Health Anxiety

[Mythy]

I have health anxiety. My doctor has me on Citalopram and Buspirone to limit panic attacks or anxiety physical symptoms (to try to break the vicious cycle of worrying about those symptoms). I don't have panic attacks and I do have anxiety symptoms but they don't really bother me. I get obsessed with whatever symptom(s) that points to a serious disease. I've been like this since I was 14, almost 17 now. My main worry that I have almost every time is leukemia, mostly because it is one of the most common teen cancers. I do know someone who has had leukemia and is doing very well, she got it when she was 13. The actual anxiety is off and on only occurring when I have symptoms that I worry about. Every time, of course, they get better or go away. I have had strep throat twice, an infected cyst, and a viral infection (felt kind of like a flu) since August. This concerned me but not much because of how mild they were and the fevers were only in strep (100 or below) and went away within the day of diagnosis. I had a presyncope episode after I started taking a sulfa drug for my skin infection, but later I developed hives and realized I was allergic- not sure if it's related. About an hour after the episode I checked my blood pressure which was normal. Today I found a bruise on the inner leg on the side of my knee, I believe it's already healing seeing as it already has a green tint to it. I am somewhat deficient in B12 and have folic acid prescribed but I've only been able to take it when I feel necessary because my supplier does not always have it. The last time I had unexplained bruising was during a play when I did stage hand, carrying heavy objects and chairs. I was concerned for some reason, but I took B12 and the bruises healed within a couple days, though I don't know how long they were there. (Some were small and only slightly discolored.) I only have two right now that I know of, neither I remember getting but both are on my legs. I realize that if all of this was related and were leukemia, I'd be very very ill right now. I have a normal temperature of 98.3 and feel fine aside from anxiety. This being said, my brain likes the game of "But what if it is something this time?" I can't see my doctor till March 6th and I am finally due for my blood test, my last test was December 11, 2014- normal. While dealing with all this, I have classes to juggle and just normal teen angst. This doesn't interfere with daily living but interferes with my overall happiness. My doctor has asked I see a counselor which would be fine, I feel better talking about my problems anyway. (Why I've written this.) This will probably subside, for a while at least, in a day or two. If you have any advice for how to cope with this fear, please let me know. ~ Mythy

[Mythy]

Another update, I'm still doing well and have still had no anxiety. I'm still watchful of things that are concerning but I'm not ever jumping to conclusions about minor things anymore! I haven't seen my doctor since December, I'm due sometime in the summer.

[Mythy]

Thank you for your response. I am not on any true diet, I do weight watchers (the points plus, not the really new one). I am able to get my B12 now, and I take it as nasal spray once a week. I was deficient only slightly, but enough for my doctor to prescribe me some. I was deficient in Vitamin D as well, this was due to me not enjoying the outdoors. They are stable now. The post above was the last time I had anxiety. My doctor had doubled my medication of antidepressants but I couldn't take the dosage. I decided to see how I was off medication, with consultation with my doctor. It's not been too long, but I have not had anxiety or as many headaches since I stopped taking them. I'm doing well, and I hope everyone else is too!

[Paxiled]

Hey, Ruby, didn't know about your sister.  Add my condolences as well.  What a bummer.  To the poster:  something you said concerns me.  You said you are deficient in folic acid and B12.  I can't add much to the health anxiety, though I don't think that thinking about anxiety confined in categories is that useful.  You have anxiety, and the fact it's now connected to health issues doesn't change that to treat it you need therapy to learn how to not think anxious thoughts no matter what they were connected to.  But I'm wondering why you're deficient in those nutrients.  Do you have problems with your diet?  Could it be you're just having normal fluctuations?  Here's my concern:  first, you state you have trouble getting these omnipresent supplements from your "supplier."  These are available everywhere.  Any health food store, where in my opinion you get the best quality, but also every drugstore, and there's no lack of drugstores in the world.  Now, the form of B12 is important -- you want forms the body absorbs, and much of the B12 sold especially in drug stores isn't in that form -- but they do have it.  Same with Folic acid.  Nor are they expensive supplements.  Second, these two vitamins, along with B6, are in balance with one another in the body -- taking too much of one affects the quantity of the others.  So you don't want to get carried away taking too much of any one or two of them for a long time unless you truly know you have a chronic deficiency because of a problem with absorption -- some people do have this with folic acid.  So you want to know what it is you're doing.  So again, are you on some diet, such as a vegan diet, that might be making it hard to get these nutrients?  Do you know which foods are important sources of them?  Aside from the anxiety issue, this is important for your long-term health, so I'd encourage you to do some research about this.  If you can afford it, and you probably can't, a holistic nutritionist can test you over time to see if you actually have deficiencies, but this can be expensive because they often find them -- that's how they make money!  But regular doctors don't test you over time to see if you're just having normal fluctuations, which everyone has.  I hope you solve your anxiety problem, but I also hope you do some home work on supplements so you take them with as much knowledge as is possible to get.  Peace.

