Hypochondria Support Group
Hypochondria refers to excessive worry about having a serious illness. Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis.
Hi, I'm 20 years old and i have been dealing with a pretty intense Health Anxiety. I have gone through multiple fears but currently I'm terrified of contracting meningitis. There is always this commercial on TV thats scary about some boy who's at a party shares a drink with someone a spoon or fork with another and kisses some girl then ends up covered in sweat in his bathroom a couple hours later where his mom finds him as he's is rushed to the hospital with Meningitis B. It's a vaccine commercial, after watching this mutiple times on tv, my friend telling me she got vaccinated and then having a burning headache whie ago i did some research then let it be seeing it was very rare. This year my health anxiety got pretty bad when I contracted the flu, the first time i had ever felt so sick and had a fever consantly. Thats when my germ fear happened. Now After this commerical playing , remembering the past, taking a biopsych class In college that mentioned meningitis and remembering my friend say she got vacinnated with against the B strain its gotten vey scary. Let me mention that i went to get a tattoo a couple weeks ago, a very small one on my hip and thought i would get hep c and researched horror stories about tattoos, where i saw a young italian girl died a day after a tattoo. The article was from a while ago so i did some more research and dound of her autopsy and it was in a different langauge, italian, I ACTUALLY GOOGLE TRANSALETED IT and thats where it said that it was actual Meningitis that killed her, i believe this was a trigger amongst other things while I was relieved that the tattoo wasn't the cause since i had an appointment but , i started getting paranoid slighty and then increasingly. After seeing the meningits commericla AGAIN as a youtube ad. I made the MISTAKE of researching meningitis. I have learned way more than I want to know. Firstly, I Believe I was vaccinated in middle schools years, but I never recieved the booster or the one that protects against Meningitis B that you get before you leave for college, Since I do not live in a dorm. I read that it is most common up to 23 and in teens because we share things. and THAT 5-25 PERCENT OF people carry the virus without symptoms and never get sick BUT CAN STILL PASS IT TO OTHERS. I was happy at first because most of the risks other than age did not apply to me directly. but my boyfriend is in summer school currently in a dorm in san diego, I'm so scared. I am scared he may be carrying it and then give it to me, I saw him today when he came to visit. We did not kiss because I told him that I'm fearful, he knows I am this way because I was this way when I had the flu since he was the one that gave it to me. Today he sneezed right next to me, and spit a little and it landed on my lip. I went to bathroom and cleaned my lip with soap;. We were intimate today and close to eachothers faces but just did not kiss. He told me he doesn't share anything with anyone and he barely sees his roomates ever, and I know he has his own cups and plates that are paper and does not party. He does go to the gym all the time though and he does not wash his hands often. I KNOW I SOUND CRAZY, But I'm sitting here thinking since he sneezed around me and a spit flew on mouth while he said something to me today and i actually felt it land on my lips so it was a big dropelt and we were around eachothers faces i am going to get it cause he may one of these carriers. Now I feel like i have to wait for the next few days and see if im gonna get meningitis. The whole silent carrier thing is super scary. And it also did not help that I watched videos on survivors and them losing parts of their body and some dying and going deaf. PLEASE HELP ME STOP THESE THOUGHTS
I've had the meningitis worry too, only for me I was worried about various different types of meningitis. Fortunately the odds of something happening to you are slim. In fact seeing as you are worried about getting it from a tattoo or your boyfriend I'm even more certain you shouldn't have to really worry. Meningitis is not that common as the sensationalist media or google makes it seem. This is not to say it isn't out there, but it isn't something to seriously fret over. Can some people die and be affected? Yes. But don't sign your own death sentence and fortunately it's not amoebic or viral meningitis you're at risk of. I know you'll be tempted to look them up, but just don't. They're really not that interesting. I was worried about both of them and lost a shameful amount of time worrying about them (a month). Anyway how to clear your mind of these worries, since you already know the logical reasons why you shouldn't worry?
Well that's the million dollar question all us hypochondriacs have and very few seem to have a good answer to. My outlook is this. Hypochondria is an irrational problem, as you well know, and therefore cannot always be treated with a rational response. "Statistically speaking you should be fine," provides no relief. Multiple doctors telling you, "you are fine" after various tests and examinations also provides hardly any relief. So what to do? Fight emotions with emotions. Find people you like and spend time with them. Try to laugh at anything even utter nonsense. Play catch with someone or any game. Have fun. What not to do? Do not be alone unless you have something to do because as I am sure you know, free alone time can wreak havoc on the worrying mind. Right now I am in my own anxiety-hell. I bumped my head last night. It was a tiny bump and I've been examined for numerous harder bumps where I was told that nothing was wrong with me. Anyway because I felt I was at risk of a concussion I decided to rest this entire Saturday. No electronics, reading, going out, or company of any kind... I'm falling apart, which is why I am on the site. The moral of the story: be active, go out for a run, make some phone calls, go out with friends, spend time with your family, just be busy. Something I didn't, but should have done today.
But, I AM busy and am still worrying you might say. Well, here is where you need to develop a goal. Something to strive for or fight for. Something bigger than yourself maybe. I have toxiphobia (worried about toxin exposure or of being poisoned), so I've been fretting over numerous household items and chemicals. Things like house dust and what's in it, carbon monoxide, ingredients in personal care products, etc. etc. etc. Currently it's Listerine. I may have swallowed a tiny amount (far less than what Listerine or Poison Control says is dangerous), but am still worried. So what goal have I set up for myself when dealing with all these worries. Writing a satire on the chemical industry/pollution in America. I'm passionate about these issues and even though this strategy doesn't always works it can be very helpful. Find a passion of yours and pursue it, or turn your fear into something productive or useful.
Anyway, I've been struggling with crippling insomnia so I am not feeling remotely close to being sharp or alert, but I hope what I've written can provide you with some help.
Best of Luck.