Cancer anxiety

[Parul1809]

After the death of a close relative from heart attack, I am always scared of being diagnosed with either cancer or with heart problem. I am always under pressure. Please help

[boldbeauty]

Oh the dear health anxiety. It's lovely isn't it? I had to go on an SSRI to help me forget my heart anxiety and it helped. :)

[AnxiousNoMore]

Parul1809             The first step to resolving anxiety is to stop Googling health issues because there is nothing comforting there. For example, you can find people who ACTUALLY died from a thumbtack clot that went to the brain so if you Google any way to die you will find someone who has died that way, and will just make an anxious person more fearful.  Google has a use if you want info about a condition, but repetitive Googling is not useful if you have severe anxiety about something.

The other advices you received have their own merits and depending on your circumstances some if not all are necessary in the way forward, but Googling will stick you in anxiety so deep that it will likely impede them all.

[AnxiousNoMore]

I should have said that the SSRI should be the last resort, but sometimes a person gets so deep into anxiety that they can't focus very well during therapy, so then meds are necessary to try to get you back to a calmer state so you can make best use of the therapy.

[boldbeauty]

SSRI does not have to be last resort. It is used in combination with therapy. It allows the person to see that everything that is going on is caused by over analyzing things and racing thoughts. When people have anxiety, we tend to over react. I also wanted to mention that just because people go on SSRIs, does not mean they have to be on it for the rest of their life especially if they can combine it with CBT.
Yes, anyone should stay away from Google. Even people who do not have anxiety. It is best to just go see a doctor. I know that a lot of people are against medications, but if it helps you live a better quality of life then the pros outweigh the cons.

[Paxiled]

While it's true that some of us do need meds because therapy just doesn't work for us, keep in mind that all medication has a downside that can be crippling for some people.  Doctors take an oath that includes a provision that goes, "first, do no harm."  For some people, they will be stuck with ssris for the rest of their lives -- these meds profoundly alter the way the brain normally works and if someone is on this type of med for an extended period of time some unknown number of them will have brains that cannot adapt again to working without them.  There are also side effects, some of them profound.  Some of them, such as personality changes, we don't even know are happening unless someone else points it out because we feel better and don't notice until we get old and realize we didn't live the lives we would have had otherwise.  I'm one who nothing but meds did anything for, but this is why I believe it's very important that everyone at least try to solve their problems without medication unless their lives are so disrupted there really isn't any life -- in that situation therapy probably will not work.  But once people are on meds they usually don't do therapy because they think their problem has been taken care of by the medication until the meds stop working.  Also, once you're on the medication merry-go-round, a lot of people are going to end up on several of them, not just one.  Quitting them is so hard for some people they just can't do it.  So again, first, do no harm.  My two cents worth about medication -- only when necessary, as is true with any invasive medical procedure.  Peace, all.

[Parul1809]

Thank you so much for help everyone.I have started by not googling my symptoms and trust me it has helped a lot

[specialmom]

That's a great start.  Remember, it may be best to treat anxiety as the disease to be treated too.  

[specialmom]

Health anxiety is fairly common.  Have a bit myself.  Even when we realize the probability is very low, we still worry and hyper focus on every little thing in our body.  Mine is very manageable but if you are at the point of it being a problem in your life, then it's time to treat anxiety as a whole.  IT is the cancer and heart disease you fear . . . IT Is the disease/disorder you battle.  So, treating it can lesson your worries about health concerns and let you get back to living.  Talk to your doctor about this as it relates to Anxiety to being the steps to getting treatment for it.  good luck

[Parul1809]

Thank you so much.I know this is just what I think and if I am busy in the day, I don't experience anything at all. Its just that when I am free all the symptoms seem to crop up and then I spend the rest of the time searching online

[Paxiled]

Just so you know, this is an area Specialmom and I usually disagree, but I don't think your doctor has any answers for you on anxiety.  I think the place to go is to a psychologist who specializes in anxiety treatment so you can learn to stop thinking like an anxious person if possible.  If you can't, and your life spins out of control, then it's time for the psychiatrist, but for now, I think therapy is the first step.