I constantly thought i had heart issues. And that I'd ddie from a heart attack. Saw many doctors whom ruled that all was good. Now i keep thinking about having cancer. I'm tired of worrying about my health about dying and worrying about something happening to my kids. I want to feel normal again. It's been years if suffering. God give me and does suffering the strength to keep fighting. Amen
Same...initially it was heart, now its kidneys because my creatinine is a bit up. Thinking about the kids make it worse. I try to seek re-assurances which make it worse because nothing is certain. 4 years since fighting health anxiety.
Yeah I have the same issue. I have had a couple of anxiety/panic attacks and thought that I was having a heart attack. I’m constantly checking my pulse even though im healthy. It’s affecting my enjoyment of traveling, and going out. Good luck to you all with your battles! I start therapy next week 🤞
I'm suffering for more than a decade. All started after marriage with a narcissist.. Never ending misery. Now in emergency again. Fear of heart issues and regular panic attacks. The result comes normal.
I don't know if this will help at all... While I wouldn't say I'm anxiety free and back to my old self, the anxiety I have doesn't rule my life anymore. When I get a frightening thought where in the past I would spiral and obsess I now just shrug my shoulders and it moves into the background. I recognise what my lizard brain is doing and why (it's trying to keep me safe) and I tell myself stop and immediately force my thoughts back to what I was doing. I've stopped fighting it. It's like by accepting it and moving on my brain doesn't feel the need to go into fight /flight and I feel way calmer. I've also been looking at my life and thinking all the time of how best to live it so that if I _were_ on my death bed, I would feel okay about it, and I think that helps too. Just consciously accepting that death is inevitable, that obsessing over illness won't keep me safe, that if it happens it happens, `I can't control for it, and that it's the moments in between birth and death that count and that I need to spend those moments actively making things easier for the people around me, if nothing else. That might not help at all and I'm sorry if it doesn't. I know how unbearable it is and am sending you and everyone else here all good wishes and pray everything gets easier for you.
Im becoming more spiritual, we are all here because we fear death. If you can face your fear you slowly become at ease and learn to live with the little anxiety demon.
@@McflirtsOnly Jesus can help us , He is the Way the Truth and the Life ❤✝️ He gives eternal life and unconditional love to those who seek Him and repent of their sins I'm sharing this because He saved my life too. Life will continue to be one of suffering in this toxic world but with Him we already won over this battle
I can't stop thinking about death that I'm not enjoying my life I can't stand it why can't I stop thinking about it . All I hear from prior is "You can't control it, don't think about it" I'm saying I wish I can stop. My trigger was realizing I'm approaching my mid 40s and over half my life is done.
I always thought I was the only one who obsessed with their health-- it consumes me that you really are not able to live life because of all the worrying about how you are feeling and what disease you may have or not have.
I almost cried watching this because I’ve never had anyone say out loud exactly how i felt. I’ve been this way since I was a kid and it’s so debilitating. Lately I’ve had recurrent headaches so I’m feeling as panicked ever and my life has been put on hold.
Damn I feel silly for thinking I was the only one...this is such a brilliant and validating video and spells out my experience over the past 5 years of my life perfectly. Have had an uptick recently. This video saved me from a lot of suffering.
Just starting to experience this at 27. Never thought anything like this was real. It’s been two months now but I’m getting better because once I find a problem then I can find a solution. I just didn’t know what it was at first.
I am in tears because this is exactly what i have been going thru last 2 years. No one understands this!!! People tell me to take pills. Thats it. I want to be understood and explaoned to why this is happening. Thank you thank you for showing me i am not losing my mind.
I am also suffering from health anxiety since 2019 i was 14 at that time and now 19 and this anxiety stuff keep coming and going 🥲 and I don't know what to do i was only 14 and i used to think that I am a kid and i am suffering from anxiety but GOD is with me i believe him he has been helping me and will keep helping me IN SHA ALLAH and i pray that may ALLAH give happiness and health and amazing life to me and to all of you suffering from anxiety Ameen
Im currently suffering from health anxiety and i am convinced that i know why. I recently lost my grandmother who was really closed to me to heart attack and the symptoms she showed prior to the attack were pretty normal like pain in her left arm and neck. She was convinced that she doesn't feel pain in her chest. So now i have sort of developed this fear that any pain in my left arm or neck equals to me getting a heart attack. I have done all my tests and all have come normal. I have also sought professional help and im trying online CBT to get relieved from this feelings.
