Aa
Hypocondria is kicking my butt!
I'm 49 year old female and for the last 10 years my hypo has gotten worse. This year alone, I've thought I've had: HIV, Brain Cancer, Throat Cancer, Ear Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Dementia, MS and numerous other diseases. Once I have a symptom looked at by a doctor and cleared, another symptom appears. Of course, I think that THIS ONE is real and start to focus on it immensely. I use Dr. Google as a reference and try to self diagnose. I'm embarassed to go to my doctor because of all the issues, so I doctor shop and find other doctors that I can call and usually rotate them because I don't believe them if they say nothing is wrong. My personality has changed because I'm so self-absorbed with symptoms - all which seem sooooo real. I can't believe that my once vibrant life has turned into this hell. I met with a counselor a few times and he wanted me to meditate. How can I meditate when I need to be at a doctors office getting a test done? So, how do I fix this? With medicine? A good counselor? I'm really desperate. Thx
I understand what you're going through. I was a total hypochondriac for many, many years. It was hell and I lost so much time, time that I'll never get back. I spent every day living in fear of my "disease de jour," too afraid to see the doctor because I knew he would confirm my diagnosis.
I overcame my hpochondrisis a long time ago and I wish I could say that I can look back at that time and laugh............but I can't and don't think I ever will. With therapy I got better and now, any time I begin to think I've got something, I look back and know I NEVER want to be like that again.
While there is nothing wrong with your therapist recommending meditation as ONE tool to help you cope with this issue, you need help to really dig into your life to figure out where this disorder came from. It didn't just come out of the blue. You didn't wake up one morning and say, "Gee, I'm bored so I think I'll become a raging hypochondriac." Something, somewhere along the line scared you badly and you fell in the hole. Find that root cause and you'll be on the road to recovery.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you that turning to "Dr.Google" and self-diagnosing is not a good idea. It's not a good idea at all. Any of us can open the Merck Manual to a random page to some disease we've never even heard of, look at the list of symptoms and dang! We've got THIS disease now. It's utterly amazing what we can convince ourselves of if we have hypochondria.
I strongly urge you to find a different therapist who will approach your phobia with a better, and dare I say, a more practical and professional understanding of the work that needs doing.
If you put your back into the work that's ahead of you, you WILL overcome this life-robbing phobia and regain the joy and peace it is stealing from you.
I wish you the very best!
Peace
Greenlydia
I overcame my hpochondrisis a long time ago and I wish I could say that I can look back at that time and laugh............but I can't and don't think I ever will. With therapy I got better and now, any time I begin to think I've got something, I look back and know I NEVER want to be like that again.
While there is nothing wrong with your therapist recommending meditation as ONE tool to help you cope with this issue, you need help to really dig into your life to figure out where this disorder came from. It didn't just come out of the blue. You didn't wake up one morning and say, "Gee, I'm bored so I think I'll become a raging hypochondriac." Something, somewhere along the line scared you badly and you fell in the hole. Find that root cause and you'll be on the road to recovery.
I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you that turning to "Dr.Google" and self-diagnosing is not a good idea. It's not a good idea at all. Any of us can open the Merck Manual to a random page to some disease we've never even heard of, look at the list of symptoms and dang! We've got THIS disease now. It's utterly amazing what we can convince ourselves of if we have hypochondria.
I strongly urge you to find a different therapist who will approach your phobia with a better, and dare I say, a more practical and professional understanding of the work that needs doing.
If you put your back into the work that's ahead of you, you WILL overcome this life-robbing phobia and regain the joy and peace it is stealing from you.
I wish you the very best!
Peace
Greenlydia
Welcome to the forum! First, you're NOT alone at all. There are a lot of people who suffer with health anxiety/phobias...just search the forum a bit and you'll find a lot of threads similar to yours.
How do you fix this? The first step is to be seen by a psychiatrist who can thoroughly evaluate you, and give you a proper diagnosis. Then..he/she can begin discussing treatment options that may include meds, therapy, etc. Therapy IS a very important part of ridding yourself of the anxiety, and it sounds like you briefly tried that, but wasn't too impressed. It isn't uncommon to have to try out a few different therapists until you find the right fit.
It all boils down to anxiety...as anxiety sufferers, we all live in fear and have the same or similar anxiety-related symptoms. The ONLY thing that differs among us is exactly WHAT we're fearing. For some (like you)...it's health issues...like having a terminal/fatal disease, for some, it's the fear of going insane, for some, it's the fear of being alone, fear of dying, fear of losing control, fear of driving, fear of panic attacks...you name it. The good thing about that is the anxiety treatments are geared to help us regardless of the "fear" by helping us learn how to break the cycle of anxious thinking and worrying. You'll get there.
Let us know how you're doing!
How do you fix this? The first step is to be seen by a psychiatrist who can thoroughly evaluate you, and give you a proper diagnosis. Then..he/she can begin discussing treatment options that may include meds, therapy, etc. Therapy IS a very important part of ridding yourself of the anxiety, and it sounds like you briefly tried that, but wasn't too impressed. It isn't uncommon to have to try out a few different therapists until you find the right fit.
It all boils down to anxiety...as anxiety sufferers, we all live in fear and have the same or similar anxiety-related symptoms. The ONLY thing that differs among us is exactly WHAT we're fearing. For some (like you)...it's health issues...like having a terminal/fatal disease, for some, it's the fear of going insane, for some, it's the fear of being alone, fear of dying, fear of losing control, fear of driving, fear of panic attacks...you name it. The good thing about that is the anxiety treatments are geared to help us regardless of the "fear" by helping us learn how to break the cycle of anxious thinking and worrying. You'll get there.
Let us know how you're doing!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
