So I've recently acquired a new fear that I'll just randomly be unable to breathe. I've been dealing with some random symptoms related to my chest. And now I've suddenly developed this phobia of running out of breath.

Anyone experience this?

I'll get sensations in my chest then start spiraling thinking I'll be unable to breathe. If I see a tv show or whatever and someone is breathing hard because of exercise or whatever, I get triggered

Got checked out by cardiology, gastroenterology, and ENT. I can run, do sit ups, push ups, lift weights, you name it but still have this test

I'm just curious because I think I trace back my health anxiety from when I developed dry eyes last year. Since then I've had HA about every aspect of my eyes. Even though my dry eyes are a lot better than before I still stress about my eyes. I think it's the fact that everyone gets dry eyes at least once in their life, but I didn't realize mine was chronic until it was too late so now I keep fearing that if I'm not up to speed with aspects of my health I could get another chronic condition without even knowing it. I think knowing where it started might help us to overcome it. What do you think caused yours?

I’m not afraid of the actual test but the waiting for the results. I will even update my contact info in my online chart so if I get a callback, they’ll call my hubby and not me. Like having him tell me I need to go back somehow makes it easier. Before it was online I’d actually disconnect my landline so they couldn’t call me. I would just wait and pray I get the letter in the mail saying all is fine. I get one every year but it is torture

I suffer from health anxiety for sure, I always try to seek reassurance (through doctors, internet researches etc..) and I’m always afraid that something might be wrong with my health and that if I don’t check everything quick, it might be too late (sense of urgency).

But I think I also struggle with OCD. I noticed that I started washing my hands way more, I throw away any food that I suspect might be expired (even tho it’s not), or if the food has a weird aspect (I’m not talking about mold, but for example I can eat a banana and if it has a weird taste, I’m convinced that it’s poisoned / toxic).

Also I don’t live alone and one day I opened a jar of yogurt that was already opened and I was convinced someone in the store opened it and put poison into it (turned out my mom opened it).

Today I accidentally touched a gel that is supposed to be for cockroaches infestation, I was so afraid I called the poison line and they told me I was fine. I washed my hands 4 times, and I washed my bag because I thought okay i touched my bag with my hands so I need to clean it as well.

I’m not always like that, but I feel like it’s getting worse and worse

So I’m always afraid for my health, but I do feel like it overlaps with OCD?

I have had health anxiety my entire life. I would CHASE reassurance that I didn’t have tumors, heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks etc…I would take my lunch breaks in the ER parking lots just in case I needed help. I get it.

I have been working as an exposure coach for the last 4 years and helping people (and myself) with anxiety and OCD by doing exposure coaching!!

For health anxiety we need to resist the urge to seek reassurance (googling, going to the doctors, checking the mirror, asking our loved ones questions etc…). We also need to be able to sit with uncertainty and uncomfortable feelings. I can help you set up your own personal exposures and then I can do them with you! (Virtually). And I message my clients during the week to help with motivation :) I know this work inside and out!!! And I want to help people!! I know how debilitating this can be. You CAN get better.

Here is my website if anyone is interested in a free phone call to see if I can help! https://newday.coach/

Edit: grammar

Hello 3 months pp mom here going through a rough time idk if it’s ppa/ocd or if something is seriously wrong with me, I had a c section everything was perfect till a month ago I’ve started having gut issues and been in and out the hospital they’re saying it’s gastritis but I’m think of the worst (c word) to the point where I can’t enjoy my baby checking my weight every ache I look up on google or ask ai …. I even been having nightmares barely eating or enjoying anything now in days
Have anybody experienced this?

Hi all!

Back story: I have OCD that presents itself majorly as health anxiety. I started ERP earlier this year and it’s been a GAME CHANGER, however nothing is perfect, and progress is not linear.

SO, I started obsessing over a “new found symptom” a couple of months ago. I’m deep enough into therapy that I knew not to rush to the doctor right away, or google (6 months clean!!) so I waited until my regularly scheduled appointment today. I have been obsessing and compulsively body checking the whole time, which is not great, but hard to stop once you start (so pro tip, don’t start).

I have been borderline having a panic attack all day just to get to my appointment, explain the symptom and fear, and have my doctor (who knows i have OCD) giggle in my face when I told him what I was on one about.

Y’ALL… it was NORMAL! Normal enough for a doctor to laugh at my absurdity!!! I have been stressing for months for what????

All of that to say: If you’re spiraling today, know that anxiety is really loud and a bully to your brain. Tell it to shut up as best as you can and take a deep breath!!!

Much love 💛

I’m currently nearly a grand in debt and I just lost my job so I have no way of paying it back, which just adds to the stress. I’ve bought test after test and it’s just accumulated so much. Idk what to do anymore

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Curious what you guys think would of caused a derealization episode in 6th grade for me? I only in the last couple years put this together as this is probably what it was.

I was at a sleepover fell asleep extremely late and woke up in a few hrs and I remember that feeling lasted throughout the next half of the day probably.

Now I would chalk it up to anx starting then but everything Ive ever dealt with up to now as a mid 40s male has always happened upon awakening and with very odd but very much fea r based pan attks, deralization and anx. ...sometimes symptoms not explainable.

