves health or Pure O which is obsessions involving doing harm to yourself or anyone, even though you have absolutely no desire to do either and never would, your OCD tricks your brain into thinking you could. It's such a debilitating condition. A great phrase to remember is "it's not me its just my OCD". Hope everyone here is doing OK

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I found this book very helpful when I was pretty bad with ocd and anxiety during the start of the coronavirus pandemic

 

[Badabing101]

Also wanted to add - that getting reassurance over and over again will always end in the anxiety building or changing into another ‘fixation’. For obsessions around this sort of thing one of the treatments is exposure and response prevention therapy. The aim of this is to gradually retrain your brain to respond in a more appropriate way to the stressors by exposing yourself to the fear in a controlled and gradual way and not reacting to it in the usual way you would. It takes time, patience and a real desire for change as it’s not always pleasant but it really does work and is so worth it.
There’s a specific model of how OCD works and it’s definitely worth contacting your GP and looking at the specific charities. I will write down an example and share shortly x

That's so good to hear that you're doing well, proof that OCD can be overcome.
A lot of people are embarrassed discussing OCD particularly if it involves health or Pure O which is obsessions involving doing harm to yourself or anyone, even though you have absolutely no desire to do either and never would, your OCD tricks your brain into thinking you could. It's such a debilitating condition. A great phrase to remember is "it's not me its just my OCD". Hope everyone here is doing OK

That is exactly my experience. I’m really good now and feel like I have so many tools and so much knowledge I am almost evangelical about it!

 

[Badabing101]

OCD example for health.
You get a pain, lump or some sort of ‘symptom’ that triggers your brain into thinking “that’s weird, feels painful, never had that before… I read something a few weeks ago about ***** cancer…No, its not that, I’m too young”
A few days later it happens again (the pain or trigger) – your radar is on full alert and the same thoughts go through your head, you feel highly anxious (this helps serve as proof to you there is something serious wrong). You reassure yourself by googling, reading random things on the internet, asking people what they think, following people on instagram. This serves to put more doubt and ideas in your head , so you start focussing on where the pain may be and looking for other symptoms like tiredness, lack of appetite etc. When you are looking for the symptoms, you find them and they almost feel like proof that something is wrong. This leads to you to keep looking for reassurance or you might start actively avoiding situations that may trigger these thoughts (maybe a tv programme has a cancer storyline – so you avoid it). Seeking reassurance and avoidance are classic behaviours which serve to fuel the anxiety. You may have rituals that make you feel safe (one of mine was when I was out running I would race to the next lamppost before a car came and if I beat it I wouldn’t have cancer). The problem with avoidance is that you are inadvertently telling yourself there IS something to worry about, because as much as you might try to not focus on it (avoidance) you are actually focussing on it by actively avoiding it. Hope that makes sense?
This cycle continues, you feel worse with anxiety which keeps getting fuelled with the constant ‘what ifs’, reassurance seeking, avoidance and other behaviours you might do to try and make yourself feel better (you might change your diet for example). It can start to take over your life and really interfere with relationships etc.

The exposure and response prevention therapy works in a way that re-trains your behaviour and thought processes.
You learn to tolerate the anxiety and the thoughts that provoke the anxiety by not engaging in and resisting the urge to do any of the behaviours – googling, asking for reassurance, going to the doctors, changing diet etc . Anxiety will peak, but will eventually subside. If you do this enough, you will be able to respond to triggers in a more reasonable way (like someone without OCD does). OCD makes you lose perspective.

OCD really plays on the element of doubt and a need to be 100% certain, which we can never be. It’s so hard to accept this, but once you can accept it becomes easier. One of the things I found very hard to overcome was the idea that I couldn’t have absolute certainty. The other thing that is hard is when your fears seem reasonable and there is potential for something to be seriously wrong… I would always question the results of tests, professional advice. Again over-estimating the danger is a typical feature of OCD.
I have rambled on a lot here, but I hope it helps. The way OCD functions is very similar in everyone – the difference is the triggers and exact behaviours you undertake. If I haven’t mentioned anything above that is exactly as you experience health anxiety / OCD, it’s not because it’s not part of it, it’s because it is slightly different for everyone.

 

[DCICassieStuart]

@Badabing101, I've never heard anything so well put in my life.
You are absolutely 100% spot on with every single thing you said there.

