hypochondria getting worse

[erin626]

I've been dealing with pretty bad health anxiety but now I feel like its getting worse. I went to my doc today bc of a headache that I've had for 5 days. It was never a full blown headache but a dull ache that felt like its going to turn into a headache but never quite does. My doc wasn't concerned since I've had a history of headaches and anxiety. She checked me out and said my throat was a little red and thought it may be viral which she said could contribute to my headaches. She didn't think antibiotics were needed. I've had no fever and just a slight cough other than the headache. But now I'm home panicking over what my throat being red and my headaches could be. So I looked them up online which I know I shouldn't have and HIV and H1N1 came up and I'm literally losing my mind over this.

I don't know what to do with myself. I can't stop thinking about it and I'm getting myself really upset. I called my therapist and left a message but I don't know how to stop focusing on my symptoms and what might be wrong with me.

[strakur]

Get HIV tested. It takes only a week or less, and it will clear up your doubts! I get one before and after a relationship, and require my partners to do so.

[Xhost]

Erin,

I've been there, trust me, with the same exact health worry: HIV. As other posters have already told you, anxiety is a pernicious and insidious thing, and it will most certainly lead to a short circuiting of your normal logic circuit, especially when hypochondria is an issue.

If you feel that your issue is to the point where it is affecting your life, in effect degrading your quality of life, perhaps it is time to seek out professional counseling. You might be surprised just how common hypochondria, and other OCD spectrum issues, are in the general population. The really great news, and it is great, is that specific therapies have been devised, among them cognitive behavioral therapy, that can have a profoundly positive impact on your life.

The issue is simply that your cognition, or perceptions, are a bit out of whack. For instance, you get a dull headache and a slightly irritated throat, and you jump to the conclusion that you have HIV, even though, rationally speaking, a thousand other benign illnesses are infinitely more likely. I do not say that to be judgmental - how could I, as I used to be the same way. I say it to explain the genesis of your problem: faulty thinking.

CBT, to name just one example, teaches one to recognize that thoughts are the precursor to feelings. You think about having HIV, and voila, you feel terrible. This turns into a vicious cycle, because you then attribute your physical manifestations of anxiety to HIV. And it keeps going and going and going. CBT teaches us to break that pattern of thinking, and, in effect, derail it before it turns into a full blown anxiety attack.

I've known many people who have had CBT therapy, and they are feeling much better now. It isn't always easy to do, but, from what I have seen, it is certainly worth the effort.

Just my 2 cents. In any event, I hope you are feeling better soon.

[erin626]

I have been having trouble with too much acid recently. My stomach burns a lot especially when I'm stressed. I'm so scared of being sick. I don't know why but I always think there is something wrong with me. Its beginning to cause problems in my relationship and every other aspect of my life.

[german41274]

Your throat could be red because when you are stressed out you actually increase stomach acid and it can irritate your throat without you even knowing it. Reflux does it, allergies do it, a cold does it.
If your past is what is fueling your fears, come to terms with it. I truly believe getting straight with the man upstairs about your life can give you much peace. I know when my anxiety is bumping usually my life is out of whack.

[jelyse]

My health anxiety has been bad, really, really bad. I thought I had HIV for awhile and started feeling like my glands were swollen and i even thought I had a rash. I went to the doctor about 4 times a week with new "HIV symptoms". I also got tested numerous times, but even with a negative result i couldnt seem to believe it. Its now a couple years later and I know now that all those symptoms were being caused by anxiety. The mind can play some pretty nasty tricks on you, when i thought i had a rash the doctor said i didnt and all my family couldnt see one either. I felt like a mental case. Still to this day if i get sick i start thinking the worst but im much better at controling any anxiety attacks i may have. The more you think about being sick, having HIV, or whatever, you are going to start imagining symptoms. I also had tonsilitis and my glads stayed enlarged for awhile after and ill tell you, i was going crazy but i got through it. Your headache is probably lasting so long from all the stress and anxiety. Trust me anxiety can make you feel physically sick.  Im here to talk if u need to :)

[erin626]

Thanks. I didn't know you could have a headache for so long. I've been terrified of it. But like I said my doc isn't concerned about it. But I can't help worrying over it. Now I feel like my throat is feeling weird but I'm not sure if it really is or if I'm creating the symptom because my doc said my throat was a little red. I have no idea what to do about this. If anyone else were told they may have a viral infection it wouldn't really affect them but that just threw my mind out of whack. I don't even know if my headache is from anything other than my stress.

[bbb780]

erin... I can relate so much. I deal with anxiety and health anxiety...are they the same?anyway, my husband says that he notices that something simple for me can turn into such a snowball effect because my mind has be dying from whatever it is Im experiencing.  I  had a headache that lasted for a month straight...no kidding. Went to the Doc and she had me to an MRI , it showed nothing. Eventually the headache went away. It seems like once I get over some ailment I have another that I have to deal with. I went through a phase where I thought I had lung cancer, got an xray...nothing there. Im dealing with heart palps now, got an echo, stress test and holter moniter, the whole bit, Doc says...its normal for some people, I have to deal with it. Arghghghgh!  I am so thankful for sites like this one where I see Im not the only one. I hope this encourages you. take care.

[cj29]

I am sorry that you are going through this right now.  Health anxiety can be a very hard thing to deal with in my opinion.  My original experience with anxiety came with concerns about my heart health.  Despite what the doctors told me, I was convinced something was wrong.  I felt every little skipped beat, pain, twinge, etc. in my chest.  Even though I was fine, I would link any symptom I had to something catastrophically wrong with me.  

You can link any symptom you have to any sickness on the internet in my opinion.  We all get sick and rundown from time to time.  For example, I have had a runny nose and a cough for a day or two.  If Iooked up those symptoms on the internet, I would be able to find some crazy disease that was going to put me in the hospital in 24 hours, when in reality, I just have a cold.  You did the right thing by going to the doctor and she said you are ok...that is great news.  Now, you need to confront your anxiety in my opinion.  For me, seeing a therapist helped me understand the sources of my anxiety.  Do you have access to counseling?