health anxiety

[gingerbreadgirl]

HO about making a big attempt to restrict the number of checks. i.e. seek to redice the number of compulsions.

if you are doing it twice a day, go down to once, then every two days .....

Thank you Roy this is really helpful x

[Guest Saz]

Awww really? I'm pleased to help you for a change xxx

[gingerbreadgirl]

Oh, how awful! Having health ocd like this sound really horrible! I dont know if I can give you the answars you seek, but I wanted to write you something. I really get this dilemma, and how awful it must be having this doubt if its ocd or something real.

If you google any symptoms, even if its a small, harmless one, you often end up with cancer or other serious illnesses, witch is not very likely that you have. I would advice you to not google too much about health issiues and symptoms.

If you find a bump on your body, its off course wise to chech it out by a doctor. But its not normal to check your body all the times for bumps. If you see the difference? If something is wrong, you normally discover it, and feel it clearly. But i get its hard to rely on.

Its not a garantee for not being ill, and we all have to live in some kind of doubt. But I think you will do right, if you try to tell yourself that this huge focus on health is ocd. If your doctor says you are fine. Try to trust it, and not ruminate about it.

I like Taureans advice about reducing the amount of checks. But if you can, I think it will be easier to get rid of this issue if you stoped checking (almost completly, maybe just once a week, a month, or when you really have a reason to check) Cause by checking, you probably will maintain your focus on for example bumps. And the more you check, the more your mind focus on it.

I really do get that this can be a difficult issue, it can be a difficult limit. But maybe you deep down know that this is ocd, and something you have to work on before it increases. To have this doubting illness can be tough, and I hope you get some good advices on this.

ailo xx

Hi ailo

Thank you v much for your kind words and excellent advice. I see what you mean about stopping the checking pretty much altogether. I find myself randomly poking about under ny jaw and behind my ears where there are all sorts of bumps and glands and stuff - I've discovered my body is amazingly lumpy lol! I think you're right that if something was unusual or different, I would know it and probably not experience this doubt (ah, the d word!)

Thanks again Xx

Edited February 13, 2015 by gingerbreadgirl

[Avo]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but I was searching old threads to see if I could find something relevant to how things are with me - and  this is so like me. I am having problems trusting my own judgement on a health issue, one that has in the past and early days of OCD had me back almost weekly at the doctors. 

I know deep down things are fine, but I am being bombarded by doubt which I am certain is OCD. I have in the past avoided checking for fear of the anxiety this provokes inside me. I am getting intrusive thoughts that I am ignoring something really bad, is it the same as last time? am I sure - better double / treble / quadruple check. 

OCD is such a horrid disorder at times I am stuck in a rut today on this. I feel I have regressed 20 years to when OCD really started and this worry was at the heart of it. 

Does anyone have any tips that can help me, I know I should not do any physical compulsions which I am trying to avoid, but I struggling with the thoughts. 

Thank you!

[PolarBear]

Leave the thoughts alone. You are likely doing mental compulsions, trying to figure out if the thoughts are true, seeing what else you could do. Work on those.

[Caramoole]

On 2/13/2015 at 20:08, gingerbreadgirl said:

I know this is OCD speaking

I think you do know when OCD is speaking and think that deep down you probably know when it isn't OCD and that there's a problem that really needs checking out.

[Isthisreality]

Health anxiety do i have it? Yes, most definitely. I find it very irritating because it enters the grey area, you are supposed to be aware of your body but you shouldn't obsess. So where is the line? It is tricky but i think one would find out if he/she has OCD and then treat it is OCD. 

 

Edited April 24, 2018 by Isthisreality