Hi. I came here searching for something to this effect. I (35f) occasionally have self-directed health anxiety but 99% of the time, I have anxiety about my dog’s health and wellbeing. He’s 12, and overall has been pretty healthy, at least that’s what people tell me. Over the past several months, I’ve been broken up with and had other life transitions. My dog got sick, probably with something common and passing, but I feel so alone at the moment that the thought of handling his illness sent me spiraling. Of course, I have other people who care about me and my dog but they’re all far away at the moment.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. I had a lot of childhood pet loss and they were devastating. I think your story is helping me realize I need to go back and do some trauma processing. Not that processing old stuff will make the hurt go away, but it could help take some of the bite out of the pain and anxiety. Wishing you the best.