 

[Badabing101]

Thankyou @DCICassieStuart

 

[MonkeyTennis]

OCD example for health.
You get a pain, lump or some sort of ‘symptom’ that triggers your brain into thinking “that’s weird, feels painful, never had that before… I read something a few weeks ago about ***** cancer…No, its not that, I’m too young”
A few days later it happens again (the pain or trigger) – your radar is on full alert and the same thoughts go through your head, you feel highly anxious (this helps serve as proof to you there is something serious wrong). You reassure yourself by googling, reading random things on the internet, asking people what they think, following people on instagram. This serves to put more doubt and ideas in your head , so you start focussing on where the pain may be and looking for other symptoms like tiredness, lack of appetite etc. When you are looking for the symptoms, you find them and they almost feel like proof that something is wrong. This leads to you to keep looking for reassurance or you might start actively avoiding situations that may trigger these thoughts (maybe a tv programme has a cancer storyline – so you avoid it). Seeking reassurance and avoidance are classic behaviours which serve to fuel the anxiety. You may have rituals that make you feel safe (one of mine was when I was out running I would race to the next lamppost before a car came and if I beat it I wouldn’t have cancer). The problem with avoidance is that you are inadvertently telling yourself there IS something to worry about, because as much as you might try to not focus on it (avoidance) you are actually focussing on it by actively avoiding it. Hope that makes sense?
This cycle continues, you feel worse with anxiety which keeps getting fuelled with the constant ‘what ifs’, reassurance seeking, avoidance and other behaviours you might do to try and make yourself feel better (you might change your diet for example). It can start to take over your life and really interfere with relationships etc.

The exposure and response prevention therapy works in a way that re-trains your behaviour and thought processes.
You learn to tolerate the anxiety and the thoughts that provoke the anxiety by not engaging in and resisting the urge to do any of the behaviours – googling, asking for reassurance, going to the doctors, changing diet etc . Anxiety will peak, but will eventually subside. If you do this enough, you will be able to respond to triggers in a more reasonable way (like someone without OCD does). OCD makes you lose perspective.

OCD really plays on the element of doubt and a need to be 100% certain, which we can never be. It’s so hard to accept this, but once you can accept it becomes easier. One of the things I found very hard to overcome was the idea that I couldn’t have absolute certainty. The other thing that is hard is when your fears seem reasonable and there is potential for something to be seriously wrong… I would always question the results of tests, professional advice. Again over-estimating the danger is a typical feature of OCD.
I have rambled on a lot here, but I hope it helps. The way OCD functions is very similar in everyone – the difference is the triggers and exact behaviours you undertake. If I haven’t mentioned anything above that is exactly as you experience health anxiety / OCD, it’s not because it’s not part of it, it’s because it is slightly different for everyone.

That's a really helpful, insightful post on OCD and how we all respond differently to our triggers or a spike in an intrusive thought.Thank you.
Particularly the paragraph on responding to OCD, will ring true to a lot of us OCDers

My doc liked to think of OCD as a muscle (that none of us what) the more we respond to our triggers the stronger the OCD becomes, again tricking our brain into beliveing something that is just a normal everyday occurrence is something worse, ie that headache l get from time to time MUST be a brain tumour. The way to deal with these thoughts is to say to yourself, yep l'm getting headaches from time to time, like most people and I'm stressed out at the moment but that's just my OCD playing up, don't ruminate on the thought, just let the thought be there, don't fight it but continue about your day as best you can, don't feed into your anixety. I know it's so easier said than done. And it's not easy to do at first but it will work.
Hope l'm not being patronising to anybody here, believe me I've been there and have recovered and everyone here can too.

The advise from earlier in the thread about not googling your symptoms is a good one.
Also think Dr's are so much more understanding about OCD and how badly it affects your life.
My doc has a cup in her exam room that says "Don't confuse dr Google with my medical degree"
Having said that there are so many legitimate sites online that are run and regulated by professional agencies, that can really help.
x

 

[tialin]

