Paralyzing Health Anxiety
Hi all, I haven't been to this board in years. I've been managing my anxiety very well, but recently have gone into a complete tailspin. I have alot of stress in my life right now. I'm adjusting to being a new mom, entering the terrible 2's phase, constantly arguing w/my spouse, due to lack of sleep, & personal time. Recently, I went to the doctor for stomach pains, & found that it was a simple bacteria, treated by antibiotics. WELL, the antibiotics was a 2 week treatment, which kept me slightly nauseau the whole time. I would say I'm about 90% back to normal, but during the entire time, I was thinking I had the worst disease imaginable, & now even if my stomach hurts a little, I go into a full-blown panic. I'm back on Xanax, but I am so tired of living like this...Does this happen to anyone else? How do you manage?
-
Guest
I have a fear of most diseases and just death in general. I actually just recieved the gardasil vaccine and I am afraid that will harm me in the future. I now have a complete fear of all vaccines to be honest. The important thing to remember is that it is just in your head. I almost started my medication because of this episode that I had about the vaccine but I tried to just wait it out... that hopefully my mind would get tired of thinking about vaccines. I know how you feel about not wanting to live this way because I to wish I could just change and be carefree and happy. If you are concerned about a specific part of your health go see your doctor and have him reassure you. It helps me if I have them leave me a voicemail on my phone that I am ok so then I could listen to it whenever I am concerned. Ask if he can write you a note that you are okay or give you your negative results to the tests that were run. This way, when you feel anxious, you can refer to them and know you are okay. I know those things always helped me, I hope it helps you to. Remember... they are just thoughts, it's just anxiety.
ATTITUDE -- The mind is like a parachute...it doesn't work unless it's open!!
-
Guest
I completely understand where you're coming from. I went through the program last September when paralyzing anxiety/depression over health fears got the best of me. Ultimately I was diagnosed with a beign twitching condition but I was just sure I had ALS or MS. Lexapro, the program, and the beign diagnosis got me back on track.
Now, September is approaching again and I find myself catastrophyzing about minor aches, pains, bumps, and twitches again. My stress is high, my stomach in knots, mind is racing, etc. You know the drill. It finally dawned on me: I go through this dance every September when my son goes back to school. He has ADHD, a speech disorder, and other issues.
I start with the anticapatory anxiety, get myself all stressed out, start focusing on the body symptoms, and go from there. I'm going to try and work in some time to do parts of the program again and journal, and see if I can't stop this before it becomes a crisis.
I have to say, I'm relieved to have made this realization about myself. If there's a problem, there's a solution. The worst is when all these feelings come on and you can't figure out where they came from or why.
My mother-in-law gave me a cute magnet when I was at my worst: WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE, TIE A KNOT, HANG ON AND SWING!
Good luck to us!
Now, September is approaching again and I find myself catastrophyzing about minor aches, pains, bumps, and twitches again. My stress is high, my stomach in knots, mind is racing, etc. You know the drill. It finally dawned on me: I go through this dance every September when my son goes back to school. He has ADHD, a speech disorder, and other issues.
I start with the anticapatory anxiety, get myself all stressed out, start focusing on the body symptoms, and go from there. I'm going to try and work in some time to do parts of the program again and journal, and see if I can't stop this before it becomes a crisis.
I have to say, I'm relieved to have made this realization about myself. If there's a problem, there's a solution. The worst is when all these feelings come on and you can't figure out where they came from or why.
My mother-in-law gave me a cute magnet when I was at my worst: WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE, TIE A KNOT, HANG ON AND SWING!
Good luck to us!
-
Guest
For me, i have a fear of my joints going bad... I'm only 28, turning 29, and i have a legitimate concern.. I went to PT to get evaluated.. He said im a well-oiled machine and that everyone will go through some wear n tear.. It's normal part of aging... He said if you believe in God or not, we all are not going to live forever... The key is to be as smart as you can and train smart, eat healthy, etc... He said i was doing more than most ppl in the preventative department.. And that for me, it is just my way of reacting to the smallest changes in my body that occur during training... I'm actually getting orthotics this Weds, since i have flat feet.. Im excited about that... For me, i have this paranoia of hurting myself and losing the one thing i love, my body that is healthy and gives me the freedom to workout and cope with my anxiety...
Like, i have paranoid thoughts of when my joints crack, like little cracks you hear when you get up after sitting for a long time OR in the morning, etc... I have to tell myself that these are normal sounds and that im not a teen-ager anymore and these sounds are normal... I am pain-free, so that tells me that the negative worrisome thoughts are self-manifested and in my head... When i dont mind, it doesnt matter... When i mind, it matters....
Like, i have paranoid thoughts of when my joints crack, like little cracks you hear when you get up after sitting for a long time OR in the morning, etc... I have to tell myself that these are normal sounds and that im not a teen-ager anymore and these sounds are normal... I am pain-free, so that tells me that the negative worrisome thoughts are self-manifested and in my head... When i dont mind, it doesnt matter... When i mind, it matters....
Originally posted by tweaky1h:
I completely understand where you're coming from. I went through the program last September when paralyzing anxiety/depression over health fears got the best of me. Ultimately I was diagnosed with a beign twitching condition but I was just sure I had ALS or MS. Lexapro, the program, and the beign diagnosis got me back on track.
Now, September is approaching again and I find myself catastrophyzing about minor aches, pains, bumps, and twitches again. My stress is high, my stomach in knots, mind is racing, etc. You know the drill. It finally dawned on me: I go through this dance every September when my son goes back to school. He has ADHD, a speech disorder, and other issues.
I start with the anticapatory anxiety, get myself all stressed out, start focusing on the body symptoms, and go from there. I'm going to try and work in some time to do parts of the program again and journal, and see if I can't stop this before it becomes a crisis.
I have to say, I'm relieved to have made this realization about myself. If there's a problem, there's a solution. The worst is when all these feelings come on and you can't figure out where they came from or why.
My mother-in-law gave me a cute magnet when I was at my worst: WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE, TIE A KNOT, HANG ON AND SWING!
Good luck to us!
I totally relate to you... Even the smallest aches, and I catastrophize.. For example, my tricep tendons are acting kind of weird now... Being a trainer and master's degree, im very well knowledgeable about the body... I feel like ive been over-taxing my elbows by the abundance of pushing movements i do during training... Cardio, boxing, upperbody exercise... There is no direct answer for this, but in massage and more eastern medicine, im experiencing glueing or stickiness between the tendon sheath and tendon (they are sticking together causing friction and fatigue)... Ive been self-massaging my elbows a lot, icing, resting, heating, foam rolling, stretching etc.... Still havent completely recovered yet and it's bothering me... So im training legs today and will continue to let my arms rest... Like many other issues in the past, it is normally not as serious as we think it is and when it passes, we ask ourselves "Why did i let it bother me that much when it wasn't anything serious after all?"
Im gonna hang in there like you and the rest of yall!!! Even though im not buying it, im saying it anyway!!! I will buy it when i come to that realization...