Does anyone here do this too? OCD?
I have had OCD and on/off Panic attacks for a while, when I get really tense I will look up symptoms of things on the internet and CONVINCE myself I have some disease…
A few years ago it was stomach cancer, then it was Multiple Sclerosis, now it is Schizophrenia!
The worst thing is I always find a way to trump one with the next and they are all debilitating illnesses that scare the bejeesus out of most people. After I read about the symptoms I think I have them! Even though I know I don’t have any symptoms of Schizophrenia, I will read about the symptoms, then get scared then obsess about possibly hallucinating…or "hearing voices," or doing something wierd. I never actually do, but I try to think I will…….it is making me so annoyed!!
Does anyone else feel like this, how can I stop? I always need reassurance, that I am ok, which is part of being a OCD/Hypochondriac I suppose.
Thanks!
You are OK. I can’t even count how many times this has happened to me. A lot of people with OCD can go to the doctor dozens and dozens of times a month because they think they’re sick or dying. And it turns out that absolutely nothing is wrong with them.
Unfortunately, usually nothing anyone says can help ease the worry, like "oh, you’re fine", "there’s nothing wrong with you", etc, because there’s no doubt that you definitely feel the way you do. If medication isn’t out of your limits, and you’re having intense panic attacks, I would suggest maybe seeking psychiatric help for that. But just remember to breathe. It really does help. Every time you feel a little nervousness coming on, take deep, deep breaths. Also, I always felt it helpful to distract myself from my thoughts, sometimes even video games were effective.
But from now on, try to refrain from googling those symptoms
I suggest you don’t turn to Yahoo Answers for this kind of help, but get some real life therapy.
I took an abnormal psychology class in college about all the different mental illnesses. The first thing that they tell you is when you read the symptoms that you will start to apply them to yourself and eventually convince yourself that you have it. So I would stop reading about mental illness and just go see your doctor for regular check ups. It will stay in your head if you let it.
i have the exact same problem, i do the same thing, i’m always convinced i have a deadly disease and that i’m going to die, i go to the emergency room at least once a week because i’m convinced i’m dying, even when they tell me i’m totally fine it still doesn’t help, i still worry all the time. i am going to start seeing a psychiatrist soon because i know i need help,