[RubyWitch]

Thank you for the condolences about my sister........how very kind of you.

[RubyWitch]

I'm sorry to hear that your school doesn't offer more in the way of psychological help for its students and extremely saddened that your parents are not listening to what you're saying.
You have said that your parents will not do anything unless told to by the doctor. Could you talk to your doctor about your anxiety and how it is affecting your life? If you talked with him about feeling you needed help to deal with this, he may suggest therapy to your parents. It might be worth a try.......if they say no, you wouldn't be any worse off than you are now.

You don't say where you live, so I don't know if you're in, or near, a major city in which you could find help on your own. If you are, let me know and I can give you some suggestions on how to find that help.

In the meantime, there are some fairly good books available on the subject of health anxiety. Many of these books claim they can "cure" you of your health anxiety and I disagree with that claim completely. These books are very useful in helping you understand health anxiety, why and how it can take hold of your thoughts and how it can affect virtually every aspect of your life. Some, if not all of them, will suggest certain "mental exercises" you can do to break the cycle of worrying thoughts, and some of those exercises ARE beneficial. But health anxiety, any anxiety for that matter, is extremely difficult to cure on our own. I suggest these books only for you to get a better understanding of what health anxiety is and why some people are plagued by it. Understanding this disorder CAN lessen your fear of it and in doing that, lessen the anxiety as well. But to be cured of this disorder, I firmly believe only the guidance of a trained psychologist/therapist can lead us to that end.

If you are heading off to college in the near future, all colleges have infirmaries which will help you connect with mental health professionals. If your parents won't help, you may have to wait for the therapy you need.

I wish I had some magic words to offer you. Sadly, I don't. All I know is that once I understood my own health anxiety, it was easier to talk myself out of the crippling effects it had on me, but it was therapy that finally cured it.

We are always here if you need to talk and all of us know exactly what you're living with. Never hesitate to reach out to us.

I wish you peace of mind
RubyWitch

~and thank you for the condolences regarding my sister.  



  

[Mythy]

Thank you, I do not have a school counsellor (except for guidance for college) and I do not have a school psychologist. I attend a very small private school with a lot of jobs unfulfilled. We currently do not even have a principal. My parents have told me to stop talking about it to them and do not want to do anything unless they have to by the doctor. I do want to see a counsellor and find the best help I can. Thank you for your response and I am so sorry about your sister. I am doing my best to be rid of the anxiety or at least suppress it enough to slowly go away.

[anxiety860]

I also have health anxiety and I couldn't agree with rubwitch more. Take her word on this one.

(Also, ruby, I am very sorry to hear about your sister, even if it was some time ago).

[RubyWitch]

I'm going to assume you are still in high school, in which case I would urge you, strongly, to talk to your counselor and ask for a consult with the school districts psychologist. This person will listen to all your concerns and if deemed necessary, will help you find a good therapist to help you deal with this anxiety. Since you are still a minor, your parents will be involved and if that is a problem, please make sure your school psychologist is aware of that.
Health anxiety can REALLY wear you out and down..........physically, emotionally, mentally. The sooner you can begin dealing with this, the better.
When I was MUCH younger, I had health anxiety because my sister died of leukemia at age 6........I understand what you're dealing with. I also know you don't have it because you would be very sick, I also know that if it wasn't leukemia, you'd just find another disease to have. PLEASE don't do this to yourself........reach out for help now!
I wish you the best
RubyWitch