Health anxiety

Hi everyone,

I’ve been recently having a lot of trouble with anxiety related to cancer and believing I have cancer. It all started when my gran was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. 

About a month ago I had really bad pains and Acheson in my arms,legs and knees and obviously I shouldn’t of but I looked up the symptoms on dr.google and it came up with bone and blood cancers I was obviously petrified and really distressed. I booked a GP appointment straight away and he put it down to Viral Muscle ache, a couple of weeks later it still hadn’t gone and it had spread to my knees and elbows and this really started to stress me out so I then seeked advice from another GP where under went blood tests and one came back abnormal and positive for Arthritis. I’m relieved now as I know I haven’t got anything to worry about.

A few weeks later I started getting a really uncomfortable feeling in my head it wasn’t a headache as such but it felt really tense and strained so again I started panicking and searching up more symptoms this time it came up with ‘brain tumors’ ive read all the statistics and i know it’s so rare to get a brain tumor at my age (16) but I’m still so worried. I’ve been rove the GP and I’ve always been getting really bad neck pain and that’s what they put it down to ‘tension headaches’ which I can really see as that being the case because I have not had any other symptoms and I’ve always suffered really badly with headaches. I still can’t get it out my head that it could be a tumor and it’s reallt started to effect my every day life.  Has anyone been through a similar experience??

  • Hi hun I had to reply as I am a sufferer of health anxiety and I have been where you are i convinced myself I had a brain tumour I had floaters in my eyes headaches was going weak down one side which all were symptoms on Google I kept going back to the gp as I didn't believe her when she said it was a migraine from anxiety and stress so I needed up A&E who sent me the next day to a neurologist who sent me for and mri scan which he told me before he had no concerns and he was right as everything was clear. Googling is the worst thing to do all mine started after the birth of my second child and its still ongoing I have other issues now which I've convinced myself it's cancer. Please don't Google as its never normally right. 

  • I’ve suffered from it for years,I used to convince myself I had all sorts of illnesses. Recently it’s just gotten worse and worse, to the point where I’m up all night worrying. I honestly know deep down there’s nothing wrong as when I’m not thinking about it the symptoms usually fade away.

    I just need reassurance all the time, which annoys people so much.

  • Hi Dani,

    I guess one of the 'benefits' of many cancers is that their initial presentation isn't one of pain, so in some ways if you are experiencing pain in an area that can make it very likely it is something else :-)  Not something that will be easy to take on board with health anxiety though :(

    I get hemiplegic migraines (essentially these behave like strokes that then rectify themselves).  Not only is the pain immense but I end up paralysed down one side, lose the sight in one eye, start slurring my speech etc. all temporarily thankfully.  On top of this I have for four years now had what are colloquially known as 'ice-pick headaches' (because the 'shape' and intensity of the pain is such that the only way to describe it as if someone has just whacked an ice-pick through your head).  I do not have a brain tumour though, and I know this because I had a full body MRI due to having stage 3 breast cancer.  So I hope that helps your head to accept that it's quite common for people to have excessive levels of pain in their heads and still not have something as grave as a brain tumour.

    That aside, I have two friends that actually have brain tumours.  One has had hers for over 20 years now, since developing it she has had children, gone back to work full-time, and got back her previous social life.  The other has had hers for 6 years, has a family, works full-time, has a full social life and is expected to have a lot of life ahead of her still.

    As someone who has had many battles with mental health over the years I think maybe you should consider asking for psychological help with your health anxiety.  The fact is that the stress of the needless worry can make you ill (as you've seen with the tension headaches).  It would be best to try and actually beat the anxiety (believe me, it can be done) than live a life of constant fear.  If your GP won't refer you for help for it maybe see if you have a Mental Health Recovery College or similar in your area.

    All the best.

    LJx

  • Thank you,

    I would love to go and receive help as I really believe it would be so beneficial in the long run for me, but I just feel honestly so scared about it as I feel I don’t have anyone I can actually turn to and talk to about it, I haven’t got anyone in my family who really knows what I’m going through and feel like they would just think I was being dramatic.

    also if I were to be diagnosed with health anxiety I would be scared for the future in case of other serious problems that could occur (if I were to develop a dangerous illness) that I wouldn’t be listened to by the GP as they would think it was just the anxiety and would brush it off. 

