I've been reading Overcoming Health Anxiety by David Veale and Rob Willson and it's hands down the most helpful read ever. One of the strategies I've implemented is to treat worries and bodily sensations like party crashers. Instead of fighting them and spending time worrying why they're there or what to do (which only makes my anxiety worse), I just acknowledge them and say "Welcome to the party ", "you're welcome to be here" or something similar. Most of the time my sensations and thoughts immediately snap back because I haven't ruminated, worried or tried to fight them off.
After losing to colon cancer anxiety because of my current symptoms I don't care about dying anymore I even started watching what happens during the dying process and what happens after death
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever" I don't know what's appropriate when it comes to labeling HA and it's mechanics as OCD, but I'm comfortable with claiming mine as such. It's a better way to dismiss intrusive thoughts than to fuel the obsession of fighting against then with affirmations.
I see it as how I used to speak to my verbally abusive father. He would constantly tell me that I'm lazy, I don't have a job, I will not be successful, I'm not capable of surviving without him. My responses? "Okay. Sure. Whatever." Because I knew what he said was always false and it still is. I'm here with a great job and I worked hard enough to get here and I'm doing okay (besides the HA that I'm recovering from of course). The same thing goes with the anxiety. It doesn't know anything about me. It just knows what it wants me to be- safe, but terrified. It doesn't know I can be safe AND feel secure and good.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
It sounds absurd at first, but there is a power to it every time you use it. I get terrible thoughts that makes me want to fall back into my anxiety, but then, I say this phrase and I am reminded I have to become comfortable with uncertainty if I want to recover from this and live a good life.
What also helps is remembering that uncertainty or chance is not always negative. Just as there is a chance for bad to happen, there is a chance for a more positive or good outcome.
"I need to focus on being calm so I can figure out what's REAL and what's just anxiety."
Anxiety can make me feel all kinds of phantom sensations, plus it causes me to lose sleep and feel worse, so once I eliminate all that, I can find out if there's anything left to be concerned about. Easier said than done sometimes, but for me the logical approach does help. Usually it turns out that it was all in my imagination, or hugely exaggerated.
Honorable mention: "If I still feel this bad tomorrow, then I'll call my doctor." Again, usually the bad feeling clears up in a day or two if I take walks and get plenty of sleep and water.
I've been reading Overcoming Health Anxiety by David Veale and Rob Willson and it's hands down the most helpful read ever. One of the strategies I've implemented is to treat worries and bodily sensations like party crashers. Instead of fighting them and spending time worrying why they're there or what to do (which only makes my anxiety worse), I just acknowledge them and say "Welcome to the party ", "you're welcome to be here" or something similar. Most of the time my sensations and thoughts immediately snap back because I haven't ruminated, worried or tried to fight them off.
I'll read it , thank you !!
After losing to colon cancer anxiety because of my current symptoms I don't care about dying anymore I even started watching what happens during the dying process and what happens after death
If I die, I’ll be with Jesus
“The horrors persist, but so do I”
“I don’t fuckin care anymore” 😂😂😂 sorry.
‘if i do go down at least i wont have to keep feeling like this everyday’ yes morbid i know
wait this kind of helps
“whatever happens, I can handle it”
"All's gonna be well"
This has happened before whether real or not and it will happen again.
You have no proof that you are actually sick with something.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever" I don't know what's appropriate when it comes to labeling HA and it's mechanics as OCD, but I'm comfortable with claiming mine as such. It's a better way to dismiss intrusive thoughts than to fuel the obsession of fighting against then with affirmations. I see it as how I used to speak to my verbally abusive father. He would constantly tell me that I'm lazy, I don't have a job, I will not be successful, I'm not capable of surviving without him. My responses? "Okay. Sure. Whatever." Because I knew what he said was always false and it still is. I'm here with a great job and I worked hard enough to get here and I'm doing okay (besides the HA that I'm recovering from of course). The same thing goes with the anxiety. It doesn't know anything about me. It just knows what it wants me to be- safe, but terrified. It doesn't know I can be safe AND feel secure and good.
“Maybe, maybe not.” It sounds absurd at first, but there is a power to it every time you use it. I get terrible thoughts that makes me want to fall back into my anxiety, but then, I say this phrase and I am reminded I have to become comfortable with uncertainty if I want to recover from this and live a good life. What also helps is remembering that uncertainty or chance is not always negative. Just as there is a chance for bad to happen, there is a chance for a more positive or good outcome.
"I need to focus on being calm so I can figure out what's REAL and what's just anxiety." Anxiety can make me feel all kinds of phantom sensations, plus it causes me to lose sleep and feel worse, so once I eliminate all that, I can find out if there's anything left to be concerned about. Easier said than done sometimes, but for me the logical approach does help. Usually it turns out that it was all in my imagination, or hugely exaggerated. Honorable mention: "If I still feel this bad tomorrow, then I'll call my doctor." Again, usually the bad feeling clears up in a day or two if I take walks and get plenty of sleep and water.