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.

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Anxiety Disorders
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My confession

RemembertoBreathe
RemembertoBreathe

Hi all -- I have been suffering for far too long and have always been a fly on the wall on various anxiety forums. It's time I get real with myself and confront what I am facing in order to give myself a chance to get better. I'm a 30 year old female. I have been suffering from panic disorder since I was 10 years old. Over the years with the invention of google I have spent countless hours searching symptoms relentlessly spirling my mind into the worst possible places. I have diagnosed myself with nearly every horrible life-altering illness at some point in my life. I have a long list of doctors and specialists that I have seen. I am on here to prove to myself that what I am facing is a result of extreme anxiety. I suffer from very real physical manifestations. Today my symptoms are that I have a weird fullness feeling in my eye and a general feeling of derealization that sent me onto google and then into researching strokes. I cannot do this any longer. I cannot spend my time, the hours upon hours that I can sit in front of my computer diagnosing myself and then trying to find evidence that I don't have some terrible disease. It is out of control. I have frustrated many of my loved ones with this compulsion and I need to change. I am here looking for support from a group of people who are like me. Because no one that I know has this problem and it feels very lonely. The funny thing is that I want to live so badly that I turn to google to try to find out what is going on, only to turn around and waste so much time on the internet and spend so much time worrying that I am dying that I'm not even enjoying the beautiful life I have. Is there help? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel from this? What the heck do I need to do to get better? Help, please!!  

Mark77
Mark77
You are not alone. I have been reading through these posts and we all spiral little things into worst-case scenarios. If you know you are like this, you should:
-stay away from self-diagnoses
-trust your doctors
-change your online focus (lately mine has been reading these posts)
-see a pscychologist or psychiatrist (I think this is my next step)

You are ok. You have no known physical illness. Statistics are in favor of you living a long life. I am not the best with sweet words, but I care about your sucess and you are not alone.
Huron123
Huron123
I hear you, I’m so done with feeling this way. I want to live life without this all consuming worry. Hopefully I’ll tame this beast in 2018. If I stumble across anything that works I’ll post it here.
Supermindgirl
Supermindgirl
Im crying reading your posts. I feel the same way you do
I struggle everyday with a new health concern, a pain, a feeeling, a rash... every little thing is enough to get me worried to create the worst case scenarios and go to the doctors. But I rationally know that people with anxiety have a different pain every day. I try to concentrate in that but it isn't enough to live a normal life. I need help too. Best luck for you. For us.
BlackButterfly23
BlackButterfly23
I am a 28 year old female who has been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks since I was 9, so I closely relate to your story. I feel exactly the way you do, I spend hours googling symptoms and start assessing my body since the moment I wake up till the moment I cry myself to sleep. The worst part is the loneliness and isolation that comes with it. Nobody seems to understand the horrible darkness we live in. I joined this group in the hopes of finding others like me.
BestmyTrying
BestmyTrying
I too am dealing with the same issues. I'm currently trying to convince myself not google my existing addiction. Every few months I diagnosis myself with deadliest diaease. I wish.it would all just go away. I no believe in doctors anymore. They say you're fine, but in reality that don't see what you see or feel what you feel. Sigh*
Whatifgirl
Whatifgirl
I too understand what you are going through as I do the same
I am so hyper aware if my body that i notice the slightest thing
Before i used to get relief from doctors now i feel as though they are missing something or dismiss me because of my anxiety
I sm currently beginning a new med and hope this is the key for me
I am not living i merely exist
invisablefriend
invisablefriend
It's like trying to walk in quicksand.
etcmsn
etcmsn
I'm new to this site and I really needed to read these posts today. I have always struggled with obsessing about my health but it has gotten worse over the last couple of years. I live in constant fear of something happening to me and not being here for my children. I'm always looking for something-a bump, a mole, anything that could signal a problem. This week I noticed one side of my collar bone is sticking out slightly more than the other. It may have always been like this but it led me on a downward spiral of googling lymph nodes, lymphoma, all kinds of things. I have been pressing on it so much I know i've made it worse, too. I feel so bad asking for constant reassurance from my family. They're great but it's always something with me. My rational brain knows this and yet I don't stop. I'm glad I'm not alone but I'm sad to be missing out on things and wasting so much time on the Internet.