Looking for something specific - Mental Health Message Board

On the verge · 05-24-2004, 08:54 AM

Hi,

I lost my dad almost a year ago to cancer. My mom had cancer as well, and she survived. Since then, I have had a few health scares myself. However, I find myself having obsessive thoughts about my health and the health of those I love. I NEVER feared going to the doctor or having routine tests, but now I am terrfied. Every little abnormality to me equals a death sentence. For example, I had a mammogram, my frst oneon Saturday--I am sure the results will be bad. I had a blood test, I was sure the results would be bad, they were normal. I am currently on antibiotics for what the doctor is calling a low grade infection. I started them on Saturday. I have a slight elevation in temperature, and I am convinced the doctor is wrong and something else, more serious is going on. Help! What can I do? I am not ready to talk to someone. Is there a really good book to help with this type of thing? I am constantly thinking about my health to the point where I can't function throughout the day. Also, when all these health problems started, I lost my job--I took care of both of my parents with little or no help. I have a job now, but the people I work for are intensely critical, pretentious, and guilty of immoral and illegal practices with clients and employees.

spreeville · 05-24-2004, 09:35 AM

I've been through this before, so have so many people. It's normal once you go through a few scares, even if they're not your own. A couple of months ago, my mother was being screened for breast cancer, fortunately it was nothing, but after that I became so fearful that something was wrong with me, and terrified for the health of myself and my family. I always expected that my test results would show something bad. I slowly got over it. I didn't speak to anyone about it or read anything, I just basically told myself over and over again not to worry about something that wasn't there. If you were to find out that something was wrong, then you could worry about it, but in the meantime, try to keep yourself busy with something else. Easier said than done, I know. It took me some time as well.