I need advice..terrible health anxiety

[cbrink816]

Hello everyone, my name is Candace and I'm new to this site. I've been browsing and posted a couple new threads but this is going to be my real "introduction" one. I'm 22, recently married this past June, I have a great job but suffer from horrible health anxiety. NOT only emetic, but I always feel like something is wrong with me, whether it be one of my organs shutting down or a disease...I feel trapped. I started taking an anti-depressant this past March after my phobias and anxiety got out of hand and it worked wonders for me...or so I thought. I recently got one of my wisdom teeth pulled, and now I'm in constant fear of getting a dry socket or some sort of infection that could stem to me V*. I think a lot of it has to do with growing up with a sick mom, she just passed in June from COPD. She was constantly in the hospital, fighting for her life and I think it made me scared that I will end up like her. She was only 51 when she died, smoked for decades, but quit about 7 years ago. (I don't smoke) Anyway, I just need advice. My husband is wonderful, but DOESNT understand what I'm going through, neither do any of my friends so I feel very alone. My mom was the only one who made me feel a little better and now she's gone. My new scare is my blood pressure. When I got my tooth pulled, I was very nervous and it was 148/94...I went to Walmart to do the self test machine yesterday and if that's accurate it showed that it dropped to 142/93..I'm afraid my kidneys are gonna fail and that I'm gonna have a heart attack. I am over weight and I'm starting to workout more, but I'm so scared..and feel hopeless...and wonder why I put myself through this especially so young. I'd really appreciate some advice on how I can cope with this.

[cbrink816]

I would appreciate any advice, as I feel that this is running my life. I'm constantly worried about catching noro or any other sv* and constantly worried that I am sick with a disease. How do you guys cope?

[NaiveAndTrue]

Keep. Exercising. Try a group class, like Yoga or Zumba. Buy a bunch up front so that you HAVE TO use them, and GO GO GO. I finally got off of my kiester in Jan and DRAGGED myself - terrified - into my friend's Zumba class. It took me almost 3 years to get the courage together - and I know the instructor!! The first few classes were REALLY tough. It WAS hard, and I was afraid I would over-exert myself and v*. But I stuck to it, and I'm telling you NOTHING has done so much for my anxiety and depressions as working out has! I now do 2 Zumba classes a week and 1 yoga class. I signed up with a PT 2ce a month, and in a few weeks, I'm tacking on a piloxing class. I went through HELL in 2010 (Brother and Dad died close together). I honestly had no idea how bad my depression and anxiety had gotten until they were gone. You'll see yourself getting into shape. You'll hurt like hell at first - DON'T GIVE UP. It goes away, and you'll feel stronger and SO MUCH BETTER! I promise.

[cbrink816]

Thank you so much for your response!! I'm so sorry about your brother and dad I miss my mom so much, she was my rock. I'm thinking of joining a yoga class but I'm nervous...also afraid of catching sv* from someone.

[NaiveAndTrue]

Don't be afraid! If it helps at all, everything you touch in class is your own - your mat and such. Also, people who work out tend to get sick less often. I did catch a bad cold and s/v last week, but I think it's because the week BEFORE I tried to do too much and exhausted myself. (2 Pearl Jam concerts, a few late nights with friends, a late night event for my promo job and I still hit the gym twice! oops).

Like I said, it was REALLY hard for me in the beginning - and sometimes it still is! I worry if I eat 'too soon' before a class, and it's not unusual for me to pop a mescaline before heading out the door, just to be safe. lol.
Everytime you go, you feel so amazing after the class, just knowing you did it!

[Mila]

I know how you feel, I was pretty ok until last year when i got hit over the head with a bunch of health anxieties all at once. It was bad, I was constantly feeling for lumps, every ache i would think was a deadly disease, I would have panic attacks and cry myself to sleep afraid that the next day I would be diagnosed with something horrible and die. i had no trigger by the way, my job revolves around sick people but it always has, it just seemed to all implode then. Plus the emeto was pretty overwhelming.

For me what helped other than therapy (I had 4 sessions, not much but enough to make me feel a tad better) was to start a new sport. I really buried myself in roller derby, gained confidence through skating, met new people, made new friends... for me being home just makes it worse, i need to be out and about, and I now feel like I have a pretty good balance. Noro season this year makes me nervous but nowhere near as badly as last year and my health anxieties have waned. I think I will always be "overcautious" and hyperaware of disease, but as long as it doesn't torture me and is on my mind all day every day, it is ok.

I would try some CBT, it really helps. And keep exercising! I second finding a class, maybe somewhere where you can meet people... it will help, even if it is really hard in the beginning!

xMila

[paulinek]

Mila's suggestion of CBT is a good one, what i like about CBT is that it isn't all about dredging up the past and analysign all the why's and wherefors of why we are like we are it is simply about getting your brain to react in a different way to certain triggers and situations so that they don't escalate into full blown panics and meltdowns, and I think it would really help you not to always think the worst every time you get a symptom.

As for dry socket, if this is any help to you, my partner got it last year and he had an absolutely worst case scenario case of it, really really bad and he was not sick once, he didn't even get nausea and he was on some heavy duty painkillers - codeine, amytriptaline and another one i forget the name of. If you were going to get dry socket you would get it within about 24 hours of having the tooth removed anyway as it is cause by the little blood clot that forms dropping out too early before the gum starts to form its own protective layer over the exposed bit of bone so if you haven't got it by now you aren't going to get it, so that is at least one less thing to worry about x

[cbrink816]

Thanks for responding! I have been told to try that and I just might. Luckily, my wisdom tooth extraction site has healed nicely

[andee]

Hi, I totally understand...lost my mom to cancer in '03 and my dad in '07...it's the hardest thing ever. My advice to you is to really sit down with your hubby and try to explain it all to him. Don't hold anything back. Tell him what you need. My husband is very understanding but I still sometimes have to tell him I need to talk, to be with me, etc.
I am also a medical assistant and very much into the medical field and a worrier, so I am always worried about my health. Best thing for that is know your body really well. Have a good relationship with your doc, and tell him you are a worrier and to please try to understand. Exercising is also a very good thing. I don't do the best job of it but I do like to walk. Keep the faith and hug to you!

[cbrink816]

Thank you so much Andee! I have been working out and eating better lately and I have seen an improvement in my anxiety! I'm relieved. I hate being a worrier. I wish I was more carefree and relaxed. I'm seeing my dr tomorrow for a check up and I might just explain to him how much I worry. Losing my mom was the hardest thing in the world. I still feel incredibly lost even though I have great family and friends.

[andee]

I know...it really takes it's own sweet time and not everyone is the same. I felt that way for quite a few years after my mom, then had to go through similarly with my dad. I really think Dad passed from severe grief in addition to his illness.
Hope you did go to your doc and explained yourself to him...that's the best way. Take care, pm if you'd like to!