health anxiety

[scaredstiff695]

ok
im going to ask for opinmions and reasons BUT its is not ment to cause offence or arguments so if this happens i hope admin wil delete.

I have health anxiety and i dont do tests or anuthing but i find it frightening i try to help myself in as many wasy as possibel..however i haev read numerous posts on this site that are aimed at people with health anxiety and how we should pull ourselves together etc..
my question is why is everyone so against health anxety suffers and why dfo people think its ok to be harsh to us but not to peole suffering with other types of anxiety or agrophobic??

this is a serious question and wanted peoples opinions as its starting to really upset me on this site peoples negative attitide towards people with health anxiety xx

[snowgoose]

hi :)
got health anxiety myself ........been on this forum a bit now and got the hang of it .
yes there are some posts that annoy me in that it is relentless same words .........no acknowledgement of advice or simple thank you .. rare but true .
but otherwise I note everyone gets an answer at least ....usually more .
the health anxiety page is huge isnt it ? and I have the same worries too.
just think it is the number of people posting now hun ...........and the fact that we are not medics and any advice given isnt always the right one. we on line cant tell what is anxiety or something else .
hell my own gp couldnt and called ambulance . another 12 hour stay in a and e .
dont think it is people being arsey . .............just a bit reluctant to post in case they are wrong .
xx

[scaredstiff695]

no hunix,

thing yu got wrong whayt im saying its not not replkying thats up to people i r4ead a thread and stuff and in chat its peoples atttude to health anxiety in here x

[snowgoose]

sorry .got wrong end of stick :blush:
forgive please x

[scaredstiff695]

of course sweetie it dont matter xx

[bloxy]

Ok, this is a tricky one.

I am a HA sufferer myself and am just trying to look at it from non sufferers point of view based on my family and friends.

I think the problem with HA is that for people who don't suffer from it or understand how it works, it can be very frustrating. HA sufferers seek constant reassurance which people are willing to give but the sufferer finds difficult to accept. I know my family can get very frustrated with me when I'm fixated on something because it doesn't matter how much they try to help and reassure me, I still worry and panic. This is a vicious circle that we know only too well, that is so difficult to break but I think sometimes, people who are trying to help, just don't understand why we can't accept what they or doctors tell us.

I also think that some people can find it a problem with sufferers wanting various tests and investigations. This isn't my problem as I have complete white coat syndrome and avoid doctors at all costs. I can kind of see the issue with this, as sometimes people will insist on tests etc when a doctor does not think they are necessary but they give them for reassurance, which the sufferer may not accept and costs money.

Regardless of the issues people may or may not have, HA is a debilitating anxiety disorder that requires support as much as any other.

Just my thoughts x

[scaredstiff695]

see im like you doctors scare me like madly i dont ask test or have any done unless they think they should apart from my proeganacnies which neede dhelp ive only ha dblod tests lol and my last was to test if i was anameixc and was first in about 3 years lol x

i can see their view but cant i guess its hard for me a ha sufferur who diesnt have tests cos i can think ok when do you say enoughs enough BUT is it not doctors poinbt as well to say no to tests unnessciarl. if you o wjat i mean.x

[bloxy]

Yes, I know what you mean.

The idea of tests terrify me and there are probably as many sufferers like that as there are who go to the doctors frequently.

For me, if a doctor offered me a test to reassure me it would make me feel that really they suspected something was wrong and therefore, I wouldn't feel reassured at all.

Again though, it comes down to the frustration of not being able to help. I would like to think a good doctor who knows that a patient is suffering from anxiety would try to treat that through counselling, therapy etc than trying to reassure with tests.

As a HA sufferer the hardest step to recovery is to stop reassurance seeking and to understand that it doesn't actually help.

[choccychompa]

I'm the same, I avoid docs at all costs, lol.

I haven't noticed people being dismissive of us. Do you mean on the other forums? x

[bloxy]

I haven't really noticed anyone being dismissive as such but sometimes I can see people getting frustrated when offering advice or support over and over.

I don't think bad of anyone because I can kind of understand it to an extent.

I have found this forum to be very supportive and it has helped me a lot over recent months and to be honest it has got me through a lot of bad times.

[macc noodle]

Hi ScaredStiff - I get what you are saying completely - some threads from HA sufferers get posts that are seemingly harsh and dismissive BUT I believe that it only comes across that way because the other people replying to the thread are trying to make you feel better or, yes, see sense.

I suffer HA and am also petrified of hospitals and docs etc so do not seek endless reassurance via visits to the hospital but, sadly, many HA sufferers do and the problem is that any reassurance gained is generally only temporary.

Anyway hun, on a good day we HA sufferers can see sense but it goes completely out of the window on a bad day and our illness is as valid and painful and frustrating as any other mental health struggle.

I have found this forum a real saviour at times when I have been suffering over the past few months - even if I do not post a thread myself - just reading and posting to other people needing a boost takes my mind off my problems and makes me realise I am not alone.

Jan
x

[bloxy]

I agree mac noodle.

I don't tend to start threads or really post about symptoms that are bothering me but just reading and replying to others really helps to put things into perspective for me.

The beauty of this place is that when you are having a bad day, someone will be having a good day and be able to give some rational advice/perspective on things. I know for me, giving advice to others on here has definitely helped me to be able to rationalise things for myself.

[Archite]

I'm new here but I firmly believe that everyone should be treated equally as we all suffer genuinely.
:)
Chin up, ignore bad comments!
Eddie

[londonchris]

From a personal point of view I suppose some of the posts I can make in response to people seem harsh. However, in reality I'm always there to help, just in a no nonsense way if that's what is necessary.

Of course, being overly harsh or critical or dismissive is not helpful at all. But I've had health anxiety for a few years now and have had pretty much every symptom going. :shades:

I'm not going to beat around the bush if I think I know the best way to deal with a situation, because it's unhelpful and unfair on the person suffering.

Sometimes of course people need a shoulder to cry on or just a hug and some reassurance, and that's fine :hugs:

Other times if I may say so, people need a bit of a kick up the backside :winks:

I don't mind doing either if it's the best way to help that person, because at the end of the day the most important thing is that the person is helped. If that means coming to terms with something in a harsh but true manner, then so be it :)

Of course, if you've had negative comments that are aimed in an unhelpful and detrimental manner then that's definitely not on.

My tuppence worth :shrug: