Health Anxiety and Hypochondria

Death, the one thing all us health anxiety sufferers fear most. Well... Pretty sure most people fear death, but we take things up a level by worrying over every single sensation. How many times have you visited the ER or your family doctor, fearing the worst? Feeling dizzy? ER! Chest feels weird or achy? ER! Breathless? ER! Yes most of us with health anxiety tend to swing that way. Unfortunately, end result is always the same. Yes that's right, it was just a panic attack. But why did I use the term "unfortunately?" See the thing with us health anxiety sufferers, we always think that the most catastrophic illness has befallen us and that we're about to die, with crazy real symptoms which actually do hurt or feels terrible, we often "hope" that the doctors do find something wrong with us so that we would stop worrying. Weird isn't it, we are safe, healthy and just fine yet we can't accept the fact that that horrible sharp pain in the chest had nothing to do with any heart problems, or that numbness in the arm or leg and sometimes even the face also had nothing to do with a stroke. But time and time again, no matter what answers we've gotten, we still end up back at the ER a couple of days later in fear that the worst is happening again, that the doctor might have missed out something during all those blood tests and x-rays.

Think you are going crazy? That you're the only one who feels that way? Guess what, millions of other people feel the same way and I am one of them as well. I used to visit the ER at least twice a week, each time paying 90 over dollars to do the same test I did a few days before. My record was over 40 times in a month at one point of my life. So no, you're not crazy and not the only one who feels this way and runs to the closest doctor. But why do we keep doing this? One word, reassurance. Simple as that. It's what we live for, sadly. Always needing that same blood test to show that same result, that doctor to let you know that you are fine and healthy even though somewhere, deep down we all know we are all fine and dandy (yet I know it doesn't feel that way).

What do we do? Here's another keyword: Acceptance. Accept what the doctor tells you, accept that what you are feeling is a natural phenomenon (fight or flight response acting up), accept that one day you will die, we all have to die someday. Maybe you'll have a heart attack, cancer or stroke. We've all seen that even the healthiest person could end up with one of those, but guess what? You could simply die of old age at 80ish years old ? Do you want to spend all those years, feeling and fearing over and over again for literally NOTHING till you're old and wrinkly? To be honest, I'd rather get out there, do everything I want to do, travel and see the world, spend time with my wife and kids, meet new people and have fun and one day pass away with NO REGRETS. We always live with regrets as anxiety sufferers, why? Because we don't go out there and do what we really want to do and I personally know how tough it is but we've got to keep trying.

Try and try again, trying is not failing, doing nothing is.

Remember the keywords, reassurance and acceptance. They both go a long way for us, even I am trying everyday. I hope this helps change your mindset little by little and maybe help improve your quality of life even if it's by 0.1%.

Remember, you are never alone.

Danesh Ettore Laino