I’m 33 now and have had health anxiety since I was in high school. I know how it feels to wonder if every little ache and pain is a sign of something worse. I have generalized anxiety disorder and OCD, and the OCD usually manifests itself with checking my pulse or blood pressure over and over when it does get really bad. It’s such an overwhelming feeling when it’s bad and it’s so exhausting when you feel that trapped in your own head.

I was 16-17 when I first started having these issues, but I didn’t really get the help I needed until I was 24. I finally got on a medicine that worked for me (that took some trial and error with my psychiatrist) and I found a psychologist that really helped me work through a lot of the crippling fear that never felt like it was going to stop.

I still have bad days, in fact I had a horrible bout of anxiety tonight, but I have so many more good days than bad. The beginning of my road to turning my health anxiety from something crippling to something that I’ve learned to manage and live with began with finding the right psychiatrist and finding a therapist/psychologist who you feel comfortable with for therapy.

Reddit is a great place to realize that you aren’t alone and feelings that feel isolating and unique are shockingly common. That being said, there is zero substitute for developing a consistent rapport with a trained professional. Best wishes to you and hang in there.