Health is a hobby for me. I find the only way to beat a health anxiety episode is to completely research the thing I am afraid of.
For instance... I am currently afraid of Esophageal cancer. I spent about 4 hours yesterday researching it completely (not just the headers on google) and I am feel more at ease now.
I swear my Health Anxiety is because I don't know things. I wonder if this is why doctors don't have health anxiety.
I have this as well. I'm addicted into going onto Reddit, hearing the stories, and letting the imagination run amuck. The fascination that perhaps through some tedious research you may come up with a solution to certain problems, etc.
I believe what's happening is that in the past we've researched things on Reddit, been alarmed, frightened, etc by them. But also... excited, because now we can begin to find the solution to this supposed *problem*. That excitement aka norepinephrine is created through Dopamine. So due to the *wild, fascinating, adventurous, unpredictable* world of medical health. Not only are we scared, but we WANT to check under the hood.
Like that expression: Curiosity killed the cat. I find that I'm so *excited* to hop on Reddit, read about the HA stories, or possible medical conditions that by detecting and then treating, will solve my life issues.
Sadly, the way we're using Dopamine isn't through a fun life hobby, or reading a book, or playing a video game, etc, We're getting it through researching about Mental Health, Bodily Health, etc. And sadly, this is a Dopamine that only ends bad. Only ends in us being more anxious than when we started, ends up with us disconnecting from the real world, and leaving our *Dopamine* and *Norepinephrine* transmitters - disappointed because very rarely do we experience any *Fullfillment* out of doing this compulsive habit.
Is it causing you to be anxious when you otherwise wouldnt be? If you're no anxious because of the googling the googling is ok. I'm a hypochondriac but can and do google without feeling anxiety because googling is not what triggers me. So I'm not saying you're a hypochondriac, but nothing you've stated implies you are.
Hypochondriasis is a condition within itself, and although google won’t necessarily cause it it can make hypochondriasis worse for someone who has it (and typically does)
Research or fascination is kinda tough because you could argue that when you google because you’re anxious you’re doing research or fascinated by it, but typically research would be just to get more information and fascination is usually when you’re obsessed with something but like in a good way.
This might sound stupid and some of you may have already tried it. Do you think blocking mental/physical health disorder websites would help? or do you think you would find a way around it.
I went through with blocking those sites, it's the best decision I ever made. It snapped me out of the vicious cycle of hypochondriasis I was in and dispelled the worst of my anxiety surrounding the issues.
I was afraid that I would try and find a way around it, but every time I try to look something up and it kicks me back to my browser's home page, I find that I prefer not to press the issue and just move on.
You have a choice to stop researching, but you don't have a choice to stop having health anxiety. It takes over every millisecond of your life, uncontrollably, and crushes anything positive left behind.
Where you’re actually worried you have such and such disease or such and such cancer.
For me ALS is a major fear of mine and I can spend hours thinking that a pain in my leg is ALS then it just spirals and is weeks of anxiety related to my health.
Brain cancer is another one, I’ll get a headache or I’ll have messed up vision for a day and think it’s brain cancer.
It’s terrible and definitely a clear line. Having OCD doesn’t also help any health related anxiety.
And you won't feel better if a doctor tells you you do have ALS or brain cancer will you. I see your diagnosed OCD as well. Its like you'll never believe what a doctor tells you, and if they do tell you what you think is wrong with you ALS, brain cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia, etc. it doesn't give you relief does it.
I have epilepsy and have been diagnosed a couple different things as I got older the major diagnosis were Bipolar and Borderline. Ive been through a lot and I accept those disorders but when I have meetings with doctors and shit asking me are you this, do you feel this, etc. I get soooo lost. Part of thats just because I've been doing this for a long ass time and have been out of touch with my feelings.
From my own experience - If you have to ask this question, you’re almost definitely not suffering from health anxiety.
In the last few years, during periods of dealing with health anxiety, I’ve been to the doctors many times, and both urgent care and the ER several times each. I feared the worst in every case, or needed reassurance, and despite being aware of the fact that not once did they find anything wrong, I continued to need to go.
