Username: LiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

Healthy anxiety

Does anyone have actual health concerns mixed with health ocd? It’s really hard having doctors say that i need to look into more labs and tests because they aren’t sure what’s going on with me and struggling with health ocd. Like how I’m so i find that balance to know what is a valid action to take vs anxious over reaction? I’m going on years of symptoms without clear answers and it’s driving me nuts. Any advice would be appreciated because my fears feel so valid when doctors show concern with no answers.

"Pure" OCD

Username: Girlmom21Girlmom21

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

I can relate. I have had basically a very simillar situation. I guess in my case, I am concerned about my health, but I do not have answers so my therapist and I play on the uncertainty to reduce participating in compulsions. My big thing was googling to try and find what doctors could not and that mental compulsion of saying if only I could solve this and then my ocd would get better, too. So, it was really helpful using response prevention to reduce those compulsions and accept uncertainty.

Username: LiBeLiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

This is so real. I just want to get to the bottom of it so i can convince my ocd it can finallly chill. Like so hard to give myself permission not think about it all the time cuz what if it gets worse and i didn’t do enough to stop it? But i know a lot of it must be anxiety talking. Glad I’m not alone but also i wish you all the healing!

Username: Shelby ParkerShelby Parker

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

That’s a good thing to remind yourself of! My husband is a big inspiration for me because he overcame cancer as a child with the help of chemotherapy. And my mom is a cancer survivor too. Not that it’s the same, but it can be a good source of hope. Absolutely!

Username: youarelovedyouareloved

Date posted: 2y ago

You got this. I completely understand! Don’t let the fears of your health stop you from getting things checked out — I did that! But also try to compulsively go to the doctor after they already give you answers. Tell yourself you can do this and whatever happens, you will get through this!

Username: youarelovedyouareloved

Date posted: 2y ago

Try not to** sorry that was a typo

Username: LiBeLiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

I definitely avoided it for a while too hoping it would just go away if i didn’t worry about it but that didn’t work lol and now here we are 😂 trusting doctors is hard, but you’re right on that. Thank you!

Username: FJustRightOCDFJustRightOCD

Date posted: 2y ago

I deal with this. What I do is let my doctor know about my health ocd, and request they focus on language that’s proactive (vs fear mongering, or rambling on about my symptoms if it’s not completely necessary), and I work on just trying to trust results of what my doctor and/or tests will say without further looking into it. I’m trying to learn more about homeopathic medicine as well which can be hard and requires a lot of research so I’m trying to limit myself to only a certain amount of time, say, 10 min of researching. It helps to set alarm while doing so, so it’ll throw off whatever rabbit hole Im going into. I’ll force close my laptop and get up from my desk and try to balance out the deep dive I did in my brain with some outdoor activity/mindfulness. I still struggle with all this but thought I’d share some tips and say you’re not alone.

Username: LiBeLiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

This is really helpful thanks. There have been times in the past where doctors where doctors weren’t helpful to me and researching on my own actually helped me find ways to feel better so it’s hard to convince myself to not do it. But the rabbit hole can be dangerous and i like the idea of sticking to time limits. And also communicating with dicots about my anxiety. I think a lot of them are used to non compliant patients who don’t take their symptoms seriously so they reallly try to drive home the point that it’s something that needs to be looked at. And TRUST ME. You don’t need to tell me twice. I’m probably way more worried than you are. Lol so thank you. I wish you all the luck on your healing journey ❤️

Username: Shelby ParkerShelby Parker

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

It’s so frustrating to not get answers. It doesn’t make it any less scary, but try to remember that all of our health is pretty much always uncertain, whether we have symptoms or not. It helps me to believe that my life is in God’s hands and will not be over one minute earlier than it is supposed to.