Explained perfectly. Having to constantly get reassurance even though you got it an hour ago. You get to a point where you feel so exhausted from worrying you just give up
I experience the same thing. I get reassurance from doctors and medical tests, but the reassurance quickly wear off and I start the whole cycle again. It is ruining my life.
Dr Nader this is fantastic you really hit the nail on the head regarding the trigger and a switch. After losing my wife to cancer I have experienced incredible health anxiety. Thank you for this post.
Here's the problem though: All we hear online, on the news, in magazines etc. is this: If you have a symptom, go to the doctor right away! I have symptoms everyday. I'd basically live at the doctors office. I have read countless stories of people who had symptoms and their doctors brushed them off, and they found out later it was cancer. My friend just recently found out she had stage 4 colon cancer in January. She just passed away less than a month ago, just five months after her diagnosis. This was so traumatizing for me. I keep thinking is this going to happen to me??
I think, especially after a certain age, it is fine to keep track of one's health and do yearly exams etc. I get yearly exams for diabetes (on both sides of my family), breast cancer (mammography) and colon cancer (FIT test). I once started feeling very tired and getting jitteriness etc. This went on for a while and then I went to see my family doctor who ran blood tests. My calcium and parathyroid hormone were off. This led to tests which led to me getting an operation to removing a tumour on my parathyroid gland (benign). Since then, I have been feeling much better and my blood tests are normal. If I had just ignored the symptoms and brushed them off, it could have led to serious consequences in terms of my kidneys or other organs. I think there is a fine line to walk between being health conscious and responsible and being obsessed and overly anxious. Personally, I feel that Dr. Nader goes too far in the direction of ignoring your symptoms. I have heard other therapists on RU-vid videos discussing this fine line, and I think it's more realistic and helpful. I am sorry for the loss of your friend.
Psychedelic shrooms healed me. I can't really explain it but my experience has been eye opening and spiritual. Also I micro dosed it really help me get rid of PTSD, ADHD, BPD, anxiety and depression, and breaks addiction (dr_diosmel ) he really helped me, he deliver quickly too.... Sending love ❤️
Yea, the thing about anxiety is that it has good reason to exist. Life has problems, life has serious threats. Stuff can hurt or kill you. So how do we calibrate the “correct amount” of anxiety to life? Hard question to answer.
Watching this video with a soreness on one side of my throat, after poking it, after a doctor visit, and after dr google diagnosed cancer.. what a perfect example for me today lol. off to watch the other videos!
It's really bad this week since I've been dealing with some dizziness, I basically think I'm dying every day and have multiple anxiety attacks. Thankfully I have a doctors appointment on monday and hopefully nothing bad turns up. THinking about starting therapy
I had AML Leukemia when I was 15 and just had a random sepsis infection last year at 28. I feel I'm pretty much ruined for life because I can't be convinced it won't come back or something equally as bad is going to happen. But regularly practicing these things helps.
I am 27.I feel like dying everyday . One day i felt like i had an heart attack another day stroke, another day cancer ,etc ... My google search history has always been filled with various diseases, symptoms &and life expectancy of various diseases 😢 . Thank you for this video 🙏
Spot on! I have suffered from health anxiety all of my life. I logically understand where it started- I had Polio as a small child with all the attendant medical intervention. Then my mother developed cancer and died when I was a young woman. This video explains so clearly what is happening. I look forward to the next one to learn techniques to manage my anxiety better.
I have this also, it's terrible,I feel like I am going to die from throat issues, etc,.I needed to hear this video ,its helping me alot, thank you for this.
