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Anybody out there with health ANXIETY


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I am paralysed by health anxiety. Anybody here on BB who got over it .What mental tricks helped you beat it .This particular symptom is holding my healing .

 

 

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I think the vast majority of folks on here have/had health anxiety at some level.

Anxiety is a major benzo W/D symptom.

And let's face it, it's very difficult to get your arms around the fact that all of these symptoms we are having can possibly be caused by benzo w/d!! Nearly all of us feel at some point that it's just not possible...

and that's when the fear sets in.  It has to be a brain tumor.  Or MS.  (and many of us have had physicians suggesting these things are true because they don't understand benzo w/d!)

we have test after test -  read it on here.  All of them negative.

And we have more tests...because we can't believe it's the benzos.  Surely the drs would know, right?

but at some point, most of us "get it". It's the benzo w/d.  And at some level, we finally accept it and the anxiety lessens.

 

Reading the  stories on here, especially healing ones will help you embrace it perhaps....

sometimes too much reading can heighten your fears ("will it ever go away"??)...

it's a balance....

meditation, breathing exercises, warm baths, calming music...anything that helps your anxiety...

just read what others have tried...

manage your anxiety as well as you can like any type of anxiety

and hang on...

 

this will pass

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Got the critical systems tested, and rely on those facts.

That's about the best that you can do.

 

I totally agree.  I've been obsessing about my health for months now.  I'm going to get a through physical with blood work and all.  I don't want to worry anymore, health anxiety can really hold us back.

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I think the vast majority of folks on here have/had health anxiety at some level.

Anxiety is a major benzo W/D symptom.

And let's face it, it's very difficult to get your arms around the fact that all of these symptoms we are having can possibly be caused by benzo w/d!! Nearly all of us feel at some point that it's just not possible...

and that's when the fear sets in.  It has to be a brain tumor.  Or MS.  (and many of us have had physicians suggesting these things are true because they don't understand benzo w/d!)

we have test after test -  read it on here.  All of them negative.

And we have more tests...because we can't believe it's the benzos.  Surely the drs would know, right?

but at some point, most of us "get it". It's the benzo w/d.  And at some level, we finally accept it and the anxiety lessens.

 

Reading the  stories on here, especially healing ones will help you embrace it perhaps....

sometimes too much reading can heighten your fears ("will it ever go away"??)...

it's a balance....

meditation, breathing exercises, warm baths, calming music...anything that helps your anxiety...

just read what others have tried...

manage your anxiety as well as you can like any type of anxiety

and hang on...

 

this will pass

 

 

This describes my situation as well. I have almost "get it" after several negtaive tests but still sometimes health anxiety hits. Well, I do not go to see doctors anymore but take day by day by doing all kind of relaxing things. ToughNights' list is good and if I should add something I say that going out with family, friends etc for lunch, walk etc is something I prefer. Those who have capasity working should test it as I think it would work as a good distraction. Testing work is in my list.

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Thomas66 suggestion about going out, getting involved is a good one. In fact it's TERRIFIC!

 

At some point most of us just want to hide away and that just makes the health anxiety explode.  We are paralyzed by it.  But on the other hand, that fear makes us want to stay in our room and search the internet for symptoms, etc. 

Get out. Even if you feel like crap.  Get out.  Best with other people even if you have to FORCE yourself to do it.  First of all, it makes you minimize your pain/symptoms/whatever.  It distracts you from it.  Even if it's for 10 minutes.  It lifts the burden.  It doesnt cure it, nor take it away.  But it does help.

 

Anything you can do to "un-focus" on the worry and constant, endless rumination.

 

I DO encourage major things to be tested if it drags on.

 

On the other hand, at some point, all of these symptoms are so much the same that having the testing sometimes adds to the fear (going through it), or we dismiss it after we get negative results...so use your best judgement.

 

I still have residual dizziness and some mild vertigo.  Had a small bout with vertigo (couple of days) several years ago (pre-benzo).  Never had it again...until now. I have read over and over that the benzo's hit us in our "areas of weakness" in a big way.  Mine did.  Places of previous injuries, etc. So I know in my own mind that this is just benzo w/d hanging on. Some days I don't notice it.  Somedays it's a little worse.  I could "awfulize it" and run out and have tests ...but I know it's w/d. 

 

But once in a while, maybe at night, that LITTLE BIT OF DOUBT creeps in...and it panics me.

Ugh.

 

Just do your best to distract, to get outside, to talk with family...pretend it's not there and sometimes it disappears or minimizes.  It will pass...

