Anyone successfully eased or overcame your health anxiety?

[Anonymous]

Wow, I came on here today to post about health anxiety and hoping to hear positive stories on how to treat it!

I too have been getting progressively worse (I am 60) and realize that with age, there will always be some type of issue that will trigger me. Right now, I am in a tailspin about some bloodwork findings. I do know what started this (it was something concerning about one of my kids) and now anything medical is a massive trigger.

As long as nothing medical triggers me, I am perfectly fine so a daily SSRI doesn't seem like something for me. I will try therapy and maybe that will help.

I do HATE this though. I watch friends and family deal with serious medical issues and they manage it appropriately. I am in awe of that and wish my brain worked that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I came on here today to post about health anxiety and hoping to hear positive stories on how to treat it!

I too have been getting progressively worse (I am 60) and realize that with age, there will always be some type of issue that will trigger me. Right now, I am in a tailspin about some bloodwork findings. I do know what started this (it was something concerning about one of my kids) and now anything medical is a massive trigger.

As long as nothing medical triggers me, I am perfectly fine so a daily SSRI doesn't seem like something for me. I will try therapy and maybe that will help.

I do HATE this though. I watch friends and family deal with serious medical issues and they manage it appropriately. I am in awe of that and wish my brain worked that way.

I’m the PP that’s tried everything including an ssri. It’s still worth trying. I can go a year or more between HA episodes, like you triggered by various health issues, but the idea is that the ssri should help. Now, in my case I don’t really think it has, but other people have better luck. I’ve been on one for years and am finally thinking of trying a different one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 61 and have had health anxiety in varying degrees since about 5th grade. Years of nearly having panic attacks waiting for mammogram and test results, etc. I don’t go from specialist to specialist looking for a diagnosis, but when I do have symptoms I Google and catastrophize, see a doctor and am anxious until the uncertainty is over. Rinse, repeat. It is miserable way to live as fellow ruminants will understand. I have tried practicing mindfulness, meditation, exercise and the lowest dose of Xanax at night; all of which help to varying degrees. I actually have some health issues like hypertension and substantial arthritis in hip which don’t worry me at all- it is the prospect of truly awful diseases which I perseverate about. Can anyone commiserate or give suggestions about what helped you?

And off topic, but title seems like it should read “overcome” but overcame is past tense, so which is the correct usage?

It should be "overcome" because it's a past participle. Has anyone successfully overcome . . . ?

Thanks 👍

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I came on here today to post about health anxiety and hoping to hear positive stories on how to treat it!

I too have been getting progressively worse (I am 60) and realize that with age, there will always be some type of issue that will trigger me. Right now, I am in a tailspin about some bloodwork findings. I do know what started this (it was something concerning about one of my kids) and now anything medical is a massive trigger.

As long as nothing medical triggers me, I am perfectly fine so a daily SSRI doesn't seem like something for me. I will try therapy and maybe that will help.

I do HATE this though. I watch friends and family deal with serious medical issues and they manage it appropriately. I am in awe of that and wish my brain worked that way.

I do think it is even more difficult as we age because the likelihood/certainty of having some medical problems greatly increases. It wouldn’t even be prudent to ignore certain bodily signs or symptoms. I so envy people who blithely live their lives without thinking every cough without a cold is lung cancer.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I will start therapy next week and we shall see. At least I feel like I am actively doing something to address it.

I am not opposed to an SSRI but I worry about weight gain....I know that sounds shallow. Maybe I am a candidate for a low dose Benzo for when I get triggered. IDK!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I will start therapy next week and we shall see. At least I feel like I am actively doing something to address it.

I am not opposed to an SSRI but I worry about weight gain....I know that sounds shallow. Maybe I am a candidate for a low dose Benzo for when I get triggered. IDK!!

I’m the PP who suggested the ssri - I’ve never had weight gain from the ssri so I don’t think that’s a definite. I’ve also used Xanax when acutely distressed but that’s really just to help me sleep or calm down very temporarily. It doesn’t change the underlying thought process at all.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had some luck with Zoloft over the past few years, but I just went through a health thing and unfortunately I did still spiral pretty badly (though I think it did help some). The hard part about health anxiety is you can’t really “expose” yourself to your fear (catastrophic illness) the same way you can to a phobia like riding an elevator or spiders or flying. Logically, I understand that it’s about control, and that by ruminating, I’m actually trying to control the uncontrollable. But when I’m in it, I just can’t seem to stop. And it’s very painful—almost like a physical pain.

So no advice, just sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Wait until you are old!

It becomes difficult to avoid reminders of mortality.

I will say, it sometimes helps to remind myself that there may come a time that I have to deal with “x” diagnosis. But my mind is basically making me experience these conditions many times over. See if CBT can help you control your thoughts.