I didn't have to be called out like this doc 😂 this was waaay too accurate! The part about the "unhelpful rules" shocked me. I realized that I made a subconscious rule that any bumps on my body could only mean the c-word and that's why I'm always terrifiiieed of feeling or seeing anything bumpy anywhere, even some swelling! Seriously amazing video. One of the best that I've seen
My health anxiety started when I got Covid in 2020 when it was new and nobody had any idea how to treat it and the news kept showing deaths , prior to that I might have had anxiety but having Covid triggered panic attacks and health anxiety ,so it was a traumatic event that started my health anxiety 😢for two years after Covid I had debilitating anxiety , and panic disorder I finally when to a psychiatrist and started SSRI (sertraline) and Cognitive Behavior therapy and it was a light switch and my whole mood changed immediately, 2 years later i have been off the medication for over a year and I feel like I’m back to my old self, although I still experience anxiety and mild panic I now know how to deal with them , and and not let it stop me from living my life .
Wow.... Same thing happened to me, but I am still experiencing debilitating anxiety. I did seek help, but I refused to take meds. So I am still suffering almost 3 years later. 😢
@@kaydlc11 I was scared to take medication in the beginning as well , because I thought I felt like I was going crazy , but it helped me so much honestly and it wasn’t forever I stopped 8 months after and I was back to my normal self , if your suffering 3 years after then I might consider medication , you are wasting your time and life being in fear is not the way to go , you need to live your life without fear , talk to your doctor and tell them if medication is right for you , it’s scary in the beginning the side effects can be scary but they go away eventually , just don’t stay on them too long , start to change your behavior and make an effort to change your way of thinking , good luck !
@@kaydlc11 yes I’m the same , I was offered meds and have the added fear of taking medication, having something that will change how I feel, in case they cause further sensations . 😞
Considering all the attention and trauma and toxic communications going around in the early days of covid, that makes total sense. Glad you found some relief.
Im a seasoned Christian whos struggling with this beast of a demon and even though i feel undesired fear and anxiety i believe christ will give me the victory 🙌
I have struggled with health anxiety all of my life. It has been very bad over the course of 5 months. This video is wonderful as it spells out exactly how I think and behave. Thank you for the wonderful video.
Mine are muscle tensions pains my mind spins, fears of worst case scenarios, fears of neuromuscular problems resulting in worries, palpitations, neuropathy etc. inspite of doctor visits. Everyday is a challenge and life is no longer normal. Thanks doc.
Been in this trap for 8 years. Its from one body part to another. Im soooo tired of NOT living. Now i have pins and needles for the past 5 months 😢 checking for MS
As family and friends around you pass on, there are days of anxiety and some of gratitude. I’m 64 now and because of three siblings dying younger then me I pay attention to every new sensation with concern /almost fear. I always feel like I’m running out of time and that time is a scam. My dentist even told me that my teeth are getting more sensitive with age.
Im sorry to hear that brother. I hope you can find a way to achieve peace in your life. I always like to believe with taking extra care of ourselves we can live to be 100.
I had a bad vertigo 4 years ago, but it had passed. Last year my father died and since then I became very concerned about my vertigo. I felt somewhat dizzy a few times this year and that was the trigger that made me concerned about my vertigo and that it would return in such a severe manner. Now I'm totally terrified that I will become dizzy again. The doctors said it was nothing dangerous, but I'm still very scared. I also have panic disorder and it has worsened since my father died. He was abusive and I had no contact with him for12 years,i don't even know what he died from. My psychiatrist gave me some new pills and i'm coping somewhat better now. I hope it will pass because it's really annoying. Thank you for this insightfull video, you are a great psychologist.
This video made me feel so seen (and a little creeped out because of how accurate everything was). I have lost a few family members to medical issues, the most recent being my dad when I was 18. I'm 20 now and its still so hard. I'm not really in a stable enough financial place to reach out for psychological help. I've always had intrusive thoughts but after dad passed every little thing makes me insanely paranoid, especially when it comes to my mom's health. We just had our regular health checkup and doctor said almost everything is fine and I still can't help fixating on the things that could have happened or what if he somehow missed something. I hope getting a good therapist (when I can afford to do so ) will help. The comment section and the video itself made me feel a little less alone with these struggles. :)
I've been strugling with health anxiety since i was 11 i am 17 rn it went away for some time but it eventually came back. My health anxiety is more about heart diseases or simply heart attack and stomach cancer. I know it is anxiety but it feels like my brain and i are two different things and i cannot control it. It literally affects you on a daily basis i can't laugh like i used too, i feel like crying all the time, i can hardly breath, hardly sleep, hardly concentrate and more and more. I know i'm going to get over this but it is really really hard especially in this young age
Even I’m having a hard time with hypochondria or health anxiety and this sucks really tbh. However even if i tell you you’re absolutely fine you’ll still have symptoms and will bear all the symptoms all alone. But dear always remember we are human the most evolved sepiens we have the power to think beyond anything and have faith in your doctor. They know their jobs more than us. Always remember death is inevitable so fearing about such things that will happen eventually is kinda stupid to me. Enjoy your each and every moment and let god decide what will happen next. Have a blissful life. ~ from health anxiety sufferers
This is one of the most informative and accurate explanation for Health Anxiety. I've suffered with this for many years. It is flared up right now but this video really helps remind me of what is actually going on. Thank you!!!!