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Hi ToughNights, it seems that we are in similar situation as I feel the same what you wrote. I have also noticed that being distracted fades symptoms away almost 100% but going back to internet increases them once again.
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This is a very, very, very common side effect of tapering/withdrawal.  Withdrawing from these drugs causes so many bizarre side effects, that we often think the worst when it comes to health.  During my taper and withdrawal, I thought I had:

 

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Esphogeal Cancer

Heart Disease

Clinodactyly (I INSISTED my fingers were getting crooked)

Muscular Sclerosis

Lung Cancer

Brain Damage

 

I'm probably forgetting a few, but you get the idea.  Forced my doctor to test for all, all negative.  Try to take things you read on the internet with a grain of salt!

 

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YES DEAR GOD!

I thought I was the ONLY ONE.

I became a hypochondriac the second I detoxed. I was never worried about my health prior to detoxing.

Effin' benzos!

 

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Oh yes, I used Dr. Google incessantly and found many conditions that I might/should/must have.  I also had quite a lot of medical tests done. Some of these were done when I was in tolerance and no one knew (including myself) why I was so sick. Some happened after I finished my taper just to rule out underlying causes.  While I didn't like some of the tests ( speaking mildly), at least my mind was set to rest knowing that outside of benzo withdrawal that I was a healthy person.

 

The best thing I did was to forbid myself from using Dr. Google. That helped the most.  Staying distracted was also key for me.

 

pianogirl  :smitten:

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If you call referring to doctor google 2-3 hours a day health anxiety. Theeeeeen YUP !

 

I’ve read more about brain tumours, MS and ALS then any lay person should.

 

Plus all the human stories I’ve read on ALS...no wonder I’m so messed up right now.

 

I got the HA. I got it baaaaad doc. I got it real bad.

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I've had it too - I just made up my mind it's bs.  >:(

remember back when you were having the Occipital stuff (cervicogenic pain) - you thought it was something more...

and now it's nearly gone...

same with these off and on pains all over. 

It's the benzo's.  You can stop reading the Dr Google stuff...I'd try focusing on info on how to get your glutamate down and the GABA up (but not take GABA supps - they seem to cause more probs).

 

I firmly believe the glutamate stuff is the issue (from a scientific point of view)

and we'll have to wait it out while the GABA receptors totally heal

and do whatever else we can  not to enhance that glutamate or cause it to get revved up...

 

that has become good research for  me

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Not only have I been experiencing health anxiety about myself and my human loved ones, I've been experiencing pet health anxiety. I'm deathly afraid my 100% inside kitty cat is going to get outside and something bad is going to happen to her. It's such an upsetting thing. My partner has been very accommodating, thank goodness. Here's to much continued healing for all of us. <3
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Thanks everyone for responding .It is comforting to know I was not alone .Please do keep us all updated with all the methods you are applying to keep your self anxiety free .
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Oh yes White Swan , the ole health anxiety can be crippling. I seem to have this obsession about dying at the moment. It's crazy stuff.. I am a year out now from my last benzo and really have to work hard on my 'mind games' self talk is really important too. Mostly I get the waves of HA at night .. then I'm tough on myself because I think I should be 'better' ! Sometimes I can laugh at myself but other times not so easy. I'm still bothered by random vertigo and dizziness and insomnia .. I get out walking every day , even when I think I'm going to collapse.. ! Feels so stupid writing that , but it's how I feel at times. I know it will pass. It's about waiting it out patiently , but also not letting life go by UN lived. We'll get there with the support of each other.. x
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I just got health anxiety back after many months without it.

I have what I think is called air hunger and some shortness of breath so am now convinced I have major problems like copd or worse, stopped me from sleeping last night and now today I am worse.

All this at 14 months off.

 

2trusting

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I have what I think is the worst case of health anxiety; I could go on for hours about it but it got to a point where it became an obsession and only made me feel worse than whatever I was worried about that moment ever could. I gave in and went to a psychiatrist, 6 weeks after I can say I am better; but if you can hold on and function, just try to let time pass, it's the best healer. Also another thing that helps is repeating a quote I read online: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end"
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OMG. This has been the number one thing that has killed me about being in protracted WD. Things I have worried about: heart problems, blood clots, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, brain and head tumours, diabetes, blindness/vision damage.. a weird preoccupation with swallowing and associated issues.

 

My current low key worry is bowel cancer etc - because I have benzo belly. Sigh!!

 

The main thing is DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO GOOGLE ANYTHING. And. For me it has really started waning - it was like one day my stress response just started to die down slowly. The best thing to do is to think of it as purely a symptom because it is. It WILL pass.

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My anxiety is pretty constant, all-day. It's turned into a combination of fear, uncontrollable thoughts and this over-awareness/hyper-vigilance that I can't seem to shut down. It ALWAYS gets worse at night. I don't even think it's just about distraction being difficult at night, it feels like it gets worse on an almost chemical level.
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2trsting, I am exactly the same, the air hunger has me gotten worse than ever, I am also convinced it’s copd or bronchietasis. Hopefully it is just health anxiety and it fades over time; the good news is that it’s quite common, so we should just hang on with the hope that we are in the majority in that it fades over time.
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