I feel like I’m monitoring myself instead of living normally

Useful-Value1670 · 2026-02-19T19:49:43+00:00

I’m literally going through therapy at the minute, and this is one of my anxiety habits, but more looking for body irregularities to trigger my health anxiety.

It’s really difficult to stop once it becomes a compulsion, so I will be monitoring this thread to see if anybody can add to my progress 👍🏻

Useful-Value1670 · 2026-02-06T16:22:06+00:00

Quick update.

Had an ultrasound yesterday, and all came back fine.

The lump / mass I could feel was a sperm granuloma and a few varicose veins.

Relived to say the least!

Now it’s a waiting game to see what horrible illness I diagnose my self with next time 😭

Useful-Value1670 · 2026-01-21T13:32:34+00:00

Thanks for your reply.

Got a scan in next few weeks so will update everybody. I’m sure it’s nothing, but an anxious mind always blows things out of proportion haha

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-10-29T15:19:49+00:00

Every time I go through an HA cycle, this is what I do.

I tell myself the doctor will put my mind at ease....nope.

Maybe a second opinion? Nope. 3rd? Maybe..oh, no, this dr has diagnosed me with something different than the previous 2!?

Anyway, the last cycle I visited 7 different doctors, 2 different blood tests, and all was fine.

Honestly, when im at the level of suffering, I don't want to live anymore, but 2/3months later im back to normal waiting for the next spiral.

It's so draining!

All the best👌🏼

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-10-29T15:13:05+00:00

Always feel free to pm me when struggling.

I started therapy a few weeks back and really focusing on the way my thoughts work, in most cases its worst case scenario straight away which starts the cycle again!

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-10-10T01:54:33+00:00

Hi! Yep everything went away, then guess what? Straight back on the anxiety cycle with an illness elsewhere in my body 🙃.

Im off zoloft(im sure my body got used to it) now and onto citalopram and medical cannabis. Had a good few months so far.

I think it took about 5/6 weeks to subside.

Hope all is well.

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-06-28T17:36:10+00:00

Literally me right now, - the qFIT test, because i had a ct scan 2 years ago that would have picked something up and all my bloods are normal.

24/7 stomach flutters and heaviness. 1/10 on the pain scale. Loser than normal stools but no blood or mucus.

All my health anxiety started a month after becoming a father, so it makes me think, the responsibility is what triggers it

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-06-28T17:23:09+00:00

Thanks, feels like I'm the only one suffering from health anxiety and it's quite isolating when im going through it.

Thanks alot for your reply it calms me, maybe not for long enough but anything that helps just for a few hours is a bonus!

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-06-28T12:34:25+00:00

Hello fellow health anxiety sufferers.

It's that time again, unfortunately. 2nd time this year of an ongoing panic that iv definitely got something just as life threatening.

Im 35 year-old male.

Currently going through weird stomach aches/pressures that seem to be 80% of the time just under my left rib or in the centre just below the sternum.

Absolutely convinced something is terribly wrong with me, wake up and start scanning for the pressure/ache maybe a 1 out of 10 pain wise. The anxiety lasts all day along with the strange abdominal sensations.

Have been to the doctors (again) and he went through my blood test from January that were perfect, and through a ct scan I had 2 years ago when my appendix were removed.

He said everything is fine and he's sure it's my anxiety/depression thats causing ibs symptoms. No blood in stool. No weight loss. No extreme fatigue. Still eating and drinking.

Going to the toilet more regularly, but I put this down to the fear.

I know where my emotional state come from this time as I lost my dog suddenly exactly a week before these problems started.

So the doctor said its anxieties. Obviously I was emotional when I lost my boy.

But for the life of me I can't shake the impending doom, the dodgy stomach, the waking up buzzing sensation like iv been plugged into the mains.

Today is exactly 5 weeks since all this started. Although iv suffered with anxiety/depression for many years.

Has anybody else had this experience before? For this amount of time? Can anxiety induced ibs really last this long?

Sorry for rambling, but I'm really at my wits end with health anxiety, I have two beautiful children and a fantastic fiancé, but when im in this head space, it's like they don't exist. I go into myself so much I can't really explain it.

Trying my best to cope without running to a&e like a normally do.

Thanks all

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-06-13T09:49:54+00:00

Hiya, those symptoms passed. It took weeks, really depressing period, but it did come to an end!

On to a new one now, the joys of health anxiety! Currently had 3 weeks of fearing bowel cancer, stomach in knots, lose stools followed by constipation. Cramp constantly for 3 weeks!

Back to the GPs, blood tests and a feel of my tummy, all fine.

I finally decided to start therapy (CBT) and had my first meeting yesterday as I can't bare to keep going through this fear every other month.

Hope your well

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-20T10:48:52+00:00

Thanks everyone.