I suffer with this it's just awful your mind is working overtime you can't seem to get a break from it its a real nightmare just would like peace from this x
Oh my goodness this is absolutely me right now right down to the sore throat (the doctor has dismissed as looking ok) You are so unbelievably accurate! I will check out the rest of your videos to see how to move through this…
Being in the medical field has made me so much worse. Also being overweight and hearing all the scary things about that so then it paralyzes me to where I can’t do anything.
I don’t usually comment on videos but this video really made me understand my health anxiety. My biggest fear was heart attack or stroke or some unknown disease. I have some medical issues, this all started after loosing loved ones to heart attack, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to the emergency department and doctors in fear of my health anxiety.
Your way of talking and explaining is very good, may god bless you with all the things you desire! All the best, I am eager to listen to more about health anxiety!
I watched my aunt slowly pass way from brain cancer when I was 5. I had relatives come to stay with my family when I was young who all had serious health ailments.. Then in my 20s both parents were diagnosed with cancer. I seriously am just waiting for something to go down with me.
Im 24, my health anxiety just randomly started one day in 2019, it got worse then better and now its completely horrible. I was pregnant last year, August 28th, i found out I had a blood clot in the left side of my neck, was put on blood thinners for 6 months, finally told my protein S is fine and i will only need blood thinners when pregnant. But now im constantly scared of every pain because im constantly having chest, arm, back, neck and jaw pain. But I've had multiple test done and yet the fear is getting worse.
Spot on with temporary relief. I had test results a few days ago and was so relieved to learn all was ok. A few days later and I'm paranoid/checking again 🤦♂️
Oh man…I had the exact same neck issues he was talking about a few weeks ago. I stopped thinking about and it went away. Now it’ might be back. Along with various other symptoms of course. I used to be the opposite, I brushed off most symptoms. Now I’m 46 and every twinge is a sign of impending doom. The medical establishment doesn’t help because of course they send you for a million tests over what ends up being nothing serious (hopefully), but all the while you’re thinking of you have to get all these tests, surely it’s something serious. For me, I think the trigger was going to a doctor and going through some invasive testing, which wasn’t nearly as serious as suspected or, not even suspected just they had to rule it out. But then I don’t go and I wallow in anxiety about what it could be. I don’t know which is worse. The health anxiety or doctor/medical anxiety.
I think it's fine to monitor symptoms, even if they don't represent something that will 'kill me". I have chronic illnesses and was glad I kept track of the symptoms, which brought me to the doctor, who then did some tests and established a plan to manage the chronic illness.
Thank you for making these videos. You have an amazing ability in clearly explaining what we feel and why. Hearing it explained this way takes away a lot of the mystery and therefore takes away some of the fear.
I am so thankful i came across your video. Your voice is so reasuring and the way you explain things is not over complicated. Someone i love dearly has stage 4 cancer and my best friend in the whole world, he died from a stroke about 4 months ago after being in the hospital for 9 months only being able to blink his eyes. The last year I've gone to er 4 times, walk in center at least 6 times or more, primary care. I read comments and they helped me feel not so alone. This is awful, really awful. Thank you and all the courageous people in the comments for sharing, you have helped me. Im afraid of something, i ask myself what? 🐛🦋🐦
We can all agree this health anxiety triggered more in covid times . Before i was a very chill person who cared least about health . But after the death of my uncle and my few neighbours i was terrifed . They were fine yesterday today suddenly what happened and it triggered my anxiety . Due to anxiety is used to feel the need to go to poop . But i used to ignore . And i made me sick . I noticed some blood and ran to doc the next moment . He said i have IBS and hemmoriods. I had a long treatment but it depends on what food you eat . If you are not attentive on what you eat i will all give you symptpms of cancer . I still have the fear i might have one . Even though everytime i go visit my family doc he says everything is fine you just need to stress less as it may trigger the symptoms more .