OCD example for health.
You get a pain, lump or some sort of ‘symptom’ that triggers your brain into thinking “that’s weird, feels painful, never had that before… I read something a few weeks ago about ***** cancer…No, its not that, I’m too young”
A few days later it happens again (the pain or trigger) – your radar is on full alert and the same thoughts go through your head, you feel highly anxious (this helps serve as proof to you there is something serious wrong). You reassure yourself by googling, reading random things on the internet, asking people what they think, following people on instagram. This serves to put more doubt and ideas in your head , so you start focussing on where the pain may be and looking for other symptoms like tiredness, lack of appetite etc. When you are looking for the symptoms, you find them and they almost feel like proof that something is wrong. This leads to you to keep looking for reassurance or you might start actively avoiding situations that may trigger these thoughts (maybe a tv programme has a cancer storyline – so you avoid it). Seeking reassurance and avoidance are classic behaviours which serve to fuel the anxiety. You may have rituals that make you feel safe (one of mine was when I was out running I would race to the next lamppost before a car came and if I beat it I wouldn’t have cancer). The problem with avoidance is that you are inadvertently telling yourself there IS something to worry about, because as much as you might try to not focus on it (avoidance) you are actually focussing on it by actively avoiding it. Hope that makes sense?
This cycle continues, you feel worse with anxiety which keeps getting fuelled with the constant ‘what ifs’, reassurance seeking, avoidance and other behaviours you might do to try and make yourself feel better (you might change your diet for example). It can start to take over your life and really interfere with relationships etc.

The exposure and response prevention therapy works in a way that re-trains your behaviour and thought processes.
You learn to tolerate the anxiety and the thoughts that provoke the anxiety by not engaging in and resisting the urge to do any of the behaviours – googling, asking for reassurance, going to the doctors, changing diet etc . Anxiety will peak, but will eventually subside. If you do this enough, you will be able to respond to triggers in a more reasonable way (like someone without OCD does). OCD makes you lose perspective.

OCD really plays on the element of doubt and a need to be 100% certain, which we can never be. It’s so hard to accept this, but once you can accept it becomes easier. One of the things I found very hard to overcome was the idea that I couldn’t have absolute certainty. The other thing that is hard is when your fears seem reasonable and there is potential for something to be seriously wrong… I would always question the results of tests, professional advice. Again over-estimating the danger is a typical feature of OCD.
I have rambled on a lot here, but I hope it helps. The way OCD functions is very similar in everyone – the difference is the triggers and exact behaviours you undertake. If I haven’t mentioned anything above that is exactly as you experience health anxiety / OCD, it’s not because it’s not part of it, it’s because it is slightly different for everyone.

Wow this is literally spot on how my mind works! Crazy

 

[Badabing101]

That's a really helpful, insightful post on OCD and how we all respond differently to our triggers or a spike in an intrusive thought.Thank you.
Particularly the paragraph on responding to OCD, will ring true to a lot of us OCDers

My doc liked to think of OCD as a muscle (that none of us what) the more we respond to our triggers the stronger the OCD becomes, again tricking our brain into beliveing something that is just a normal everyday occurrence is something worse, ie that headache l get from time to time MUST be a brain tumour. The way to deal with these thoughts is to say to yourself, yep l'm getting headaches from time to time, like most people and I'm stressed out at the moment but that's just my OCD playing up, don't ruminate on the thought, just let the thought be there, don't fight it but continue about your day as best you can, don't feed into your anixety. I know it's so easier said than done. And it's not easy to do at first but it will work.
Hope l'm not being patronising to anybody here, believe me I've been there and have recovered and everyone here can too.

The advise from earlier in the thread about not googling your symptoms is a good one.
Also think Dr's are so much more understanding about OCD and how badly it affects your life.
My doc has a cup in her exam room that says "Don't confuse dr Google with my medical degree"
Having said that there are so many legitimate sites online that are run and regulated by professional agencies, that can really help.
x

The concept of letting thoughts go takes so much practice, you’re so right about how important that skill is. The thoughts / images / intrusions will always come and go as they are a part of the human condition, it’s what we do with them that is important.

One way I’ve visualised the letting intrusive thoughts be is to treat them like a visitor you didn’t invite round to your house. They keep knocking on the door until you answer it - no point deliberately ignoring them as they just keep knocking. Let them come in and sit there, but don’t start a conversation, don’t offer them a brew and don’t ask them to leave. Just get on with your day... they’ll soon get bored and leave. It’s sort of like that with your thoughts.

 

[caroleffinbaskin]

I know exactly what you mean. I know that my anxiety all stems from childhood as I had a horribly abusive upbringing, physically and mentally.

