i wondering if anyone can help i have been suffering with anxiety for two years now , when it first started it was extremly bad i did not know what was wrong with me i thought i was dying , i thought i had every illness . first i thought i had a brain tumour so i had a scan done . that came back clear, i was fine then for about a day then i thought something was wrong with my heart so i got that checked , that too was perfect . then i had stomach problems so i thought i had stomach cancer but that turned out to be nothing . My problem is i have physical pain so i convince myself theres something wrong . I seen a number of doctors and they all said it was anxiety so after months and months i got better and the anxiety went away . only recently i have been suffering with stomach problems and again i think its something serious , i have gurgling noises and at night i just feel nausa . i never get sick but i just have aches and pains in my stomach . I havent seen a doctor about it because i am convincing myself its just anxiety but i dont know whether it is for sure . How in the future am i going to know the difference if i am sick or if its just my mind playing tricks , i cant live like this anymore happy events are being ruined in my life because i constantly think iam sick . My big problem is i get bad physical pain and i Cant tell the difference what can i do when i mention anxiety to doctors they put evertything down to it but i am never convinced . what can i do i cant live my life this way before anxiety hit me two years ago i never worried about my health i was a normal 22 year old girl that loved life but now i am going through hell . I can talk to my mother about it because i only found out two years ago that she went through the same thing and still gets it from time to time , i also have aunties that suffer bad at times with the same thing . Can it be hereditary ? what are my options i have tried to stay clear from medication but i feel i have no other option . i cant go through my life thinking i have cancer constantly .

I suffer the same as you, but mine is my heart. I am convienced that i have heart disease and the doctors are missing it. I have arm pain, chest pain, stomache issues, jaw pain and all the symptoms that are usual in heart problems. I have been to 3 cardiologist and they have ran every test but a cardic cath and they show my heart is fine but my mind does not believe that. I take ativan to help when the symptoms get back and i start to freak out over them and want to rush off to the ER. They want me on anti-depressants but im to scared to take them, i feel bad enough i dont need any other symptoms to make my life worse. I tried anxiety therapy but it did not help. Im at my wits end, so i know how you feel. I recently became a Christian and i have found that with praying and putting my faith in the Lord's hands that i do feel better these days, the issues are still there but i am dealing with them better i think. This has ruined my life for the last 2 years, im scared to go anywhere in case i start feeling bad, i dont do anything anymore. Its not a fun way to live. My father delt with heart issues from the time he was 36 till he died of congestive heart failure at 68, i think watching him suffer like that is what causes my problems now. Maybe you should try some medication to help out, like i said i fear medication cause of the side effects but i decided to try the ativan and it does help, talk with your doctor and see what they say is your best option. Good luck!!

i would say the route of your problem is what happened to your father alright , from reading so many books and mags it does state that people who suffer with anxiety take on other peoples illnesses . Its true because this all started when a cousin of mine died from brian tumour i was convinced i had it . i was not that close to her but still i think thats what started this whole thing off . My mother also told me a story how hers started after my fathers mother suddenly died from brian hemeridge. and since then she has it on and off but she can cope with it . I never knew she suffered till the day it happened to me and now its great to have someone that understands me but on the another hand i dont like worrying her , she dosnt like thinking i am unhappy . But i am its like i live 2seperate lives sometimes like an hour ago i was fine but know my stomach is churning and making crazy noises so my day is ruinned with complusive thoughts of cancer . I think i will start medication but i dont like the fact it goes on your personal health records for life and my doctor is great but i hate the thought of him thinking i am loop the loop !
Thanks for your reply

I just responded to another person with similar pain.

You may suddenly have been hit with a discreet stressor--check out the Reflux board. It's possible that your pains stem from GERD or acid reflux. I too was feeling like I had heart problems and whatnot since my father passed away with a heart attack, however, my symptoms seemed more consistent with reflux (after a little research). Don't assume the worst until you check the better (and usually) more logical scenarios.

Reflux can mimic heart events while affecting your stomach, abdomen and ribcage. Also, it can make you feel like you have chronic bronchitis (coughing up phlegm produced to protect your passage from acid).

Take care.