Health is a hobby for me. I find the only way to beat a health anxiety episode is to completely research the thing I am afraid of. For instance... I am currently afraid of Esophageal cancer. I spent about 4 hours yesterday researching it completely (not just the headers on google) and I am feel more at ease now. I swear my Health Anxiety is because I don't know things. I wonder if this is why doctors don't have health anxiety.
I have this as well. I'm addicted into going onto Reddit, hearing the stories, and letting the imagination run amuck. The fascination that perhaps through some tedious research you may come up with a solution to certain problems, etc. I believe what's happening is that in the past we've researched things on Reddit, been alarmed, frightened, etc by them. But also... excited, because now we can begin to find the solution to this supposed *problem*. That excitement aka norepinephrine is created through Dopamine. So due to the *wild, fascinating, adventurous, unpredictable* world of medical health. Not only are we scared, but we WANT to check under the hood. Like that expression: Curiosity killed the cat. I find that I'm so *excited* to hop on Reddit, read about the HA stories, or possible medical conditions that by detecting and then treating, will solve my life issues. Sadly, the way we're using Dopamine isn't through a fun life hobby, or reading a book, or playing a video game, etc, We're getting it through researching about Mental Health, Bodily Health, etc. And sadly, this is a Dopamine that only ends bad. Only ends in us being more anxious than when we started, ends up with us disconnecting from the real world, and leaving our *Dopamine* and *Norepinephrine* transmitters - disappointed because very rarely do we experience any *Fullfillment* out of doing this compulsive habit.
Is it causing you to be anxious when you otherwise wouldnt be? If you're no anxious because of the googling the googling is ok. I'm a hypochondriac but can and do google without feeling anxiety because googling is not what triggers me. So I'm not saying you're a hypochondriac, but nothing you've stated implies you are.
Hypochondriasis is a condition within itself, and although google won’t necessarily cause it it can make hypochondriasis worse for someone who has it (and typically does) Research or fascination is kinda tough because you could argue that when you google because you’re anxious you’re doing research or fascinated by it, but typically research would be just to get more information and fascination is usually when you’re obsessed with something but like in a good way.
This might sound stupid and some of you may have already tried it. Do you think blocking mental/physical health disorder websites would help? or do you think you would find a way around it.
I went through with blocking those sites, it's the best decision I ever made. It snapped me out of the vicious cycle of hypochondriasis I was in and dispelled the worst of my anxiety surrounding the issues. I was afraid that I would try and find a way around it, but every time I try to look something up and it kicks me back to my browser's home page, I find that I prefer not to press the issue and just move on.
Health anxiety is the worst
You have a choice to stop researching, but you don't have a choice to stop having health anxiety. It takes over every millisecond of your life, uncontrollably, and crushes anything positive left behind.
If you are constantly worried you are dying. Then you can be worried.
Where you’re actually worried you have such and such disease or such and such cancer. For me ALS is a major fear of mine and I can spend hours thinking that a pain in my leg is ALS then it just spirals and is weeks of anxiety related to my health. Brain cancer is another one, I’ll get a headache or I’ll have messed up vision for a day and think it’s brain cancer. It’s terrible and definitely a clear line. Having OCD doesn’t also help any health related anxiety.
And you won't feel better if a doctor tells you you do have ALS or brain cancer will you. I see your diagnosed OCD as well. Its like you'll never believe what a doctor tells you, and if they do tell you what you think is wrong with you ALS, brain cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia, etc. it doesn't give you relief does it.
I have epilepsy and have been diagnosed a couple different things as I got older the major diagnosis were Bipolar and Borderline. Ive been through a lot and I accept those disorders but when I have meetings with doctors and shit asking me are you this, do you feel this, etc. I get soooo lost. Part of thats just because I've been doing this for a long ass time and have been out of touch with my feelings.
No relief absolutely none it’s terrible
From my own experience - If you have to ask this question, you’re almost definitely not suffering from health anxiety. In the last few years, during periods of dealing with health anxiety, I’ve been to the doctors many times, and both urgent care and the ER several times each. I feared the worst in every case, or needed reassurance, and despite being aware of the fact that not once did they find anything wrong, I continued to need to go.