     

  • Hi Dani,

    Totally understand what you are saying.

    It is still worth trying to talk to a family member or friend, if you have someone you're particularly close to, you might be surprised at their understanding.  Health anxiety is very common, and lots of people have it hidden away, some of your family members may well have it and you just don't realise it.

    Totally get your concerns about having health anxiety as a diagnosis.  Thing is it's curable.  So it's not that you would be tarred with it forever, and doctors pick up on which patients have health anxiety anyway, they just don't necessarily say it.  Getting a diagnosis, being treated and being free from it would work in your favour rather than against you as it would show you were having the sense to recognise the problem and tackle it.  It might also help inform your GP how best to get information across to you.

    It's just something to consider.  Alternatively you could get books on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and work on it yourself.  I did this after a decades of panic attacks and did manage it, but doing CBT is easier if done with a close friend/family member or a medical professional supporting you through it as it is a lot of work.  CBT does work in these kinds of situations if done properly.  People often stop it early on as it is YOU that has to do the hard work and it is tough going, many people give in, but if you persist the pay off is certainly worth it.  The book I used was biased towards panic attacks (Understanding Panic Attacks and Overcoming Fear) but it might be worth a read initially to see if you think you could cope with doing CBT on yourself.

    Aside from all that, you are still young, so a plan of action in terms of your overall health and not missing any important signs is just getting to know your body.  Be aware of what is normal for you and what isn't.  For some people the odd pain here and there is very normal.  I get lots of pain flying all over my body, always have, they may well indicate some kind of autoimmune condition but not anything life-threatening so I don't bother seeing my GP about them.  What I don't get much is prolonged pain in one area, so that, for me, is what would trigger seeing my GP.  Hope that makes sense.  It's all about knowing your own body.

    Take care,

    LJx

  • hi,

    i have suffered with health anxiety since I was about 15. It all started when I thought I was getting really bad head aches and my eyes started to go blared often so I thought I was going blind. I went to the opticians 3 times and they said there was nothing wrong with my eyes everything was fine. This carried on for about 2 years the fear of going blind passed a little still the occasional fear but not as bad as it was. Then I just started to worry about dying and getting ill in general. I found a lump down below and was in tears everytime I thought about it went to the doctors 2 days later and they said it was just an ingrown hair I felt relieved. I have just taken a bath and found like a small lump on my breast and now I am absolutely terrified. I feel I am loosing my mind I am tired of just feeling scared of dying I get scared about going the doctors in case I get told the worse. I feel guilty for feeling like this when some people are actually ill when I’m just probably over think. I can’t really speak to anyone about this because everyone just laughs at me I really can’t cope with this anymore.

  • Without coming across as insensitive I would like to write a bit of my background. I have suffered with chronic anxiety since the age of 6 & I am now 70. I have seen various psychologists, psychiatrists, had CBT, EFT, EDR etc etc. over the years & It all revolves around health anxiety. The last 7yrs have been horrendous, I have tried many antidepressants, sleeping pills etc all to no avail. I am now going down the road with meditation, hypnotherapy & Jin Shin Jyitsu to try relieving my anxiety. I have now got into my head over the last 2yrs or so that all this stress/anxiety/worry will cause cancer. My gp says it will not, cancer research tell me no evidence it will cause cancer, but still I cannot take on board all the information given to me. I sleep probably 4/5 hours per night, have panic attacks frequently. I am not sure exactly why I am writing this but probably for again, some reassurance. 

    I really sympathise with all the many many people that suffer from this illness.

    I realise just how lucky I am for my age, run 2/3miles most days, do a lot of walking, eat a very healthy diet, never smoked, very little alcohol & my gp tells me I am her healthiest 70yr old patient she has. But, still I am very very anxious all the time.

    I wish everybody on this site the very best for the future & feel for you all.

    Good luck