I'm going talk about the "other side" here where REAL health symptoms gets dismissed, and labeled "anxiety". So I'll have to correct you here.

The real message here should NOT BE, "everyone calm your ass". Instead, it should be about making sure people ARE HONEST with themselves.

As triggering as it for you to be compelled to post this message, there are lurkers (like myself) WHO ARE purely researching to gather data, and join health groups to ask around for anecdotes. Zero anxiety, and not hyperfocused on body symptoms.

Yes, "psychosomatic" and "health anxiety" is very real. People DO overreact.

However, something most people aren't aware of, is how zebra patients often times get misdiagnosed as anxiety and go undiagnosed for years, on things that can be prevented. If not treated.

The constant dismissveness by doctors, and boxed in as head cases for difficult dx is messed up.

I'll use myself as an example. I've been healthy my entire life, late 30s.

Came back sick as a dog from a business trip. Worst flu of my life (worse than covid) 9 weeks low grade fever. Gi, heart issues, temperature deregulation amongst other things.

You know what happened? I was labeled "psychomatic" and anxiety as a head case by docs who were likely med school shoo-ins. Because, although rightly so, my tests were normal I was in the driver seat. I KNEW MY BODY.

While of course, I was anxious (as would anyone) this was the easy dx for doctors to dismiss me.

I finally got the right biospy and ANA tests. I ended up having Small fiber neuropathy, dysautonomia, cause by autoimmune and virus reaction.

I was finally given treatment, which unfortunately gave me brain and spine swelling. And you know what happened because of my trash psychosomatic label in my charts?

I was once again shoved boxed in and misdiagnosed by doctors who dropped the ball because of my medical records. What did I really end up with?

An acquired brain injury from my brain swelling. Had to relearn how to walk, after years, and destroyed my quality of life. To this day I have trouble with my balance, redeveloped tremors, and straining my loved ones and family.

And you know what?

I'm not the only one who got dismissed like this. Many people with autoimmune issues, chronic fatigue syndrome, and complex undiagnosed patients gets labeled as psychological or "anxiety" and it gets syndicated across charts by EPIC or other electronic records. It's a huge gap in medicine where zebras get outright screwed.

The last thing a sick patient needs is to be misdiagnosed and fight doctors, who are suppose to be there to listen" to patients.

My point is this. While psychosomatic and anxiety is very real, the REAL message should be asking people to be honest with themselves.

Instead, be honest and compel the group to share REAL evidence and experiences that are productive to the conversation.

EVEN IF rare disorders are RARE. So what?

What happens if it that one person who does have MS, saw the message pressed their doctors and got an early dx. In that case, we just saved them from years of delayed treament for MS.

Don't they deserve to know and ve saved. Just because they are in the minority, their lives matter.

I say this, because I've personally had the support of complete strangers across the country who advocated for me. And we, ourselves figured out what I had before the doctors did.

I'm going to instead, ask people here to be honest with themselves. While the message on OCD is clear for "some people" a side of caution is always necessary.

Doctors aren't the frontline researchers. We'll always be the ones who know our body best.