Can’t stop self checking

[Usacfan63]

Hello. Recently I had some lymph nodes in my under jaw area swell and was checked out. GP couldn’t really feel them which I found shocking. Since then I’ve been obsessed with checking every area looking for more because I’m afraid I’ll find some and that I have “the c word”. Tonight I found a node on my neck and started poking at it and it seemingly grew in just a few minutes. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice to stop the constant checking.

Thank you all,
Nick

[WiseMonkey]

Hello. Recently I had some lymph nodes in my under jaw area swell and was checked out. GP couldn’t really feel them which I found shocking. Since then I’ve been obsessed with checking every area looking for more because I’m afraid I’ll find some and that I have “the c word”. Tonight I found a node on my neck and started poking at it and it seemingly grew in just a few minutes. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice to stop the constant checking.

Thank you all,
Nick

Your Dr couldn't feel anything different other than what should be there! We all have lymph nodes which we can feel (according to our body size ie thinner people have more predominant nodes.

Now you have been feeling it and it has become shotty (aggravated). You need to leave it alone, you will only make it worse and sore and you would have done it to yourself ... how crazy is that. Let it heal and go out for a walk or have a drink with a friend, get away from your thoughts and enjoy life.

[hazelbritt]

I’ve been doing this too. Convinced that the right side of my neck seems “thicker” than my left

[WiseMonkey]

I’ve been doing this too. Convinced that the right side of my neck seems “thicker” than my left

We are not symmetrical, our feet and hands are actually different sizes. If you keep poking and prodding an area, it will swell because it becomes inflamed.

[jojo2316]

Self checking is a major part of the HA cycle. My therapist advised me to have a slot of time, say between 6 and 7 in the evening, where I would allow myself to check. The idea was that whenever I’d get the urge at other times (for me it was about 6000 times a day!), I would tell myself “no, I’ll leave it until 6...”. It was hard but it helped smother the fire (a bit!)

[Liddy1993]

I’ve had this before with lymph nodes I found in my neck and armpit. I poked and prodded my neck so much it actually irritated the skin on top of it and scanned over I needed a steroid cream to treat it. They got so swollen from doing this and I left them alone for a week or two and they went down. Give yourself one day a month to check because you won’t notice changes if you check daily or weekly and be strict with it.