I hate being like this all the time though. I'd love to just be happy and carefree. I know everyone worries and is anxious from time to time, but it's horrible when it's this extreme

OMG this could have been written by me! To all casual observers I am supremely confident, educated, got my tit together etc -but they don’t see the seething mass of self-doubt, anxiety, self-hatred and sheer terror that something will happen to those I love that is going on relentlessly in my fucked up brain.

 

[ChampagneBox]

Did he get told there and then it was nothing to worry about or was it after biopsy? I know I know I’m seeing my counsellor again on Tuesday for some perspective

Soo an update..I rang the dr again just now after the COVID press conference got me a bit worried again..a letter was sent yesterday so should e coming tomorrow..my polyp was benign but they want to do a full colonoscopy now I’m worried they’ll find cancer further up..I can only get lucky so many times before something is found

 

[Suzesnooze]

Soo an update..I rang the dr again just now after the COVID press conference got me a bit worried again..a letter was sent yesterday so should e coming tomorrow..my polyp was benign but they want to do a full colonoscopy now I’m worried they’ll find cancer further up..I can only get lucky so many times before something is found

Try not to worry.

My friend had a polyp but although benign they wanted to do a colonoscopy. They then found another one. Again, both benign. They have advised she can have them removed or leave them and just have regular colonoscopies.

 

[Mamacita]

I also suffer from health anxiety. It's actually been better but it seems to be getting worse again, I think I'm going to have to go to the doctors and it's quite hard now with covid to get appointments. Always feel so bad going if I'm just worrying about nothing, but not sure what else I can do..

 

[Dexterina12]

Ive got anxiety to point where I struggle to get off the sofa and do normal human things. Its lead to alot of alcohol and drug abuse for me which is why I'm up at this time on tattle instead of in bed there is very little help for anxiety from the nhs so I've started to confide in people that I know like family and friends. I think its helping but tomorrow is a new day. Its terrifying to speak to someone for the first time about it but I think it will be worth it in the end. Anxiety is something that tells you that nobody cares about you and nobody will help you and that you are a nuisance to others but there is someone out there for you to help you try and get rid of the irrational thoughts that you have! We all need to try and help each other in my opinion because the NHS is strained to the point that you will get no help at all! Mental health is affecting more of us every day and the suicide is becoming far too common. Nobody should feel like they dont want to live a happy normal life. We deserve to be safe and secure and not be scared! Xx

 

[gigi_xo]

Just popped on this thread as I struggle with health anxiety & became acrophobic after being signed off work for 5 months. Not being busy made my mental health decline and I genuinely thought I was going mad. I never believed in self help or books, until I joined anxiety pages on Facebook, they recommended a book called Dare by Barry MacDonagh, I’m tit at reading books so I created an audible account & you get credits when you join which amount to two free books. I then found a audio book that changed my life, Dr. Claire Weekes “Hope & Help for your nerves” and when I say this lady changed my life she really did! Anyone who is suffering please give it a try!!

 

[Badabing101]

Dare is a great book

 

[Phil McCrackin]

I’ve had HA for about 7 years now. It started a few years after I had an abortion. I always think it’s the guilt that’s caused it. I feel i deserve something bad to happen to me (health wise) because of what I did. I’m recovering now and doing really well but it’s crazy how your mind works. Xx

 

[Badabing101]

I’ve had HA for about 7 years now. It started a few years after I had an abortion. I always think it’s the guilt that’s caused it. I feel i deserve something bad to happen to me (health wise) because of what I did. I’m recovering now and doing really well but it’s crazy how your mind works. Xx

Gosh I can relate to this a lot .... the guilt and shame surrounding it can manifest in many ways x

 

[iloveanimals]

hello, may i ask, have anybody had uti symptoms with black specks in urine. I had it years ago and it went away. I have had it again yesterday and dont want to go to gp as last time they booked me in for a cystoscopy and i cancelled, i really dont want that if its just uti. thank you.

 

[tialin]

hello, may i ask, have anybody had uti symptoms with black specks in urine. I had it years ago and it went away. I have had it again yesterday and dont want to go to gp as last time they booked me in for a cystoscopy and i cancelled, i really dont want that if its just uti. thank you.

I get UTI’s frequently and I haven’t had this although it can sometimes be a symptom of kidney stones (may not be but sometimes is). So best to let your GP know so they can double check for you x