Health Anxiety & Worrisome Thoughts

[DirtySouthwestGuy]

Hi All,I'm just wondering if anyone else's health anxiety extends to other people? For example if my children are ill, i always think the worst, it can never just be something simple!!Would be interesting to know if others on the board do this?Regards Zoe

 

[Smiley20]

hello zoe,definitely the same with me!!! I always think the worst if my children or other family members are ill (i am a pediatric nurse and have seen the worst cases at work....- i just try not to think of what it could be).Smiley_20

 

[twinTwosome]

Heavens yes! It's never just a simple cold or stomach virus. I do, however, keep my insanity to myself. Don't want the kids to be nutty too!

 

[BetteDavisGretchen]

Zster,Yes definitely true for me. I have two daughters 18 and 16 and when they are not home my thoughts are in overdrive. If I hear an ambulance in the distance I need to call them on their cells to see if they are ok. I get major anxiety when they experience pain or any kind of illness themselves, always thinking the worst case scenerio....yes I try to hide this from my children, but they do pick up on it. My mother was the same way with myself and my siblings and my grandmother would take "spells" where she would become weak and have to lie down with cold cloths on her forhead when she was worried about any little thing. I believe it is hereditary... in our genes and learned behaviour.In my experience I take a thought and focus on it and it just expands from there. Although I live with this every day, I am now very aware of it and have certain techniques that I use to bring myself down and relax. It helps me to look back on previous experiences and realize that what I thought would happen didn't and for the most part it was just crazy thinking. Yes bad things can happen, but the chances of them happening is very unlikely. Worry really is just a waste of time. I really try to take one day at a time, and not living into what might happen. Hope that makes sense Wanda