# Hypochondria.. "I'm dying and I know it"



## EuphoriaMourning (Aug 7, 2004)

I recently learned that hyphochondria is a common thing among people with OCD. I found a site that describes what hypochondria is pretty well:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001236.htm#Symptoms

I'm totally exhausted, and so is everyone around me. Day after day they deal with my physical complaints. This month has been especially bad. It's just been one thing leading to another, so I'm going to just list them vaguely to keep this post from going on forever..

-Had pressure over my bladder, was convinced I had cancer because of my irregular cycle. Had blood tests, pelvic exams, and some unpleasent ultrasounds done.. They found absolutely nothing, except a low thyroid. Got put on synthroid.

- A month later the pressure came back, with pain. I was convinced I had appendicitis, so I went back to the doctor. Found out I had a bladder infection which took two different medications to get rid of.

- Lots of adominal pressure and pain sent me to the ER because I was convinced I either had appendicitis, or some kind of gallbladder problem. After X-rays were done I found out I was extremely..uh..backed up. Doctor gave me something, and after a week or so it got better..

- about a week later I had more pain in my lower abdomen, with severe burning cramps. Went back to ER, had a contrast dye ct scan done, and was told there was nothing wrong. The next day I finally got my ..well, you know.. but it was the worst one of my life. Severe cramping.. heavy flow..

- Cycle over.. but I still have pressure over my bladder, and now I've developed pain in my larynx. It's the same sensation as being "choked up".. you know..the way your throat feels when you're trying not to cry...but it's constant. Over the last day I've been able to keep it down to a minimum with tylenol, and klonopin.

My main fear lately has been getting cancer.. ovarian, uterine, peritoneal.. In the past it's been about heart attacks, aneurisms, brain tumors, mouth tumors.. For a while it was a joke around here.. my sister would say "I've got a headache, it must be cancer".. and for the most part it is kinda funny..but I don't think they understand how serious this is to me. I absolutely believe I have something and am going to die. I keep having symptoms I don't understand.. and I'm constantly checking my symptoms online (bad bad thing to do), or seeking reassurance from friends and family. I'm driving my family nuts, and I actually had a fight with my mom about it this morning..she even told me that my dad told her the other night that it was good to get out and away from me. I told him I didnt blame him for wanting to get away from me, and that I hated myself and the way I am.. I feel like a bad person because of what I put people through.. I just thought that maybe, maybe if someone out there had some of the same fears..the same symptoms... maybe even some seggestions on how to deal with or get over things.. I could get through this and relax a little.. I'm sorry this was so long.. lol..


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## Sabrina (Nov 22, 2005)

I can relate to this post 110%. I've had hyphochondria for about 5yrs now. I though i had diabetes,cancer,lung cancer, and heart disease all in one week. I'm scared to go to the doctors because of this. Everytime i have a headache..i think its a brain tumor,everytime i have chest pains i think its cancer spreading through my body. I don't eat very heathly so that scares me too. SA is already enough for me to deal with....i can't deal with a disease too. I'll problay just off myself.

My father always be smoking around me and brother :mum 2nd hand smoke is very dangerous and he doesnt seem to understand that. I get paraniod when he smokes. I'm automatically think..CANCER.


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## cakesniffer (Nov 11, 2003)

Don't get me started with hypochondria. I am a wreck. :lol


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## Squizzy (Dec 21, 2004)

I am a hyphochondria and have been all my life. Before I knew I had asthma and panic attacks I thought I had lung cancer, was having a heart attack, was having a stroke, etc. Then I would have weird headaches and I worried about brain tumors. Then I had this thing with scholiosis (that curvature of the spine thing) where I was terrified I had it. A couple months ago I was convinced I had cystic fibrosis.

A week or so ago we studied the cardiovascular system and now I go to bed every night afraid I'll die of a heart attack. 

There are a few things I have found that have helped. I'm not good at giving advice and I still am a hypocondriac so I don't know how helpful it will ... Don't, at any cost, watch shows like E.R. Don't look up your symptoms online because most likely you will go to worst case scenerio and could start inventing or imagining things. I like to remember that aches and pains are common and almost nobody is every "completely healthy." Try not to obsess over the symptoms...

Oh, and there are forums for this sort of thing, look up Health Anxiety.


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## EuphoriaMourning (Aug 7, 2004)

squizzy, sabrina.. I know exactly what you're talking about.. My mom used to smoke two packs a day, but had to quit recently because she developed type 2 diabetes. There's really nothing you can say to a smoker to get them to quit smoking.. you can only tell them of your concerns about their health, and your own, and hope they wise up and quit..

When I was a kid I always worried about dying in my sleep, so I had a hard time falling asleep, and often cried myself to sleep. When I'd see shows on television about people who had heart attacks, or cancer, or some other horrible malady I'd wonder if that sort of thing could happen to me, so I totally agree that watching shows like E.R are probably not such a great thing for a hyphochondriac to do... and looking up things on Webmd is a horrible thing to do as well.. Unfortunately at my house we have digital cable, and hence the discovery health channel. One of my mom's favorite shows is some reality show called "life and death in the E.R".. UGH.. people come in with coughs and leave with lung cancer.. Its horrible, and I just wont watch it anymore.. that show goes on, and I go downstairs.. She also likes watching true crime shows on A&E .. I think it's my MOM who has some issues.. (lol) unfortunately I still have OCD and worry about being weird and flipping out and doing something horrible, and seeing a show about someone who has actually flipped out and done something horrible doesn't help me any either.. I spend a lot of time downstairs.. (lol).. anway.. I saw the doctor yesterday because the medication I was prescribed (Effexor) made me too jittery, and I needed something else. I talked to the doctor about my current symptoms, and about hypochondria, and she told me the best thing to do would be to make a journal of my symptoms, and discuss them with her the next time I saw her (she put me on a low dose of klonopin, and I take synthroid, so I have to have a check in appointment from time to time), and she and I would go over the symptoms.. if there was anything she thought should be checked into, we would check into it.. She's a very very very understanding and kind lady so I feel really lucky to have found her.. anyway.. she also gave me a referral for Biofeedback at the physical therapy clinic, so we'll see how that goes.. DONT be too scared to go to the doctor because believe me, even though I still suffer with hypochondria, I can tell you that most of the time the symptoms you have turn out to be nothing serious at all.. and if your symptoms turn out to be something that needs treatment, than the doctor's office is where you need to be.. You'll be taken care of.. that's how I look at it..

I did find a support forum for people with hypochondria/health anxiety.. 
http://anxietyzone.com/

I hope all's well with you guys..  :hug


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## jenkydora (Nov 11, 2003)

I used to have the cancer phobia, and it was the worst anxiety I could experience, I never got respite from it. For some reason the cancer phobia faded. I realised with rational thinking on my own, that pain doesnt equal cancer. My husband went through testicle cancer, in the first stages of it, there was no pain. So to me this fact discounted that phobia.

I have other anxieties that have replaced the cancer fear.
I am never without anxiety, its been a constant shadow my entire life.

jenky


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

****Thread Lock Warning****
Why was this thread resurrected after nearly three years?


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