I’m 15 and I’m so worried about my health. I found 2 freckles that I’ve never seen before on the back of my knee and I looked it up and it and it said cancer. But I also have freckles all over my arms and legs and face. I constantly look at my skin and find different things on my skin. It’s so exhausting. I don’t know how to stop worrying about my health. I also feel different pains around my body and immediately think I have a rare health condition or some type of disease or cancer.
1 year ago, I became involved with a 32-year-old man who suffers from hypochondria, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. 10 years ago, a partner of his died from misdiagnosed cancer and since then he has been receiving psychological and psychiatric treatment. He doesn't want to take any more psychiatric medications and is slowly weaning them off, but it's getting difficult, both for him and for me. These are very difficult moments emotionally. Therefore, I am watching these videos and trying to understand how anxiety works and how these symptoms are triggered. I'm doing therapy too. I hope to be able to understand a little more about this topic every day, to be able to navigate and know how to handle myself in those moments, how to help him and that we can improve our quality of life. Thank you very much for this, greetings from Argentina
Hi, im a 19 yr old girl who has throat symptoms for more than 3 years and sometimes i think i can actually hear air whistling around a tumor when i breathe deeply enoigh. Strange, its going away and my doctor isnt concerned but most days my anxiety is through the roof and sometimes i feel very close to death or losing my mind.
This has been me every single day. I went through hell the past two years due to being exposed to black mold in a previous house, and it left me in ruin. Now i cannot stop fearing over potentially having colon cancer, due to the GI pains and bloating. Recently ive also developed fatigue and my shortness of breath has come back. I had blood leaking from my stool too, which is most likely just a hemmerhoid bc its minimal blood and its leaking from the stool rather than being the stool color overall. I kept trying to tell myself its okay, but then last night i looked in the mirror and my face was ghost white pale. So then i started impulsively feeling like i had anemia from internal bleeding, and ofc, i keep fearing cancer. Health anxiety is fucking terrible. You put exactly into words how i think.
One of the symptom is frequently visiting many many specialists in concerned area they run all the blood , urine test even scans all are normal. And experiencing death like anxiety during all the time. So they are not ignoring their symptoms at all.
There's a balance. One needs to be reasonably sensible but balance it with the fact that we can never be 100% certain (and to be OK with that). Easier said than done I know....
every body sensation that i feel is like something is wrong every minor diseases that i feel its like i have cancer ...i have a severe fear of having cancer ... even i check to the doctor i am seeking assurance..
I don't like how my body feels and my head feels every day . I feel like I am Invisible or a ghost like I'm not in the present moment and its really scary and disturbing. It makes me feel like I am dying or something. I keep checking my pulse to see if my heart is beating enough to reassure me. Sometimes to feels faint or slow and that really panics me. I just want to feel normal. I want to know for definite if its anxiety or a physically issue. Edit
I was wondering if it’s beneficial or not to avoid reading/ watching news when you have health anxiety. I understand it’s important to stop avoiding places or people but with all the possible triggers in the news it just seems unnecessary to expose oneself to it 😅🤷🏻♀️
I agree. I had joined a FB group dealing with my particular health challenge, but I found my anxiety reached epic proportions each night as I read all the posts and replies from everyone in the group. Everyone meant well, of course. I had to un-join for my own peace of mind. Nowadays, I mostly just get on w/my day. If I need to rest, I rest.
I have the same problem. Especially because our brain is so alert that we catch every reference it take it so seriously. I was complaining to my mum that every book I read, even romantic and unassuming ones, have a character with C in them. She said she hadn’t noticed, she focuses on the “love story” or whatever. I had a period when I was convinced I had MS and my psychologist said to me to expose myself to it and read books and watch movies about it but I just couldn’t do it. I’m like a sponge and when I see a symptom of the Illness I think I have my brain makes sure to turn it into a physical symptom in no time. So I try to avoid reading about my scares. It triggers me. But maybe that’s the problem. If you keep reading it’ll stop triggering you at one point.