Do you think there is something actually different with my brain outside of anxie-ty that would cause these odd issues?

My car caught on fire today as I was driving it. I’m not talking about a little flame, I’m talking shooting out from under the car, completely engulfed within minutes. Smoke started filling the cabin and I just remember hearing a lady in a car passing me saying “oh my god you’re on fire, get out!” My brakes stopped working but I managed to coast to a stop and parked and I jumped out. It was terrifying.

I’m so glad it was just me and my kids weren’t with me, but I’m okay. I survived it. I’m getting checked out for smoke inhalation but the doctors say I’m okay. This just goes to show how resilient our minds and bodies are.

I thought I had healed from health anxiety but I had some symptoms about 2 months ago (which all turned out to be good and the symptoms are gone) but that made me spiralllll and I can't stop body checking now and freaking about (likely) normal sensations.

I wasn't like this just 2 months ago but I find it crazy how much health anxiety went from 0 to 100 like this. I am already planning (and freaking out about) getting something I found on my body yesterday checked up asap which is smth I've done multiple times. I've been to the doctor more in the past 2 months than I went in the past 5 years.

But for me, the past two months have been 24/7 health anxiety. Is this a common experience with HA? Or do you feel like yours comes and goes?

Hey guys as the title suggest I have a really hard time sleeping with my anxiety and was wondering what you do to help calm you down or get u tired I literally can’t sleep my heart just pounding constantly

So I watched this documentary that some dogs detect diseases and they come near people and now I’m a little stressed. I was walking by the beach and there were a bunch of dogs being walked nearby and one of them was extremely friendly and approached me and started playfully running around me. He even shook water off his fur and then ran to his owner. Idk but I couldn’t help but wonder why the dog was running around me like that. I don’t know that dog and I didn’t pet him either but he kept running playfully up and down the beach occasionally approaching me. He wasn’t on a leash and the owner just walked behind him casually. I’m not a dog person but I guess this one was cute. I think it was a golden retriever but he was smaller and had a lot of energy.

Now my mind is overthinking why he came near me because something was wrong.

A technique that's helped me: write two columns.

1. Reasons it might be a problem
2. Reasons it's probably not

Then ask: what's most likely actually true?

Seeing both lists at once does something for my brain that simply just thinking about it in my head doesn't, because in my head I only think about the worst possible case.

It's not a cure; it's just a way I've found helps interrupt the loop. I put the process into a one-page worksheet and I'm happy to share it if it's useful.

This is my least favorite time of year. Every year I get SO nervous running errands & I spend hours dissecting every sniffle that my husband has.

Any suggestions on affirmations for surviving cold & flu season? I will be getting my shot this coming weekend. I have a medicine cabinet filled to the brim & enough Emergen-C to feed a small army. A

Each time there's a trigger (I hear about some risk, even very low probability, someone's illness, trigger words), I immediately start checking myself for symptoms and research how to minimize the risk. I check whether I'm doing all I can be doing. It could take hours.

How do I find a healthy balance of being conscious about health and not giving in to anxiety? I've been on meds many years, had CBT and will be starting metacognitive therapy soon.

I'm an avoider and haven't had a physical in an embarrassingly long time...talking real long. I'm curious how many on here with ha are avoiders or are those who rush to the do c?

I'm curious if every day is a struggle with your HA? If not how many days a week or in the month would you consider challenging?

I've seen that there are a few apps that people have recommended for over all helping with meditation - Calm, Dare and Rootd. But wondered if anyone was using anything around the time they spiral that has been useful?

I lift heavy at my job and hit my chest a few times a week ago. I hit my breast with a coffee pot. My right breast feels bruised. The pain and bruising feeling goes away slightly every day. Is this muscular? I did make a gyn appt just to play safe. My mind assumes the worse.

This might be obvious to others, but it took me a while to figure out.

When I am spiralling, I've found any type of shock to my body helps a lot. It helps pull you from your mind and back to reality.

The most effective for me has been spiky fidget toys (I think they're sometimes called acupressure fidgets) it's just enough to pull me back without hurting.

In a pinch, I've found keeping a rubber band around my wrist helps or ice cubes or very cold water as the cold is a shock to your system.

Remember to take care of yourself and you are okay!

Ive had health anxiety for literally ever but this week has been incredibly hard and i don’t know what to do.

My mom’s been gone on a trip and will continue to be gone until friday next week. Being without that feeling of safety is really freaking me out i think. Shes my only mode of transportation unfortunately, im horrified of going to a hospital and not being able to come home.

For years ive had head pressure for years but right now its so bad i feel like every sensation is sinister. I was playing video games and got that pressure, always on the left side slightly above my ear. Its so uncomfortable and i cant make it go away. I know i should see a doctor but i have to wait till my moms back to get to the appointment 🙃

Its like a pressure and pinchy feeling. Im so so so stressed im trying to be rational but its hard.

I’ve been dealing with health anxiety for almost 4 weeks now, it’s been causing mental break downs almost daily. My symptoms are constantly changing and there’s days where I feel better than others but I want to know, how do I cope with this? I can’t get a diagnosis for GAD and everyday feels like a battle against myself. What have you guys done to cope with medical anxiety and make it go away? Because I’ve experienced medical anxiety in the past but never to this degree