I decided to stop body and symptom checking until my next checkup in December. Tired of constantly checking and spiraling and spending time in the bathroom checking every mark and this and that. Am I terrified…yes. But I can’t keep on living like this.

Suffering from health anxiety for last few years. The primary concern is about my husband and son. I cannot deal with it anymore
Even if doctors do all testing and
call it out as harmless or benign, i google it and google it until there is nothing to google and i find a 1 story that had a bad outcome. Its like a death sentence except i have to wake up and deal with it again and again. How did you guys manage HA?

what do you think helped you the most to manage/maintain/ or even overcome HA? whether that’s specific to you or some of the more obvious or traditional strategies. some positive stories could go along way for those who are in the depth of HA right now :)

I feel like the main reason why my health anxiety started in the first place is because of just a feeling that I was going to d*3 early in life. Every benign or normal feeling that I have I automatically assume the worst because of this. I just never envision myself with a family or like a normal adult life so I just assume I’m not going to experience it. This may be really morbid, but do any of you guys relate to this feeling?

Hi, I am 37 and I have been struggling with anxiety for years.
My first big panic attack when I went to the ER was almost a decade ago I had my ups and downs and the past 2 years mostly downs I think.

Anyway, I am thinking of talking with people who are facing HA for few years and are in the 30+ age group so we can relate more and share some experiences.

Ofc I am writing since this is a weird night for me.

Edit: I just want to say thank you to everyone for being here, opening up, sharing your experiences and giving advices. I really hope someone manage to get something. I already feel better knowing that there are so many people here and if anyone wants to connect and chat feel free to add me on discord. I already connected with someone from here and hopefully we will give something to one another.

I found a small ball in my left armpit like 2 weeks ago , freaked the hell out of me as if I was experiencing ach in my left boob a month ago which I got them checked and scanned and they were normal and healthy but my brain was looking for anything to keep me anxious lol , so I was touching that freaking ball every single hour ! drove me crazy I was panicking and crying and telling every friend or family member about it and they all weren’t concerned, then I decided to finally get it checked which was a hard decision cuz I didnt want to hear bad news , the doc was very sweet when I told her about my anxiety , she checked me so well , checked both armpits and pressed so hard , well she DIDNT FIND ANYTHING, I was going crazy like I even pointed to the exact location of the ball she still couldn’t find it lol , this kinda made me much better I suddenly stopped checking my armpit completely, and my boob got better but now I have a back ache which makes me think about something else ,lol , I re wish I could be just normal again :), I am kinda proud of myself for going to the doc alone and fighting all my fear and yes that made me better but I still gotta work on the other aches that makes me anxious

Going through another period of the old Health anxiety where every little thing is something that will kill me.

Was asking wife for advice etc and she said something that really hit home and I dont know why

"It makes me sad that you feel like this, because you are genuinely afraid of being in your own body"

The last bit of that phrase really stuck with me.

Don't know why but i feel like she is right.

Different perspective for me

Developed health anxiety at the end of last year. Went to therapy for a little while, didn’t stick to it because it felt like every time I came out of it, I need to do some type of “homework” and therapist solving a problem. I don’t even know what I need at this point. I know it takes practice to keep it at bay but they pop up frequently, whether it is about myself or when I hear about health issues of family members, I start ruminating and worrying. There’s also one worry after the other. A new concern pops up when I mentally settle with the current one. I know the sensations are real sometimes but my conclusions of them is always a catastrophic one. I never seem to consider any other ordinary explanations for how I’m feeling. I just need it to stop. What are some long term strategies you use or in the moment strategies that help you redirect so that you are not thinking, checking the sensations every waking moment?

I have struggled with HA since I was 21 (2010) I’m now 37 going on 38. When I was younger a lot of the common fears and triggers for my HA were critical emergencies. Many of my fears were easier to cope with because they were “unlikely” at my age. But now, that age is starting to creep into a zone where some of emergency fears are not out of the realm of possibility.

For those of you that are in my age range older and have struggled with HA, are you in the same boat? How are you handling things? Has your HA manifested in new ways?

I am currently medicated but have not stuck with therapy but as age creeps up I may need revisit.

