Health anxiety

I’ve had ocd for as long as I can remember but for the past couple years the theme is always about my health, more specifically worried about cancer. So much so that I struggle to say the word because I fear if I say it it’ll come true. Anytime, I have an health issue I immediately think it is something awful. For example in 2020 I had a lump on my leg and I was convinced it was something terrible. I thought so irrationally that I had it scanned 5-6 different times and every time they said it was literally nothing but excess fat. I started working in a daycare (I’ve been working in a new one for three months) almost a year ago and since then have been sick on and off a lot. I’ve had the flu twice and each time it turned into bronchitis, and verging in pneumonia. My most recent bought of bronchitis was December. But I’ve had a couple colds and things since then. For the past almost two weeks I’ve had a cough and it has felt like the cough I had when I had bronchitis the same wheezing and crackling. Two weeks ago I had a cigar and the best day I woke up with the cough. I went to my doctor yesterday and asked him if we could do a scan on my chest to see what is causing it. As I was leaving the nurse handed me my papers and said “yeah go soon so we can see if anything grew” I tried not to take any notice of what she said because she seemed like someone who was kinda brash and didn’t think much before saying something like that. Since then I have been spiraling and so terrified of it being lung cancer. I went down the Google rabbit hole which was a terrible idea and now I keep seeing videos and looking at peoples testimonies and I am so so terrified. I know there’s nothing I can do and I know the best thing to do is ERP. I just am always so terrified of the absolute worse happenings

"Pure" OCD

notmyocd1

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

i’m sorry you’re going through this, know that you’re not alone. i am the exact same way, i could have written this myself. last year i noticed the right side of my inner thigh was bigger than the other side and i took pictures of it for months, i would go take pictures of my knees at work it was so bad. i went to the doctor and they told me i was fine. i don’t know what really gets me through the times my health anxiety shows up, but every time i feel a pain or i am sick i start to think of worse case scenarios.

Irishgirl

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@notmyocd1 So funny you say that! I had a lump on my thigh three years ago and was convinced it was something awful. I had 6 scans and every doctor told me I was fine but I was convinced they were wrong. Going through this is so hard, but it’s nice to know their are others out there similar to me.

notmyocd1

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@Anonymous gosh i’m sorry, it’s literally debatabliting. it’s like you have to go to the dr for the reassurance and sometimes that won’t even help the anxiety because another symptom will pop up.

Irishgirl

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@notmyocd1 Exactly and then everytime it’s like what if this times it’s serious or what if the doctor thinks I’m being crazy.

notmyocd1

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@Anonymous i totally feel you, i go through the same

Irishgirl

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y

@notmyocd1 Well I hope you have found ways to deal with it(:

tomhyland

Date posted: 23w

disease obsessions

hello. i have been going through health scare obsessions for at least 5 years now and it terrifies me. i mainly fear of cancer. i have no reason to fear of cancer because it is not a predominant condition in my family. i have been to check ups for skin cancer and been told it was nothing which relieves me for a short period of time but then i start thinking of other cancer possibilities :( it doesn’t help that im a smoker to deal with the stress of adhd and ocd which just fuels the obsession of lung cancer. i know it would help my fear to stop smoking but thats easier said than done. i have only been a smoker for 3 years and its the only thing that helps right now. on top of this, my brain makes me believe that every intrusive thought i have WILL MANIFEST into existence just from thinking about it! this has scared me so much in the last 5 years and once i told my mum about it and she said "if you ever got cancer we would deal with it, its okay" but that didnt help it just made it worse and the possibility become more scarier! please help me.

carol.xxx

Date posted: 23w

Health anxiety please help x

Hey friends… I am in a really low place regarding my health anxiety. I am absolutely terrified of cancer. Im only 17 years old and im worrying more about health then living my life its very draining. At the moment I have a very chesty cough which has lasted around two weeks and a runny nose and just full sinuses. I woke up from my sleep tonight and woke up completely wet in sweat and itchy. I am terrified in case ive got cancer. I get so so scared It genuinely is not only affecting me but everyone else around me im pulling them down too. 💔 I am UK based and recently got a job and even then its all I can think about. Im crying my eyes out scared ☹️ To anyone else going through this your not alone and its so consuming. ❤️‍🩹

Cooki_brooki23

Date posted: 13w

Health ocd obsessed over heart/lung related issues

I have gotten maybe about 8 EKG’s within the lest 2 years? I’ve also gotten an echo done, and I got a heart monitor to track my heart over the course of maybe 2 weeks, back last year. Even though I have been to the emergency room so many times because of panic attacks that I thought were heart attacks, and went with a Cardiologist I still obsess and worry. I always think that I am going to develop some kind of heart problem after getting the tests done. Like if they’re just suddenly going to appear/my heart will suddenly have an issue. I especially get nervous when the pain is in the center of my chest + I get a tight feeling like I have pressure on my chest and can’t breathe completely. Please someone share their experience of how they controlled their health anxiety, especially if it’s related to this.

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Health anxiety

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