Username: LiBeLiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

Oof yes. This is a hard one for me but you’re right. I used to think if i could just get to the root and eat “perfectly” and remove all toxins i could predict my health future. But that only made me blame myself when i wasn’t completely better. It’s not all in my control. I haven’t been leaning on my faith as much recently and i this reminded me that it will help. Thank you 💜

Username: nadinopenadinope

Date posted: 2y ago

I've never had strong issues with health anxiety until just recently when I had an accident. I hit my head pretty hard, hard enough that it broke my nose. Naturally my doctor and the staff at the hospital checked me thoroughly for serious head injuries, but of course that just started my obsessive thoughts about it. I can't stop worrying about there being something seriously wrong. I keep having dizzy spells which seems to suggest there is something wrong, but every time I see my doctor and she checks something else out (scans, blood tests, etc) I feel better and less worried and the dizziness stops. Which seems to suggest it's just my anxiety from worrying about it. But I don't really know, so the worry builds up again and again. I fell crazy and exhausted

Username: Shelby ParkerShelby Parker

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

@nadinope That’s good to make that connection. Of course I can’t speak to your situation with certainty, but in my life, doctors have been right about anxiety. I still experience dizziness from anxiety.

Username: LiBeLiBe

Date posted: 2y ago

I’m sorry you went through that. It’s super hard especially when there’s a big trigger like that. I’m having issues with my nervous system and had to get brain scans too. And it’s tough because things connected to that system get worse when you’re anxious.it can be a really exhausting cycle. But im glad to know they aren’t finding anything concerning for you. I have to remind myself that a lot of people go through health concerns in life and move forward from them. And also that people who have conditions can still lead happy lives. It’s nice to know im not alone 💜

Username: Shelby ParkerShelby Parker

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

@LiBe

Username: workingonit

Date posted: 1y ago

How do we listen to our body when we have OCD

I’ve struggled with medical OCD for most of my life without realizing it. I feel like as a kid I always heard stories where people listened to their gut instigating and it was correct and they saved themselves. I remember overhearing my mom talking about a boy who had hit his head at a soccer game and told his parents “I need to go to the hospital something is wrong” and it turns out he was bleeding in his brain and needed immediate surgery. My mom said “it just goes to show you need to listen to your body”. I am constantly listening or watching, particularly when I’m under stress. Of course all of the extraneous symptoms are almost always the result of my anxiety (finger tingling, chest pain you name it anxiety is probably the cause). I’ve trained myself to take this line of rationalization when such symptoms appear. It terrifies me because how will I know something is really wrong when I can’t trust my own brain. I feel like I’m fighting a battle against myself all the time. I just want to know that I’ll be able to take care of myself but I can’t know that for sure.

Health Concern OCD

Username: juliarenee11

Date posted: 1y ago

Severe health ocd

I’ve struggled with health anxiety for about 11 years, and it’s been horrible the last 3 years. Health related stuff wasn’t my first theme though. It started out with contamination OCD and magical thinking, and then I was diagnosed in 2015 after being hospitalized. Throughout the last 5 years or so, I’ve been hospitalized a few times for debilitating health anxiety OCD, been on countless meds and struggled to find an OCD specialist. I just want this nightmare to be over. I’ve been convinced of having breast cancer, lymphoma, bladder cancer, brain tumors, ovarian cancer, skin cancer, cervical cancer, and many other health issues. I’ve been to the doctors multiple times, I’ve demanded tests, I’ve compulsively gone to the ER and urgent care to “check” for reassurance, I’ve been convinced that doctors aren’t looking good enough or are lying to me. I do a lot of body scanning, and reading and rereading doctors note for reassurance. I also call the doctors office a lot. Again, I just need this to end but I don’t know what to do because I am so burned out.

Username: emilytravels...

Date posted: 1y ago

In a vicious health OCD cycle 😭

I cannot seem to stop the cycle and I’m questioning how much longer I can manage like this. I keep having a symptom, or so I think. It’s not super consistent, and when I’ve gone to the doctor to explain it, I feel like a crazy person. Its sharpish, tingling pains in my stomach that do seem to be more present when I’m stressing and hyper fixating on them. But sometimes just pop up on their own. I won’t notice it for a few days, and then I’ll feel a twinge in my stomach and absolutely have a freak out over it thinking it’s some stage 4 something. I’ve stopped wearing certain clothes and working out because I’m afraid of “triggering” it. I feel like I can’t even distinguish between what’s real and what’s not anymore. How will I ever know when to actually go to the doctor for something if i don’t know that what I’m feeling is even real? Has this happened to anyone else?

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