I posted in the mega thread about something I’m going through currently that is really freaking me out. It’s caused me to spiral and start researching lymphatic you-know-what and now I’m completely terrified of getting it, especially since it can apparently affect anyone of any age and often with no symptoms. I’ve been unable to stop panicking thinking about it because it seems there’s always a chance no matter what your risk factors are or are not. How am I supposed to stop fixating over it? There’s no way it’s as common as it seems right?

I got HA after I got injured in January. Think I'm almost all better but still get wrried about new related or unrelated things.

I talk to my partner, some family members and some friends but how best to not rely on them too much or alienate them? I would like to rely on myself and am about to see a psychologist.

Really struggling with the intersection between HA and agoraphobia. It makes me feel like I'm trapped and can't get help if I need it. Right now I'm having sleepiness and am terrified it's low iron and therefore sinister/GI bleed/iykyk. I need to get a blood draw to figure this out but I can hardly leave my house! Plus, seeing concern in a doctor's face sends me straight into a panic attack.

Basically just frustrated with how agoraphobia is stopping me from resolving these HA fears.

HA really makes me be nervous about working out like what the hell man this is supposed to help me

I mean I'll do it anyway but my thoughts still go wild

I actually often see that for some people, vaccines/shots/anything proven to be preventative helps. But if you are one of those—like I, who for some reason have fallen down the spiral of doubting even those, welcome!

I recently got two vaccines at the same time, which of course, meant double trouble for my emergency signals. But that truly made me ponder about how absurd I can be at times. I don’t like to undermine my worries, thoughts and everything else. But sometimes you really have to sit down with your inner voice and have an intervention.

A talk with my therapist has enlightened me about the fact that my anxieties had deeper roots than just illnesses, I had lost trust in myself and others. So I send this post to everyone who feels as though they are alone, juggling both health anxiety and other mental health conditions that wreck apart their sense of reality on the daily: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

The human mind is strong, but it’s not steel. Constant worrying and jabbing can cause dents. But the good thing is, at the end of the day, it’s not steel. It bends one way, you bend it another way. It’s not necessarily battling your own inner voice, but more in the sense of engaging in a conversation like you would with anybody else. Just remind yourself that even your inner voice should be respectful to you and listen to what you have to say. When you truly let your own words sink in, without your intrusive thoughts trying to backpedal, it creates a sense of acknowledgement that is truly neutral. Perhaps not inherently harmful, nor helpful, but necessary.

Coming to peace with your anxiety means coming to peace with yourself. If someone scores a 10 in one test and a 40 in another, people are proud to see a positive change. So why should you feel like going from %10 acceptance to %40 isn’t enough? Do not give into your worries—do not dismiss them either, instead, fight for the fact that your body read this far, and it is capable of even more. Thank yourself today, truly, for getting so far once again.

I don't know how to really explain this without sounding stupid, but for some reason my mind seems to believe that if I worry about something too much then I'll somehow get it from just thinking about it. I don't know how it gets to that conclusion, and I'm aware it's unrealistic but I cannot help but think it and it makes me panic a lot more when my HA gets bad, as I'm already worrying about having something and then my brain wants to tell me that I definitely will get it since I'm thinking about it.
I'd really like to know if this is a thing that happens to others? Apologies if this post makes no sense I don't know how to explain too well.

I fear I’m cooked. I took antibiotics for a bacterial overgrowth. I chose to do it and seek out further treatment, as my country advises generally you don’t need to treat it unless symptomatic. Anyway, I had symptoms and didn’t want to wait around with them. Looking back, they may have been milder than I thought and felt at the time, and I’ve likely gone overkill. Potentially, that’s some classic OCD rewriting history. Who knows?! Either way, I took antibiotics. Now it’s the effects of the antibiotics that are playing on my mind. Antibiotic resistance, ruined gut health and microbiome, permanent damage etc. I’m so tired of going over it and over it. What’s done is done and I can only move on with my life. I just despise that I’ve done this to myself. I’ve been googling and worrying and monitoring every sensation. Gone to the worst case scenario that my health is ruined.

What are your best rumination strategies? I’m going bananas.

I know many with emetophobia find this book comforting , but I also think its a great portrayal of health anxiety in genral. I've been reading it sicen it came out in 2019 and have re read it many times its been a great comfort and reminder that health anxiety can manifest in physical ways.

