Cancer Phobia!

[johanni]

I seem to be spiralling badly with this health anxiety.First, it was a fixation with my heart.That has now been ruled out.Then, just as I started feeling better a new anxiety has taken its place .I now think I may have cancer!I thought I was doing well for a while accepting that my symptoms were not cardiac,but anxiety.Now its as if my my mind wont let me relax and is trying to find another basis for my recurring symptoms.Why cant I just accept it for what it is-my anxiety dissorder!I really am losing faith in my sanity.This is truly a nightmare condition to live with!!If only the symptoms went away,then I guess anxiety would not be a problem.Or is it the other way around,that subconscious anxiety is creating the symptoms.I GIVE UP!!!
Dimi.xx

[Wotan10]

Hi to all from the UK. I am 60 this year ( yeah, the age when things start to happen !! ), and I have suffered from health anxiety now for over 20 years, since my mum died of lung cancer. I have had a prostate cancer scare ( NOT cancer ), and a testicular cancer scare ( NOT cancer ), although the specialist was crass, and wrote on the lab form ' ??? Malignancy'...and gave it me to take to reception !!!.

I have been on fluoxetene ( helps ) had counselling ( helps a little ) and currently I meditate with a bunch of Buddhists which is nice.

I have currently had MILD upper abdo discomfort ( I excercise and do pilates, so have been stretching ) for just over a week, and have now convinced myself I have stomach cancer, but remain afraid of going to the doctor as I am **** scared of having a scope. Its probably nothing, but this just goes to show how bad health anxiety can be....It ruins lives.

Point is I read so many posts here by young folks, but I am now at the age when this **** can happen, or at least its more of a chance to. Anyone else on her about my age..How the hell do you cope ???. We all have to die, but I am hoping I have a few more years yet !!

One thing over here is that the NHS is STILL ( for how long ??) free at the point of use, so we have no direct bills. That said I am sure my GP ( who is fine ) must be bloody sick of me turning up at the surgery with all these concerns

God Bless you all

Malc

[Willlovelife]

Just remember your not alone. I do suggest getting some outside help.  I too kept myself hidden inside not enjoying life with my two young kids, it I'm fed up and want to live my life.  If ever anything does happen, we must deal with it then.  As for now you are ok. So enjoy life with your child.  I suffer terribly and have just started getting outside help and medication.  I was sick of seeing life pass me by. May as well be sick, we aren't living as it is.   I'm not going to allow myself to think that anymore and fight like hell to get through this.  Good luck to you!  You are stronger than this anxiety:)

[Willlovelife]

I'm so happy to have stumbled on this site.  I suffer greatly from anxiety.  Started in July and had just gotten worse.   I've had" colon cancer, uterine  cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer.   I'm still dealing with the breast cancer freak outs since I've been told I have dense breasts which increase the risk.   It's literally stopping my life.  I have two kids that I cannot care for because I'm always thinking of what is hurting me now, or what lump I'm feeling.   I have started talking to someone and I have a very supportive husband.  I am taking the next step to get medicated to help get me over the hump.   It does help knowing there are others like me out there.  I will continue to fight to get ya elf back.  I will be 40 soon and that brings a whole new world of anxiety.  But I'll make it and live life again.  Best of luck to all of us suffering.

[Marcel21]

Hi everyone. I hope my story can help in some way. 2 months ago I had my first full blown panic attack out of nowhere. Same as all of you, I thought I had major ailments. Heart attack, cancer, brain tumors, stomach cancer, ect.  After I came on this forum the first time and read that every symptom I had was caused by anxiety. The weird stomach feelings and gas build up, joint pains and muscle pains/spasms, headaches, strange things happening with my throat, tingling sensations over my body and every other symptom I've read on the forum. That just pulled a switch in my head that physically I have no ailments. Which has caused the attacks to stop. The symptoms has lessened greatly but still persist. If I do feel something, I just link it to anxiety and it goes away in a few seconds. I also once to twice a week I dissolve a very small amount of epsom salt in water and drink that for a mini body detox without getting a running stomach. The epsom salt takes away toxins in the body which cleans up the mind as well, lessening depression and ultimately lessening anxiety. It has been 2 weeks since I first came onto this forum and its been the best 2 weeks of my life. All the best for all of you, take back control over your body. You have the power in you to do so.  Hope this helps you guys. Keep in touch.

[Reenag50]

I am so glad I found this site as I am so concerned as from reading all the posts I believe that my niece has health anxiety although she will never admit it as she is convinced she has cancer of every part of the body you can think of and no matter how many tests she has it will not convince her otherwise.  She also thinks her daughter has some form of cancer although she has had every test going and all showed clear.  Unfortunately my niece's job is talking to and advising cancer patients over the phone so every call she takes she relates it to herself and she is getting depressed and I don't know how to help her.  I am sure if I try and explain she has health anxiety she will just tell me I'm wrong and she knows best.   How can I talk to her and try to get her to see that she is not alone....x

[mitchell1988]

wow. i thank God himself for leading me to this page, I really thought that i was the only person in the world who worried about my health anxiety, Thank you all for opening my eyes and making me realize that i am not alone. So far i have had TB, Blood Clots, throat cancer, and finally, which i am currently trending to is Stomach cancer. Numerous times i have thought about going to the doctor and him saying You have 5 months to live or something drastic. I google my symptoms almost every 15 or 20 minutes within the last 3 or 4 weeks, i think that im going to leave my baby here on this earth, without a father, I am only 25 years and im a male, But i dont know what it is with my mind that i cant seem to get the thought out of my head. I havent seen a counselor or im not on meds. so, i have no help at all and i think that i am going to do something rash to myself.... which i wouldnt. It feels like im wrapped around it for a long long long long time. and when i go to google my symptoms it seems like  there there alll the time but they wasnt. my whole world is falling apart memory by memory. like the smallest gas pain would send me into a rage and calling my mom begging her to take me to the emergency room. all i hear from her is "your okay" and when my mind tells me.... "your gonna die" like.... i just want to sit down and weep. alot of stressful things have happened to me. like cabin fever, not being outside and living life. getting arrested. it feels like im trapped within my own mind. someone please... please help me