@@gabrielametodieva8360it seems when my health anxiety is acting up....all I see and hear is characters in movies talking about what scares me...or seeing commercials about it...or even watching random RU-vid videos to relax to, someone has to mention what I fear the most. There are times I've felt brave enough to purposely watch something that would normally trigger me...but then I feel it would jinx me. And thats the worst part of it all is to tell yourself to relax but be afraid to let your guard down.
Everyone is different but I found I REALLY have to be careful with reading/watching any general news. Even so-called "support" websites online, or reddit or whatever....you will find much more in there that its negative, that scares you, perpetuates a sense of helplessness etc.... than really helps you. Most people who are not feeling HA or have overcome HA (or other problems from anxiety, including physical symptoms), are not posting online.
This happens to me when I get exposed to second hand smoke... Due to this I found out on Internet that passive/second hand smoking causes 7000 lung cancer deaths in America every year.... Now I get extremely worried and panicked when I accidentally inhale tobacco smoke and sometimes it comes from neighbours appartment in mine... And I can't even run away which I generally do when I am somewhere outside
My health anxiety started after smoking weed and getting a panic attack and not telling anybody i wish i talked to someone soon i just hid everything and thoughts to myself im a dead man walking
Thanks Dr. Nader. I appreciate the reminders about the unhelpful behavior. But I am also certain that the behavior, in my case, is itself a symptom of childhood trauma (hard-wired to worry and fear). Would you agree its OK to work on the CBT side (behavior especially) while also dealing with the trauma (in a non-CBT way such as somatic experiencing or other mind-body techniques), and these are not mutually exclusive?
Yes I find that this is me. I tend not to go to doctors so worry even more . I worry they will just put EVERYTHING down to anxiety and not take my health symptoms seriously. So worried they will miss something. Plus things build up so if I do ever go there is too much to talk about and it looks like I’m just being neurotic. I have several health issues that I worry about constantly, it’s worse when I am actually poorly ..50 yrs I’ve dealt with this and it’s so exhausting 😔😔
I have painfull headaches everyday. Nausea and veritgo like symtoms, feels like I am on a boat all the time. I see double and can't consentrate on anything. Dissociation everyday and I don't feel like myself. I have these feelings NON STOP EVERYDAY. Idk what to do anymore. I have gon to doctors, I did an mr last year and they said it was nothing and at the clinic my doctor says it's my mental health that makes me feel this way but I can't accept that it is just my mental health. Because why would I feel this bad just vecause if my mind? This has went on for teo years niw and I only feel worse everyday that pass and idk what to do anymore. Feels like I am dying and nobody is taking me seriously and I will just die one day because nobody believed me and that will be it. I hate this. I truly hate it. I really don't know what to do.
Lol same! They get so much worse when I mess with them. If I stop they always go back down. This latest round I induced the swelling myself. Such a vicious cycle ugh
Damnnnn I thought I was the only one!!!! Any tips on how to get over it? I got my blood work and ESR test done and the reports were all good. But I still get swollen lymph nodes in my underarms and I can't understand why
@@zainabbasipersonal sometimes they remian swollen, i had few under my jaw for 4 years and my doc got an us to check the size, well they all werent really serious cause i have had them for so long and i still dont show symptoms of lymphoma, they did give some meds and one of my nodes have gotten down in size, but still significantly noticeable. i guess stay in touch with your medical care.
⚠️ My anxiety is on the roof, after losing more than 50 known friends for Covid. I lost my father and most members of my family. Almost each week I lose one more friend. How do imagine I think ? I think I'm always will be the next one. My life became a tragedy, I think I won't survive to the next week. 😮
Imagine having IBS and the non-stop symptoms being in the chest area because of the stomach's proximity to the heart. It's constant torture and makes life miserable.
I've health anxiety of sudden cardiac death, despite of my all reports are normal, neither I've family history of heart disease nor I'm smoker. I experience persistence mild chest and back pain and sometimes short of breath. My doctor told me nothing is matter of concern.....but my anxiety is not going!