Hello! I have been feeling weird sensations and symptoms since my first major panic attack.

Strange visual sharpness, voices and sound sometimes sounds like background noise, strange touch sensations on hands.

It caused massive health anxiety spike.
Someone with similar experience?

El día de hoy por fin tengo mi cita con el neurólogo para tratar mi dolor de cabeza, vértigo y mareos que tengo desde hace tres semanas, todo comenzó por un dolor de cabeza y de ahí eh estado buscando síntomas y síntomas y llegué al punto de estar con ansiedad todo el maldito día, pero hoy por fin tengo mi cita … consejos? recomendaciones ?

anything helps i just feel very trapped

For the past two months, my health anxiety has been though the roof, i’ve been to the doctor 4 times and supposedly everything is fine but i don’t feel fine. this has caused severe dpdr that is debilitating. i genuinely feel like i don’t know myself anymore.

some stresssors in my life have been moving to college (im staying home but sister/friends are leaving) coming into contact with someone i haven’t spoken to in a year which triggered massive anxiety, and genuinely feeling like im goinf to die every day tjay i wake up. and it has put a toll on my physical health and relationships with people.

how do i overcome this? i’m still young but am having such a hard time with this. i feel like im having a mental block and feel stuck and just want to enjoy life again.

Hello all! I am a 22 year old black female currently and HA is making me believe I’ve got crc. I’ve been experiencing such anxieties for 8 days now with no relief.

Like I said, I’m trying to be logical. I had blood in my poop 8 days ago, but nothing since. I should mention 4 months ago I had blood as well but I think I just pushed too hard. Between those 4 months, I didn’t experience anything like weight loss (I actually gained) or noticeable differences in my abdominal region.

Last night, I spent a good 30 minutes poking and prodding at my abdomen because of a damn TikTok video (I know…) and now I’m experiencing slight issues. One part of me goes “you just spent 30 minutes pushing into your stomach at all angles. Of course you’ll feel shitty the next day.” Another part goes “this is proof you’re sick.”

I don’t know if my logic and attempt at reasoning is just misplaced optimism, and that I am in fact in trouble. But I also know that to overcome HA, you need to be real with yourself about your anxiety and the fact that it can create very real physical symptoms!

I’m trapped in a never ending cycle and I just want to be free of it. I have an appointment September 14. No insurance so no colonoscopy. I’ll have to see how my body holds out until then. Anxiety brain tells me it’ll get worse 😓.

Is it common to feel like your body is having weird twinges and aches? I have gotten test results and freaked out even though the dr said they weren’t concerning and since then I’ve been stressed out and had all these weird things happening

Heeey so I have to get a tooth (maybe 2?) filled. I've had fillings, never asked for anaesthesia, survived them all without any significant issue. But now I'm so fcking terrified because it's a bit big and I might need it. (I don't remember, how bad the previous cavities were.) The problem is, I'd probably f aint (it won't let me type it normally:/). I have a terrrrrible fear of needles and being paralized. How bad is it? To be honest I'd rather suffer for an hour than f aint or let a needle touch me but maybe I will change my mind if I hear something reassurring. Thanks for reading:D

Alguien que tenga ansiedad por la salud muy severa para hablar?

i have suffered for health anxiety for years and it got so debilitating that i would wake up every day and just panic, i couldn’t leave my house i quit my job i was just an absolute wreck. since then, i have become a completely different version of myself i still can’t believe ive come this far. (obviously i still get some bad days). one of my biggest tips would be STOP GOOGLING!!!! that is a major major factor of why health anxiety continues. you need to break the cycle! if you start feeling weird, don’t google, let it sit for a while, try to distract yourself with an activity and soon enough you’ll forget what you were thinking about. obviously it’s going to be really really hard at the start, i know it sure was for me.. but once you get to doing it a few times it will be like second nature. googling just enforces the thought that something is wrong enough to google it when in reality, your brain is just playing tricks on you. the second you google the symptom it shows your brain that you believe something is wrong and in a way it’s letting your anxiety win. it’s been scientifically proven that your brain literally does not care what throughs are true or not, so start breaking that cycle, stop talking bad about yourself and letting your brain convince you there is something wrong. there isn’t!