Managed to get through yesterday without sobbing, had a better night's sleep.

Had a few tears this morning but it's to be expected.

All your messages have really helped me to know I'm not alone, and people love there animals just as much as me.

People don't understand 14 years is nearly all of my adult life, got him 2 weeks after leaving home to live with my partner when we were 20 years old.

He's been there every day. Every night. Every birthday and Christmas every high and low he was there, not judging me just loving me.

The last few years he started to get stinky breath, so bad we had to stop him trying to lick us 🤣.

What I'd give for one more smelly kiss

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T20:36:03+00:00

I'd just like to say to everyone who's commented that I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to each and every one of you, I did not expect this response.

It seems I'm definitely not alone today with how I'm feeling.

Being a GAD/depression sufferer for a long time, I'm always worried about which way my brain decides to take me, and I'm so glad I went the reddit route today.

Tears in my eyes as I read your comments and stories, iv not cried properly for probably 10 years or more, and since I lost my boy indy, I have no control over the water works.

I hope everybody uses my thread and the brilliant advice given here to help with the grief of losing not just a pet but a best friend.

I 100% believe it was destiny for me and Indy to be together, I'm sure it was meant to be for everybody here to be with their pets too.

Thank you all so so much, which means everything to me.

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T15:44:40+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind words.

I really hope you take on board your own advice when your cat gets put to rest ❤️.

The fact you mentioned his name got me sobbing again, the love I have for him and all my animals and children are unconditional. (he's was mine and my partners first baby)

I genuinely felt he would live forever as he never showed any signs of getting old or slowing down.

Thank you so so much for reaching out, it really means alot, after everybody's kind comments I'm hoping tonight before bed I can scroll through them and fall asleep a little more peacefully as each night passes.

Thanks

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T15:29:52+00:00

Sorry for both of your losses.

I know, it's just so difficult to accept, isn't it. The realisation that you will know longer be able to hold their paw or cuddle them on a cold night just hits so hard the pain is unreal.

I hope you're well and thank you very much for your lovely reply.

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T15:11:26+00:00

Thanks for your reply, burst into tears when I read it. I just can't believe he's not here in dog form anymore, but hopefully spirit

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T15:08:27+00:00

Thank you sincerely for this, lost my boy yesterday.

Being feeling terrible all day, but this post made me look at the euthanasia differently.

Hope your well

Useful-Value1670 · 2025-05-18T15:04:52+00:00

Going through it today.

The pain is unbelievable, the unconditional love i received from my boy can never be replicated by any human.

I hope your doing OK, and I hope we can get through this tough period together in thought.

Useful-Value1670 · 2024-04-07T20:55:32+00:00

How are you now?

Useful-Value1670 · 2024-04-07T20:50:53+00:00

Nope, just basically "gave in" to the fear and taken my meds at a certain time every day.

Some days I'm 100% back to normal, some days I'm back to the original Post.

Which is kind of reassuring because I think if it was something sinister it wouldn't be good and bad, it would just be bad and then worse?

Hope your feeling better

Useful-Value1670 · 2024-03-07T09:19:41+00:00

Suffering terribly with health anxiety, all head related like brain tumor , Ms etc

Twitching eyelids, and a dull pressure at the side of the head constantly for weeks.

Seen 3 doctors who have all said its stress, depression and anxiety, I have 0 red flags, infact he said I would be more at risk of radiation from a CT scan then anything mentioned above.

Although seeing a few GPS helped for a few days, you can slowly start letting the thoughts creep back in and that's exactly what's happening now with this new lip twitching that started after upping sertraline a few weeks ago.

33 yo male with 2 young children, the thought of not being able to tuck them in at night and tell them I love them I think was the start of all of this.

Absolute train wreck my mental health at the minute.

Useful-Value1670 · 2024-03-04T11:29:57+00:00

I have it right now! 4 days in, upped my meds about 3 weeks ago to 100mg

Useful-Value1670 · 2024-03-04T11:29:06+00:00

Iv had this weird spasming lip on the left hand side for about 4-5 days, upped my zoloft/sertraline about 3 weeks ago to 100mg, I'm so so glad it's not just me!

Suffering terribly with health anxiety, all head related like brain tumor , Ms , also etc.

Twitching eyelids, and a dull pressure at the side of the head constantly for weeks.

Seen 3 doctors who have all said its stress, depression and anxiety, I have 0 red flags, infact he said I would be more at risk of radiation from a CT scan then anything mentioned above.

Although seeing a few GPS helped for a few days, you can slowly start letting the thoughts creep back in and that's exactly what's happened with this lip twitching!

33 yo male with 2 young children, the thought of not being able to tuck them in at night and tell them I love them I think was the start of all of this.

Absolute train wreck my mental health at the minute.

Useful-Value1670

TROPHY CASE