OCD and "phantom pain"

[alisando123]

Hi everyone, I've been doing a little better with my hep c worries of late. Especially the one regarding the hairdressers and the cut I had afterwards.

I know this is more than likely OCD related, I'm possibly asking for reassurance but I'm not sure (if I am feel free to say so!). I'm wondering about "phantom pains" or "illnesses" you might get through having ocd. For instance, since I started worrying about hepatitis, I keep getting pains in where I think my liver is which radiate through to my back! This has ONLY started since I've been worrying about hepatitis. So I have to admit I'm a little suspicious it's my brain playing tricks on me.

It makes me obviously think that I have had some risk and maybe the pain is telling me that I'm infected, but when I think about it, I have aches and pains in other places too. 

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this kind of thing, I know when people worry about HIV they often convince themselves they've got the flu like illness people get, when actually it's just caused by anxiety! I'm wondering if this is the same sort of thing.

Thanks!

 

Edited September 3, 2017 by alisando123

[Rucker]

I don't know.  I've been getting a chronic left arm ache for years.... sometimes worse, sometimes better.  It isn't painful but is disconcerting.  Maybe stress related with all of this but it is really hard to tell.

[alisando123]

1 minute ago, Rucker said:

I don't know.  I've been getting a chronic left arm ache for years.... sometimes worse, sometimes better.  It isn't painful but is disconcerting.  Maybe stress related with all of this but it is really hard to tell.

yeah i understand. it  just seems odd that every time I worry about my liver, my liver decides to start to hurting! I don't know if its because I start sitting weirdly, a lot of the pain goes through to my right shoulder as well. I know that could be tension as I always seem raise my shoulders up as I can't relax and let them fall down!

 

[Rucker]

Yeah I think it could come from my back, pinched nerve or something similar.  But it does say that being stressed especially for a long time can cause pains in arms etc.... It's too difficult to tell for sure.

It sounds like you might be a bit tensed up and I think posture is crucial  in relation to aches and pains (mine is rubbish)

[snowbear]

59 minutes ago, alisando123 said:

yeah i understand. it  just seems odd that every time I worry about my liver, my liver decides to start to hurting! I don't know if its because I start sitting weirdly, a lot of the pain goes through to my right shoulder as well. I know that could be tension as I always seem raise my shoulders up as I can't relax and let them fall down!

I think you've explained it very well yourself. This is something similar to what a doctor might tell you by way of explanation if you asked.   When your brain focuses on pain in a particular area of the body the muscles in that area (and around it) commonly do tense up. Practise muscle relaxation until you can drop your shoulders and ease the tension in an instant as soon as you become aware they are tight. You might find some of the 'Body Scan' relaxation videos on You Tube useful to get you started. 

[alisando123]

1 minute ago, snowbear said:

I think you've explained it very well yourself. This is something similar to what a doctor might tell you by way of explanation if you asked.   When your brain focuses on pain in a particular area of the body the muscles in that area (and around it) commonly do tense up. Practise muscle relaxation until you can drop your shoulders and ease the tension in an instant as soon as you become aware they are tight. You might find some of the 'Body Scan' relaxation videos on You Tube useful to get you started. 

I was thinking this too. I remember another time when I was convinced I was ill. The same thing happened where I was concentrating so much on my liver that I actually think my body made it start to hurt. As soon as I stopped worrying the pain went away, I was thinking this can't be a coincidence!

Ooh thank you! I will definitely look into the videos. I always have problems with tensing my shoulders anyway (I'm doing it right now and have just relaxed them!) so it will be useful!

[PolarBear]

7 hours ago, alisando123 said:

yeah i understand. it  just seems odd that every time I worry about my liver, my liver decides to start to hurting! I don't know if its because I start sitting weirdly, a lot of the pain goes through to my right shoulder as well. I know that could be tension as I always seem raise my shoulders up as I can't relax and let them fall down!

 

So try not worrying about your liver. My guess is, you'll forget about the nuisance pain.

[alisando123]

On 04/09/2017 at 19:36, PolarBear said:

So try not worrying about your liver. My guess is, you'll forget about the nuisance pain.

It is feeling slightly better at the moment!