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Suggest Ways To Manage Anxiety About Health
Question: Hello Dr. Bishnoi,
Thank you for your previous help. If you recall, I asked you about my health anxiety, and you helped me a great deal. I actually felt optimistic for a while. Unfortunately, I asked a question on the site about vitamins, and I jumped to to worst possible consequence of the answer I received, leading me to go to another site to get a quick answer to reassure me. The level of anxiety was so high, I was up until after 4 AM trying to find reassurance. Is such a high anxiety on the rebound considered normal or an impediment to recovery? I suppose since you helped me so much before, I thought coming back here, you help me to find some hope once again.
Thank you for your previous help. If you recall, I asked you about my health anxiety, and you helped me a great deal. I actually felt optimistic for a while. Unfortunately, I asked a question on the site about vitamins, and I jumped to to worst possible consequence of the answer I received, leading me to go to another site to get a quick answer to reassure me. The level of anxiety was so high, I was up until after 4 AM trying to find reassurance. Is such a high anxiety on the rebound considered normal or an impediment to recovery? I suppose since you helped me so much before, I thought coming back here, you help me to find some hope once again.
Brief Answer:
Try to suppress the thoughts.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again
Thanks for putting a query.
As we discussed earlier too, please stop searching for possible illnesses on GOOGLE. This will never reassure you but will end up in increasing the anxiety only. You have insight and this is a welcoming step towards recovery. High anxiety is expected after finding anything that produce distress.
You have health anxiety and even during your searches you have awareness that you couldn't get illness still you end up in serious anxiety. This is considered normal in health anxiety patients but that doesn't mean that this is any hinderance to recovery.
You have crossed first step towards recovery that is having insight that you have health anxiety. Now the second step will be stop searching for symptoms and distracting yourself and ignoring mild symptoms. If even after distraction or ignoring the symptoms anxiety persists then try to suppress it. Find positive things that gives you pleasure and this will help in suppression.
Thanks. You can ask a follow up if needed for more doubts.
Try to suppress the thoughts.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again
Thanks for putting a query.
As we discussed earlier too, please stop searching for possible illnesses on GOOGLE. This will never reassure you but will end up in increasing the anxiety only. You have insight and this is a welcoming step towards recovery. High anxiety is expected after finding anything that produce distress.
You have health anxiety and even during your searches you have awareness that you couldn't get illness still you end up in serious anxiety. This is considered normal in health anxiety patients but that doesn't mean that this is any hinderance to recovery.
You have crossed first step towards recovery that is having insight that you have health anxiety. Now the second step will be stop searching for symptoms and distracting yourself and ignoring mild symptoms. If even after distraction or ignoring the symptoms anxiety persists then try to suppress it. Find positive things that gives you pleasure and this will help in suppression.
Thanks. You can ask a follow up if needed for more doubts.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for replying. It's good to have your responses here so that I can look at them to refresh my memory. Diversion does indeed help a lot. I went out to lunch today with a few people close to me, and getting away, even for a few hours, was helpful. Thanks, again.
I just want to say that my health anxiety is less about symptoms (although I do jump to the worst possible outcome of every little thing) but more about things that have no symptoms, things I could have done in the past that have health consequences in the future. I worry the same way about my pets, that I could have walked on something outside and exposed them to something toxic to them, etc. It's about things that could happen, regardless of how remote, and usually there is no way of removing the doubt. For example, I thought what if some grape jelly had dropped from my plate and my cats ate it. Grapes are toxic to cats. I spent a great deal of time going over the carpets with paper napkins (since the carpets are dark and the jelly would not show easily) and there was nothing there, and then still worried that what if they ate it before I got to clean it. As it turned out, I realize they couldn't have eaten anything because I immediately cleaned the area and I did not see them near it. Memory also plays a role in this. I will go back and try to remember if something I had done in the past was harmful, and it is impossible to remember all details of things long ago. This is the nature of this affliction. It is as if I want to think of ALL things that could be wrong, and then reassure myself that all is fine. If you have any further tips for me, I will welcome them. You seem to understand what I am going through.
I just want to say that my health anxiety is less about symptoms (although I do jump to the worst possible outcome of every little thing) but more about things that have no symptoms, things I could have done in the past that have health consequences in the future. I worry the same way about my pets, that I could have walked on something outside and exposed them to something toxic to them, etc. It's about things that could happen, regardless of how remote, and usually there is no way of removing the doubt. For example, I thought what if some grape jelly had dropped from my plate and my cats ate it. Grapes are toxic to cats. I spent a great deal of time going over the carpets with paper napkins (since the carpets are dark and the jelly would not show easily) and there was nothing there, and then still worried that what if they ate it before I got to clean it. As it turned out, I realize they couldn't have eaten anything because I immediately cleaned the area and I did not see them near it. Memory also plays a role in this. I will go back and try to remember if something I had done in the past was harmful, and it is impossible to remember all details of things long ago. This is the nature of this affliction. It is as if I want to think of ALL things that could be wrong, and then reassure myself that all is fine. If you have any further tips for me, I will welcome them. You seem to understand what I am going through.
Brief Answer:
Progressively try to change the behaviour.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again
Yes I can understand what you are going through. Distraction, suppression, avoid searching on internet to get empty reassurances etc we have discussed already.
Try to note down the things that are resulting in maximum anxiety or distress. This could be related to exposure to toxin for cats or anxiety related to health condition of self.
Once you find out what things are resulting in distress to maximum levels put these in a hierarchal manner. Start with least anxiety producing to maximum anxiety producing.
Challenge these thoughts in your mind. Find out odds against your bad thoughts.
Modify your behaviours which are like compulsions for the abnormal thoughts. These could be searching internet or getting reassurance from a doctor. Avoid these behaviours
Once the modification starts then try to maintain the changed behaviours. Remove false maladaptive thoughts. Once anxiety related to to a particular event decreases then move up in list.
With time you will be able to control your anxiety by self.
Thanks.
Progressively try to change the behaviour.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again
Yes I can understand what you are going through. Distraction, suppression, avoid searching on internet to get empty reassurances etc we have discussed already.
Try to note down the things that are resulting in maximum anxiety or distress. This could be related to exposure to toxin for cats or anxiety related to health condition of self.
Once you find out what things are resulting in distress to maximum levels put these in a hierarchal manner. Start with least anxiety producing to maximum anxiety producing.
Challenge these thoughts in your mind. Find out odds against your bad thoughts.
Modify your behaviours which are like compulsions for the abnormal thoughts. These could be searching internet or getting reassurance from a doctor. Avoid these behaviours
Once the modification starts then try to maintain the changed behaviours. Remove false maladaptive thoughts. Once anxiety related to to a particular event decreases then move up in list.
With time you will be able to control your anxiety by self.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you. I get the idea.
Brief Answer:
Thanks and Take care.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks and Take care.
Thanks and Take care.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks and Take care.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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