Posted by JenStar on July 16, 2004, at 1:47:45
In reply to Re: Fellow Hypochondriacs - HELP! one more thing!, posted by Racer on July 15, 2004, at 15:25:51
hi Racer,
I think you offer really sound advice. The only reason I gave a different option is because I went through something so similar to Captain (maybe we're identical hypochondria twins that were separated at birth, haha).Without being condescending (and you certainly didn't sound it, either!) some people I trusted gave me that exact advice and I could not take it. I knew it was the 'right' thing to do, but my mind was so strange and crazy, all my thoughts and health fears whirling around like a colorful carnival ride, every symptom echoing around in my head, that I was just a complete basket case. I couldn't break out of it without seeing the results staring me in the face. Even then (as you pointed out!) I had a hard time believing I was "ok" and it was "in my head." I knew the mind was powerful but it was hard to imagine that it could do such destructive things to me.
But once I got those tests back I slowly began to back out of the weird health corner and got my sanity back (with the help of Lexapro and Xanax.) Then I started to work with a therapist to formulate plans never to have to go through that again, the next time I had some random health worry.
I guess I'm a bit of a "collector" and shopaholic, and maybe that translates over into health. Towels are on sale? Buy two! New shampoo? Let's try it! And of course..MRI's? Why not? Let's try it! In fact, let's get 2 of those, too! So I suppose I lead a live of excess, in a way, and I'm not the best health role model.
But it's another point of view...
Take care, be well. All of you!
JenStar> Heheheh, wouldn't it be nice if *knowing* were the same as believing? Make life so much easier, wouldn't it?
>
> This is only off the cuff response, not informed advice, so take it for whatever you think it's worth. I wouldn't have the MRI, because you already *know* that it's more likely the power of suggestion than a real probability. All the sypmtoms you've described -- visual disturbance, dizziness, etc -- can be explained by the anxiety itself, and if you get a clean head scan, it's as likely to leave you dissatisfied as to calm your fears. If I were going to offer any advice, it would be to talk to your doctor about this, and ask for advice and try to listen to it with an open mind. I'm guessing the advice would be to look into psychotherapy, which is also what my own personal advice would include. Now, on this board, I hope you can understand that I'm emphatically *not* saying, "it's all in your head, so you need therapy." That's a very condescending sort of an attitude for a doctor to take, in my not at all humble on this subject opinion. That's offered as a "having been in similar situations, the thing that has helped me the most and been of great benefit for me has been psychotherapy in addition to medications, and it might be helpful to you if you're not already doing it."
>
> (It's so hard, in writing, to know how what one writes will be taken. I really do mean to offer support and help, but I'm afraid that it might come across as the same sort of dismissive condescencion that some doctors tend towards with this sort of thing. I hope that you're not reading it that way, and if you are, please accept my apologies.)
>
> Anyway, vertigo is a [expletive deleted], which I can say having had it. Worrying about your physical health is also awful. Best luck on the Lexapro helping quickly and reducing your anxiety.
poster:JenStar
thread:366441
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040714/msgs/366750.html