Health Anxiety

[Krystina661]

Does anyone have health anxiety? I'm not quite a hypochondriac but I do worry about my health a lot and it's caused me to have a few anxiety/panic attacks ....

The only thing that seems to ease my worry is after seeing a doctor who confirms I'm totally fine..

If something feels "wrong" I always think of the worse case scenario..

It's ridiculous lol ....

 

[nessa]

heh..i am the same way. i had a panic attack when i found out that my family had the stomach virus right before christmas. I was with them so much that i freaked that i would get it. I freak at the tiny things too....

im glad to see that im not the only one

 

[vimto]

Hi Krystina661

It's good to know you have been able to post this - it must be very distressing to have those thoughts.

I will pray for you and ask the Lord to gradualy relieve you of these thoughts that bind. You are precious to the Lord - it is not His will for you to suffer like this.

It's not what you think is wrong with you that is the problem - it is the anxiety that causes it (not the other way around, even if it seems that way). Talk to someone - get some help - and keep on praying and drinking in the Bible - dwell on passages of God's love for you and of His promises, especially of His utter forgivenss of all your sins.

warmest regards in Christ.

 

[sarasarabobara]

Hey Kristina661!

Yes, that used to happen to me quite a bit, actually. I had a lot of people praying for me because it got to the point where I'd visit the doc for every little thing...could it be this? could it be that? You're right, it felt so rediculous, but very valid and real to me! I now know that much of it had to do with an anxiety disorder, but most of it had to do with me not trusting the Lord and then trying to find the next thing to panic about even after I'd just gotten a clean bill of health from the doctor. It's almost like I sought out the fear...what can I worry about today? Wierd, huh? I'm happy to say, though, that God has lifted a lot of it from me and I don't panic as much as I used to. Do I have occassional panic sessions and irrational fears? Sure, but instead of allowing myself to dwell on them, I try to go straight to the Lord and say, "hey, I know these thoughts aren't from you...i'm not walking in freedom right now, but i'm instead choosing to panic. I ask that you'd take care of me and help me to trust that you love me and know me better than i know myself." Now, that is what has helped me the most, but I am also on a very small dosage of meds my doctor gave me and it has helped soooo much. This is just my story.

Sis' in Christ, I will be praying for you today...that you would just let the Lord wrap you up in His big strong arms and hold you when you are scared. Blessings on you!

 

[UnitynLove]

I don't know if this will help you but heres a try

Everything's Going to Be All Right!




Did you know that God wants to make a trade with you? He has a standing offer every minute of every day and it's amazing how few of us actually take Him up on His offer. He wants you to give Him all your cares, your problems, and your failures. In return He will give you His peace and joy. On top of that, He promises to protect and take care of you.

God really does want to take care of us, but in order to let Him, we've got to stop trying to take care of ourselves and worrying about every little thing we can't control. Many people would like for God to take care of them, but they insist on worrying or trying to figure out an answer on their own, instead of waiting for God's direction. They wallow around in puddles of their own worry, wondering why God doesn't give them peace. God will give us peace, but we must first give Him our worries.

We give God our worries by trusting that He can and will take care of us. By trusting God, we are able to rest in Him, knowing that He has the situation well under control. Worry, on the other hand, is the opposite of trust. Worry steals our peace, wears us out physically and can even make us sick. If we are worrying, we are not fully trusting God, and we'll never be able to experience His peace.

What a great trade! We give God our worry—He gives us His peace. We give Him all our cares and concerns, and He gives us His protection, stability, and joy. That is the privilege of being cared for by Him.

Because He cares for us, He wants us to live in peace and not all tied up in knots of worry. He has ways of guiding us toward peace, if we are alert enough to sense His direction.

Imagine that you are driving down a road. Along the way, there are roadside signs that provide direction or give warning. If you pay attention to the signs and follow the words, you will be able to drive on that road and safely reach your destination.

In the same way, on the road of life there are spiritual signs along the way. In order to stay under God's protection, you must obey these signs that tell you to trust Him and not to worry. Don't be afraid, have courage. If you'll pay attention to these signs, you'll find that it's easy to stay on course. You will experience the protection, peace and joy that only God can provide.

However, if you fail to heed the signs, you may notice that the road seems a little bumpier than usual and you're not as confident in your ability as you once were. You may become anxious about the unknown things waiting around the corner, and you may even veer off the road.

Anxiety affects us like a double portion of worry. It's an uneasy feeling that lingers like a haze, even after we think we have dealt with it. Once we disregard the signs and go our own way, we are moving in the direction of fear--especially fear of tomorrow and fear of the unknown. The result is anxiety.

Anxiety is like putting on a heavy coat on a hot summer day. It weighs you down. It's difficult to move, and it's stifling to wear. According to Webster's Dictionary, anxiety is "a state of being uneasy, apprehensive, or worried...." Sometimes this uneasiness is really vague—something we just can't put our finger on. All we know is that we are uneasy.

You and I don't need to be anxious about tomorrow when we have all we can handle today. Even if we manage to solve all our problems today, we will just have more to deal with tomorrow...and even more the next day.

Why waste time worrying when it is not going to solve anything? Why be anxious about yesterday, which is gone, or tomorrow, which hasn't arrived yet? Trade your worries in today for God's peace. Remember, everything's going to be all right!

 

[Krystina661]

Thank you everyone for all the replies!!

It is an awful feeling being worried all the time and it does tend to weigh you down. Some days I feel really good and healthy.. I've recently quit smoking and along with that drinking and I stopped all caffeine intake. Other days I'll have a friggin anxiety attack thinking maybe I've ruined my health already from things I've done.. So if I have a hard time breathing.. (which my lungs have been checked and I'm fine) I think it might be emphysema or lung cancer..

I've been having a hard time trusting God and really knowing he is there. I grasp onto life so much because I have so much to live for and have so much I'm looking forward to accomplishing. Deep down I know it has to do with fully trusting God.... Is he REALLY there?? I just need to have more faith and for me it's a lot easier said than done..