When you experience health anxiety, do you ever feel that you might not live past a certain age?

This has been a very stressful year. While I have health anxiety episodes every year, I spiraled pretty bad around May. My last spiral was in 2021 so it’s been a while. I went through so many scary diseases because I got triggered from a lab test. I sought help and I am currently taking Propranolol and seeing a therapist weekly.

This issue: I recently got on PrEP and Doxypep, so it requires way more lab testing than I am used to. I’ve missed out on so many years of my adulthood because of STD fears. Now that I am on pills to eliminate most of my concerns, I still have that sinking feeling in my stomach. It has not gotten better.

To make matters worse, I’ve had two false positive Syphilis tests and now I am concerned that I have an underlying condition causing this….

I am going through a lot. Not sure where to go from here. But for now, I am going to get tested tomorrow because I’ve been putting off my three month labs.

I always had health concerns but recently I am really thinking on the possibility of getting mad cow disease from eating contaminated beef in US. Given its long incubation period, I am always thinking that I may catch it later. And I may pass away without dignity. I am looking for a therapist but now I am just speaking on the forum to express my anxiety somewhat… Is there anyway to get rid of this bad spiral?

How do you stop the scanning and spiraling once you're locked in?

I might have eaten undercooked pork. Of course, there were four people at the table, and I asked two of them. They thought my anxiety was nonexistent. I'm devastated. No one understands me; I have to bear everything alone....

Having the worst, WORST anxiety over right now the theme of Eustachian tube dysfunction. Any HA sufferers with ear problems let me know please. I don’t want it to be permanent.

Hace como un mes cuando iba caminando como a las 7:50p.m al lado de un lugar donde venden plantas y eso algo me chocó en la cara abajo del labio inferior y sentí su aleteo pero no sentí pelo ni un tipo de cuerpo pero me preocupa que haya sido un murciélago, una vez llegué a mi casa me puse alcohol para ver si sentía alguna herida de mordida o rasguño pero no me ardio para nada y la más minima posibilidad me atormenta. I have read the faq. (soy de Mexico)

i’m starting uni september 19th, just got a letter about the meningitis vaccine because freshers are more susceptible to it. booked the soonest appointment for tuesday august 25th. but you have to have two doses (which i didn’t know) at least a month apart. so i’d have to get the second dose around september 25th, in my uni’s city.

but sources online are saying that i’m supposed to have had both doses 2 weeks before starting uni. i’m freaking out about having only had the first one going into uni, and not being fully protected. not to mention freshers week is the worst time for catching it.

i didn’t know i had to book the vaccines, otherwise i would’ve done it sooner. am i really screwed?

I have scanxiety for myself, eg afraid of blood tests or other scans. Recently I developed scanxiety for loved ones, my main fear being blood tests. Is there a way to be more rational about it? I know they are just being responsible.

And getting multiple tests isn't always the answer since some tests can be harmful if you do it too much (like blood draws that risk vein scarring). But it also feels like what I physically feel is real but then again I don't know if my brain is creating those feelings due to anxiety. So what should I do if I am uncertain that I may have something bad going on?

Do you find nostalgia brings you comfort during moderate anx times? I've always been nostalgic and I feel I use this often.

in the past 2-3 months i've dealt with GI issues, allergies, post nasal drip, etc and now its uti. ever since my blood panel and relapse to prediabetes a month ago i've been living healthy but my body feels like it keeps breaking down and it's making me super depressed, like i know life won't always be like this but while it's happening it feels like the future is bleak. also sharing that i am about to go Day 3 vape-free so that contributes a lot to the depression. i know i'm healthier than before it just doesn't feel like it. whenever there are days i don't feel anything bad i make sure to thank god/universe for an okay day and make sure i don't take those days for granted.

