Tips from Health Anxiety Sufferer
I have been battling health anxiety ever since I can remember. When I was younger, it started as being afraid of throwing up in front of people. It has slowly evolved over time as I have gotten older and become aware of more serious health issues. Most recently, I am absolutely terrified of brain aneurysms, strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots. At any given time of the day, I think that I could suffer from one of these things. It got so bad recently that I cried each day fearing one of these things to happen. It resulted in several debilitating panic attacks per day that would last at least 10 minutes to an hour each. I have been on the search for anything and everything to help me. Most recently, I discovered the Calm app, which I do once per day for 15 minutes. I also discovered Mel Robbins on the Audible app. Her half hour talks have helped me so much. Especially the one on anxiety. There is a nerve in your body called the Vagus nerve, which controls all of your responses to feelings that you feel. I discovered that breathing in cold air on a walk outside, or taking a cold bath or shower can also really help. I wish I knew about these things sooner, as they have really helped me. I just wanted to share in the case that they could help somebody else.
Thanks for sharing. I suffer from really bad health anxiety as well and the pandemic has only made it worse. I found that fresh air always helped but I didn’t know why and it always helps to know the mechanics of how and why things work for me. This is super useful! I hope your anxiety becomes even more manageable.
@ccb12345 Hey! I suffer from health-related anxiety too. For me, it started in about 7th grade when I became terrified of germs. It got to the point that, in grades 9 and 10, I would wash my hands to the point that they were always dry, raw, and bleeding. And, I used to have to bring a jacket with me wherever I went because I was too scared to sit on chairs in public.
Today, I still struggle with things every once and a while. Covid has definitely not helped with my fear of germs and infection, and I'm still prone to overreacting about little health symtpoms (for example a few weeks ago I drank a cup of coffee and almost convinced myself that I was having a heart attack... and that's not the first time that I've done that..).
But, I've found that trying to reason things out really helps (although I know that this won't work for everyone). If I fear that something bad is happening, I try to develop rationales about why I'm actually fine. If I get myself worked up and get scared that I'm having a heart attack, I'l calm down and remind myself that I've thought the same thing before and I have always been fine. If I find myself terrified of germs, I'll remind myself that I have a really strong immune system and haven't had a cold in over a year. If I find myself cumpulsively wanting to wahs my hands, I'll remind myself that washing my hands until they bleed will only make me more suseptible to germs.
That may sound like unhelpful advice, but I've found that this works when nothing else does. Of course I could always listen to music, or read a book to take my mind off things. Or there are many other mechanisms to help. But, I think what's important to remember is that you can always try another method if one method doesn't work. And as you try, you become more aware of what does and doesn't work for your body. For example, some people practice deep breathing. I can't because becoming voluntarily aware of my breathing triggers a panic response for me... It's all about finding what works for you. :)
Thanks for sharing your tips! I suffer from regular anxiety (if you wanna call it that, lol) I want to add a few of my own. One is, adult coloring. Whenever I need to calm down, I do this because it helps shift your focus and keeps the anxiety and worries away. Positive affirmations/mantras also help. I love to read, and I find that reading helps relaxes me when I'm feeling. anxious. Physical activity also helps. I keep a punching bag that I use when my anxiety is bad or I'm feeling stressed. Another post mentioned the Calm app, and I have to say, it's been a huge help. I had an anxiety attack a few years ago and not long after it happened, I discovered it and made a lot of progress with it. I still use it to this day. The DARE app also helps and it has exercises for emergency panic or anxiety attacks, sort of like an SOS. Writing also helps tons, especially when you need to sort out your thoughts or find what things might have triggered your anxiety, or whatever else.
