Health Anxiety

Great question, thank you for putting it out there 😀 After I suffered my first attack of multiple sclerosis, I was left feeling shell-shocked and terrified that I would die. Initially I coped by focusing my attention on 2 things that were most important: going to work every day, and doing research each evening for a book I was planning to write. I believe that kept me from sinking into depression. However, I was scared about my uncertain future with this progressive, incurable disease, and terrified that I might die an early death. Three years later, my fear ended. I had thrived during those years, and that relieved my anxiety about the future.

And what about you? Do you feel comfortable sharing your own concerns with us? You are definitely not alone. Thinking of you, Kim, moderator

Hi thank you for your message and sorry to hear what you have gone through but I'm glad you are doing better now and that you found things along the way to help you not sink into depression and you found and done things to help yourself I ended up with health anxiety a year ago it was due to suffering a severe panic attack I really thought I was going to die i had never experienced one as severe as that and since then im always worried about symptoms any symptom i get i think its something really bad I'm always looking for reassurance from others all I go on about is how I feel and what symptoms im experiencing I'm so focused every day on my body it's a horrible thing to have and go through also since all this started a year ago I basically just live in my bedroom now I spend most of my time in bed and because off my weight loss and spending too much time in bed my body is not really strong now i have developed muscle weakness I cant stand up for too long because i get light headed and have a fear that im going to collapse sometimes if i walk about i feel weak and get scared that my legs are going to give way I do try and do some mild form of exercise each day but its probably not enough I struggle now sitting in a chair I can sit on it for so long then my body starts feeling off and my legs will feel funny it sets off the anxiety then I go and get back in bed lately I've been under some stress and lost abit more weight again I've had loose stools for a week, keep feeling sick, very dry mouth, excessive saliva and keep swallowing lots, not sleeping well and keep crying all the time and worrying about all these symptoms I spoke to the GP and they think this has been caused by the stress I've been under and that the symptoms are caused by the anxiety but I worry it's my health I worry about everything its horrible when you wanted to change things and get better was that hard for you to do for a while but did you find the more you tried things to help yourself that it then got easier how did you find that motivation