Coping with health anxiety

[mrsgilby569]

Hello

I am going through a health scare. My symptoms are very up and down. This is all very new to me and I am not coping well.

Do anyone suffer with back pain (upper and lower-I have a torn ligament in left shoulder and pelvis out). Bowels are arwful and I'm either one or other...

I keep struggling to breathe this isn't all the time only when I'm
Panicking. I get a pain in my right side it's a round dull pain and sometimes I'm left.

Can all these symptoms be health anxiety?! After I've been to the doctors and reassured I relax and it all calms down. When I had a deep tissue massage a few weeks ago the back pain went and i felt amazing!

I did have 4 family deaths within 3 months last year and that's when it all started ☹️

Any advice about health anxiety or help would be great x

[rainbow]

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. Health anxiety is a horrible illness. I've suffered on and off for the last 13 years and it can completely take over your life.

Do you have ibs? Anxiety can upset the bowels even if you don't have anxiety and it can become a vicious cycle that's hard to break out of. I've had bowel issues over the last 7 months although things are more settled now but it's been a really tough time.

The fact that you've had to deal with so many deaths in the family will had made your anxiety much worse. So sorry you've had to deal with that.

Have you spoken to your gp about your anxiety.

---------- Post added at 12:52 ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 ----------

*even if you don't have ibs

[WoodChucker]

I have the same symptoms when I am hyperventilating, which I do a lot of times without me knowing it when I have any form of stress.

[mrsgilby569]

Thank you both for replying I am so sorry you are going through this sounds awful how long you have had it for. I never thought I did but looking back I have always had problems in the loo,I always been constipated. It was so bad over Christmas I called an ambulance because I thought I was dying. Even when I'm pottering about it comes in waves and I start to feel my breathing change,my chest goes tight.

Doesn't help my back/pelvis is bad.

Is there anything you have done that helps you calm down?. I'm on no medication at all but I am thinking I'm gonna have to...

I regularly buy home test kits for bowels,liver and kidneys. I've even booked in a private MRI and X-ray because I've convinced myself I am dying of bone or bowel cancer....

I just want to be normal again. I really hope one day we will because this is hell ��

[rainbow]

Hi, I'm on citalopram. You could ask your gp about medication and take it from there. It really can help. Also, you could ask to be referred for cbt, it really helped me in the past as it helps to change the way we think, I have an appt to be assessed for more cbt in June.

Have you tried breathing techniques when you start to panic? Slow you're breathing down and become aware of it for a while, it really helps to stop the panic from rising. I have been listening to relaxation videos on YouTube and found them to be very helpful.

When we're so highly anxious our muscles can be very tight so that could be a contributing factor to your aches and pains, this is where relaxation techniques could be very useful. I hope you manage to find some way of coping as living like this really is horrendous.

[mrsgilby569]

Hi Rainbow,

Thank you so much for your advice. I will ask my doctor about that when i next see him. I will try that on You Tube too,i am sure it is mostly anxiety causing most of my symtpoms as they come and go....

I hope to get some help,i have to go on a waiting list it is around a 6 month wait. Prob be alright by then :blush:

[Ben1989]

I don't know where in the UK you are based but I had online CBT regarding Health Anxiety. My case is more severe than yours by the sounds of it so I need one-to-one CBT (my wait is 9 months on the Wirral) but it's definitely worth considering online courses if they're available in your area

[mrsgilby569]

Hi Ben,

Thank you I have heard of that. I am in Hampshire. I hope it's made you feel better. Mine is very up and down,I've convinced myself I've got something bad going on... it's a vicious circle isn't it!!.

Thank you I will try this.