Health anxiety

[notbike]

Sup, been a while.

Ever since I had a one-off afib episode in 2021 that required hospitalisation I've had quite severe health anxiety.

Every time I get an ectopic beat I think I've got afib again and alarm bells ring and I'm fully in panic mode.

Over the years I've managed to get control of the panic because ectopic beats aren't related to afib and cardiologists & doctors have done countless ECGs on me and bloods over the last 3 years and told me that I'm fine every time. So from an evidence based perspective I'm at low risk. Rather ironically I'm also in a lot better physical shape than I was back then, which was my main risk factor (I had afib when I was obese and now through healthy eating & exercise I'm a normal BMI).

However, my mental state has deteriorated further over the years despite physical health improvements and constant reassurance from doctors.

These days, if I get a benign symptom of something, I immediately believe I must have the worst case scenario illness, like cancer.

New moles appear? Must be skin cancer. New headache & dizziness for a few weeks? Brain tumor. Upset stomach? Liver or bowel cancer.

I'm undergoing CBT for the first time ever. Never had therapy but I'm starting to think I need actual professional help.

I've lost touch with lots of my old friends, I struggle to keep in touch with my family, and I quit riding because I can't deal with the anxiety.

My heart can literally go out of rhythm for a minute if I have high stress, so I can't put myself in stressful situations.

I don't recognise who I am these days.

Even when I don't have perceived symptoms on any given day and there's no real threat, I will be constantly restless and trying to get through to the end of the day. I'll be fidgety and have all the physical signs of stress and anxiety despite no mental stressor.

I have a gf, a dog, and a stable job, with no financial pressures at the moment, but somehow this shit has taken over my life lol.

Anyone experienced anything similar? If so how did you overcome it?

[Easy-X]

How would you rate your anxiety before the afib episode?
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[notbike]

Zero. Felt invincible.

[Ste]

Are you taking anything like diazepam or any other prescription drugs?

[notbike]

Not taking anything

[Polarbear]

At the risk of stating the obvious, you need a mental health check from someone who knows what they are doing. A doctor once said to me there was nothing worse in his view than a layman self diagnosing/treating. OK, that was for physical problems but I suspect it's valid for mental health as well.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Easy-X]

Anxiety is the anticipation of pain and can be a perfectly normal self-defence mechanism... unless it takes over your life! Therapy should help move you into a more realistic place.

On the other hand what's the worst that could happen? "Dammit, man, I could die!!!" but everyone does that all the time Fear of dying is sometimes about leaving things unresolved. Maybe this anxiety is (unconsciously) helping you avoid dealing with something important?
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[notbike]

[Easy-X]

[notbike]

[MarJay]

As long as you don't go in believing that it's a waste of time, you'll find that the therapy will work. It won't be instant, but it will happen.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[hellkat]

Your apparent fear of getting ill sounds more about worrying of "dying from something" but in fact, we all die.

Maybe doing CBT around acknowledging that death is inevitable might help alleviate your crippling fear of it.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[notbike]

Thanks all. Yeah, I will have to discuss this with the therapist at my next session I think. I definitely don't feel that it's a waste of time. I've found that it's already challenged some of the fundamental thought patterns I hold so I'm taking it seriously and I'm trying to internalise new ways of thinking about things.

I don't know if it's inherently linked to fear of my own death though. Come to think of it, my dog is in for a very low risk procedure today although he has to go under anaesthesia and I'm a bag of nerves over that too.

[Easy-X]

A bit more low key but in a similar vein. My mum lives in a rented house and no longer relishes the responsibility of owning and maintaining a property but... now she's anxious about being spontaneously kicked out of the property "reasoned" solely on the basis that it's rented. Of course the Daily Mail regularly print sob stories from the rented sector

Proportion: how many people are being kicked out "spontaneously" versus the number who've been renting happily for years? The articles never say.

Context: is it in the interest of the Daily Mail to print stories where everything's fine versus grim tales? i.e. misery pr0n.

The essence of this bad news phenomena is relative weight of positive vs negative feelings. For example, if you find a ten pound note let's say you have +5 positive feelings. If on the other hand you lose ten pounds you might experience -7 negative feelings. Negative feelings > positive feelings in absolute terms for comparable events, that's just how humans are built.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[RhynoCZ]

[dunwichguy]

It sounds like you've been going through a lot with health anxiety, and I'm really sorry to hear about your struggles. Dealing with health anxiety can be overwhelming and impact various aspects of life, including relationships and hobbies.