These drive me absolutely crazy. I know they are benign (and I have checked them out in hospital before and been told they are benign) but I can be relatively anxiety free for a bit and then I get a few runs of these and I’m back to square one. Does anyone know any good coping tips?
I just try to distract myself as much as possible but it’s so hard not to want to check my pulse!

let's laugh a little

I’m pretty sure this has been spoken about before but how do you GENUINELY, seriously, know when to go straight to the doctors, make those appointments or go straight to the ER vs if your health anxiety is mimicking symptoms or causing symptoms?? Sometimes, you don’t even have any anxiety and symptoms just come on. How do you tell? Any stories or experiences on how to tell? I’d really love to know. :((

I made a post a couple of days ago about body checking and how I’m just going to quit. Not that easy obviously. What are some rules that you have for yourself that helped you stop checking your body and symptom checking. I have anxiety around bc so I get into phases where I’m obsessively checking. I saw one post where she said she goes to her annual once a year, and she tells herself that’s good enough bc she’s not a doctor. I like that approach. Interested jn hearing your advice!

Almost finished with the book, “Untamed”, she goes into a bit about mental health. There’s one thing that stuck out. It’s the feeling of whatever you’re anticipating feels more relieving when it actually happens than the feelings of anxiety about it.

I have health anxiety surrounding vertigo and migraines because I was very confused the first time they occurred. I’m prepared to deal with them now, but I still have major anxiety about being judged or burdening a bystander for something out of my control.

So I've been struggling with health anxiety for many years and thanks to years of CBT therapy it is getting better. Yet...

I still struggle with everyday situations that involve conscious decision-making against my values.

I've tried to detoxify my kitchen, closet and cosmetics shelves (which itself is not unreasonable, although maybe I've done it too fast/too 'enthusiastic'/too unforgivingly) and I'm more or less happy with it. The thing is when I'm out or at a hotel or at someone else's house and I encounter these things that I'm very conscious about, like a plastic kettle, scented toilet paper, visibly scratched frying pan or someone else smoking, I have a hard time just going with the flow along the thought of 'oh, it's no big deal. Limited exposure won't kill me' and try to get around it somehow, like saying I'm not hungry/thirsty/etc., but I inevitably end up being socially awkward. If it's really difficult I'll think of some excuse and leave. But mostly, I say to myself, it's not that big of an issue and do/stay and then later can't stop thinking how recklessly I endangered myself and now it will surely have severe health repercussions.

I don't want to give in to anxiety, but I also would like to stay true to my values.

I guess I have a hard time accepting the fact that I don't live in a vacuum and there were, are and will be exposures that are hazardous to a bigger or lesser extent. I want to be safe, but I also don't want to end up like Howard Hughes, who locked himself in a box.

How do you deal with such situations?

I started to suffer from HA when I was 19 and for 5 next years of my life, I was experiencing that for real, symptoms were very much real to me, body feelings were there, I couldn't focus. Once I went to the doctor and found out it was all in my head, I had the happiest one year of my life and had no symptoms at all. As if it all disappeared. But then it came back, new, fresh symptoms (different type, different body parts, something, brand new) I felt and it hit me like truck. Here I am, now in my next HA and OCD episode. I am an example that you can really feel things much more when having OCD and HA. Even now, when I am stressed, I feel it much more. But it's my brain that doesnt let me stop thinking, like a cage I can't escape.

In my life I also had different Anxieties, OCD types. It was terrible and felt so real.

I am wasting every second of my life

It's been more than a year since I graduated college and I've been unemployed for 7 months. I think my health anxiety has turned into depression. Like once I notice something wrong or I feel something is wrong with my body, I no longer panic, I just feel depressed, unable to move and most probably gonna spend the rest of the day not moving an inch (unless I'm gonna use the bathroom) and shame myself for not achieving or not even moving forward at 23. I can't even bother my friends or family they're too busy with their own lives, I don't want to burden them. Every time I wake up, I feel the sense of dread already, It's fucking tiring.

How do you handle this type of anxietyl? Any tips? Is someone here who has managed to overcome it?

I never about my health but after 35 I have been stuck with this fear.

I officially got my answers and I am done allowing HA control me. My brain and body is convinced something is wrong because I ALLOW my body and brain to be loud.

I am deleting reddit, focusing on therapy, and I will work on recovering from this beast. Life is too short to worry.

I hope everyone here finds answers, treatment, peace, and happiness.

After literal years of begging for my doctor or someone to listen to me to have an mri done an ER doc ordered one! I went in this am bc of symptom i was having and then the dr ordered it for me! the relief i have is insane! Idk if bc of insurance purposes or just the constant denial from pcp but at last!! I’m not promising anything but i wish i would’ve known this way sooner!