Vicious cycle of fear

[headinthecloud]

I was diagnosed with Health Anxiety Disorder back in April this year, triggered by a very bad bacterial infection.

Now the initial trigger is gone (I'm cured of the infection) but I have a whole new set of health related issue to deal with: medication, side effects, sleep disturbances. Was also diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea recently so there's a bit of a lifestyle change.

On some days, even five months after my initial diagnosis, I get that 'butterflies in the stomach' fear-gone-rampant feeling all day long. I can be at work, producing work, AND having this feeling running concurrently.

It's my subconscious gone into panic mode because of all the uncertainties in my life: will the sleep disturbances go? Will I be able to come off sleeping tablets? I know all this questioning feeds back into the anxiety. But I just can't help it. It's like the mind is constantly trying to find new things to worry (the medication is not working then).

Does anyone find that they're stuck in this same vicious cycle? How do you gain control and deal with things? Will this fear-gone-haywire sensation be my new reality? How do you direct your attention to the outside world again?

[tiredOfOcd]

Does anyone find that they're stuck in this same vicious cycle? How do you gain control and deal with things? Will this fear-gone-haywire sensation be my new reality? How do you direct your attention to the outside world again?

Yes, I feel the same patterns repeating over and over and over and over ....

I use all kinds of tricks to gain control. Staying busy, exercise to exhaustion, coping strategies I've learned from my therapist, meds, learning how relatively few people get the illnesses I worry about ....

I don't think this is your 'new normal' - I think you need to learn how mentally/emotionally deal with the uncertainty. That is likely to be a bigger task than what can be done in an email - and it is likely to require someone trained to help people with this, not another sufferer.

[headinthecloud]

That is true. I'm doing CBT weekly with a therapist. One thing that keeps coming up (which I have problems putting into practice!) is direct your focus 100% at something else. This is where exercise helps because I find that your mind has to be fully on the task at hand. And it also make you feel good afterwards.

I'm a graphic designer and when I work it's possible to produce things AND let your mind wander at the same time. I find being at work helps and the weekend is much harder...

[tiredOfOcd]

That is true. I'm doing CBT weekly with a therapist. One thing that keeps coming up (which I have problems putting into practice!) is direct your focus 100% at something else. This is where exercise helps because I find that your mind has to be fully on the task at hand. And it also make you feel good afterwards.


Yes. I've read it releases all kinds of chemicals that help fight depression and I suspect those same chemicals reduce our symptoms as well.



I'm a graphic designer and when I work it's possible to produce things AND let your mind wander at the same time. I find being at work helps and the weekend is much harder...

I find listening to music works. Maybe get some headphones and a cheap mp3 player. I'm listening to ska on Pandora.com thru my phone and its awesome.