always thinking something is wrong

[shubunkin]

I am 28 years old and my mother was diagnosed with stage Iv colon cancer. Ever since then I have thoughts everyday that something is wrong with me . I have thought I have thought I have had everything from heart problems to every kind of cancer you can think of. Sometimes it is really disabilitating. I take 20 mg of paaxil and it has helps to a degree but I still have these thoughts. How can I get them out of my head? Any suggestions. I see a doctor regularly and she said everything is fine. Except for my panic/anxiety disorder. Thankyou

[IRONHORSE]

HI, I KINDA KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH I GET SICK BY ACCOSITION. THAT MEANS IF I KNOW SOMEONE WITH A BROKE ANKLE, MY ANKLE HURTS. GOT A HEADACHE, HERE COMES MINE. SOMEONE GOT CHEST PAINS, SURE ENOUGH MY CHEST WILL START TO HURT. ONE OF MY FRIENDS WAS TELLING ME ABOUT A FRIENDS GALLBLADDER THAT WAS HURTING THE SAME NIGHT I HAD TO HAVE EMERGENCY SURGERY DUE TO A GALLBLADDER ATTACK. I HAD NEVER HAD A GALL BLADDER ATTACK UNTIL THAT NIGHT. MY SON HAS ASTHMA AND WHEN HE HAS AN ATTACK I HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMS.
  
   I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE AND MY TEACHER AN OLDER LADY THAT I THOUGHT THE WORLD OF TOLD ME OF HER SISTER HAVING A MASSIVE STOKE AND BEING HOSPITALIZED. BACK THEN WE HAD PRAYER IN SCHOOL AND I PRAYED THAT I COULD HAVE SOME OF THE PAIN
AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM MY TEACHERS SISTER.  AND AFTER THAT I HAVE ALWAYS FELT PAIN OR GOT SICK BY ACCOSITION. SOUND WIERD BUT IT HAPPENS. AND I'AM NOT A REAL RELIGOUS FREAK EITHER, IT JUST HAPPENS THAT WAY,

I HAVE A FRIEND THAT BOTH OF HIS PARENTS PASSED AWAY BY THE TIME THEY WERE 35 DUE TO CANCER. HE WAS SURE THAT BY THE TIME THAT HE WAS 40 HE WOULD BE DEAD.WELL HE IS 45 AND NO SIGNS OF CANCER. SURE HE IS STILL CONCERNED WITH IT BUT NO LONGER CONSUMED BY THE THOUGHT. AND HE STILL GOES TO  CHECK UPS AND EXAMS EVERY THREE MONTHS OR SO. ALL TEST COME BACK CLEAR. AND HE IS STILL A LITTLE EXTREME ON THIS THAT HE WILL WORK OVERTIME TO PAY FOR THE TEST OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET, HIS INSURANCE ONLY PAYS FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF TEST AND EXAMS YEARLY NOT EVERY THREE MONTHS.    

PLEASE GET YOURSELF CHECKOUT BY A DOCTOR IN THE SPECAILIZED FIELD THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AND RELIZE THAT MOST TEST ONLY NEED BE REDONE YEARLY OR EVERY OTHER YEAR.IF YOU CONTINUE TO STRESS ABOUT THIS YOU WILL HAVE MORE PROBLEMS AND YOU MAY BE TO INVOLVED WITH YOUR OWN PROBLEMS TO HELP YOUR MOTHER-- JUST A THOUGHT. SO RELAX AND CONSIDER ALL THE HAPPINESS AND DAYS OF JOY TO COME IN THE FUTURE. BEST OF LUCK----IRONHORSE

[sinnequan]

hmmmmm

history + mythology + psychology------

goodness..... the psychologists in my town.... well, they certainly wouldn't have handled her problem that way.

they would have sent you/her to a shrink to get on some haldol or something.

this town loves haldol.

sigh...

go figure.

[shubunkin]

Thankyou so much!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Spending some time with a psychotherapist would definitely help. Its not uncommon to have these kind of thoughts when you are thinking about your mother's illness, and the danger she is in. It is a form of grieving..and a form of love...to take on the disease in order to magically relieve, and cure, your mother. Deep in our unconscious we believe in this kind of magic, and this is how it expresses itself. In early religions, this was actually a formalized ritual.

Its also something else. Your mother is your ancient protector. If she is in danger, you are  exposed.  

Talking all of this through, and getting to know what is going on below the surface,is what will help you.