Help with health based anxiety?!
Hi! I was wondering if anyone had tips on what to do when experiencing health anxiety.
lately its come to my attention that anytime someone talks about health issues or I look in the mirror its followed by intrusive thoughts about potentially having that illness or needing medical attention, even whenever I very clearly dont struggle with those things.
Example- The other day someone mentioned needing their wisdom teeth removed. After they told me that, I spent the rest of the day thinking I needed to see the dentist immediately or something bad would happen.
If anyone else struggles with these anxieties... how do you deal with them? Any advice is welcome, thak you
@elio8123
Hi Elio, thank you for reaching out. I can imagine how challenging it must be for you to experience this. These intrusive thoughts have a way of feeling real and often we do certain actions to try and help us feel safe and to make the thought go away. The good news is that as real as they may feel, thoughts are just thoughts. They can not dictate reality. If you struggle to come to terms with that. This is a helpful meditation that helps you practice that detachment.
It can greatly help to connect with a therapist if that is something available to you. If not, there are some resources online that can help. This video and more such videos from the same channel can help.
@elio8123 your not alone sweetie ❤ there are so many people suffering with the same thing. And with technology thread days it doesn't help. You look up symptoms of a common cold, and Google convinces you your dieing. But the good thing is, thankfully you can see that this is happening. So I urge you to speak to a doctor, and say everything you just said in your post. They will know what help us best for you ❤❤ gives you a giant tiny hug ❤❤❤ good luck with everything ❤❤ we are all here for you ❤
@elio8123
Hi Elio! I’m sorry to hear that you are dealing with health related anxiety. I understand how challenging it is. I have quite a bit of experience with health anxiety and chronic health issues both personally and as a listener here on 7 cups. I agree with Hope that a therapist can be helpful, but if that’s not possible due to costs, etc…. I am always happy to listen. I can’t give you advice persay, but I can offer you a friendly and empathetic ear. If you want to chat, feel free to pm me and remind me that I reached out to you on the forums.
