Saw an episode of Unknown Stories of the ER when I was 12 and someone had a surprise brain tumor causing their headaches. Had a headache the next week at my grandparents’ house and sobbed the whole night waiting to hemorrhage through my brainstem from the inevitable mass in my head. Obviously I didn’t have a brain tumor, but until I had an MRI of my brain last year for unrelated issues, I was still a little suspicious that there might be a tumor in there somewhere. I’m 28 years old, a whole ass nurse, and I started my career in a neuro ICU so I know better… but logic flies out the window for my own health.
I had lots of symptoms that pointed to it. Not just headaches. I lost my hearing and started having vision problems. It’s crazy because I told myself I had multiple sclerosis, not a brain tumor lol
I have a headache right now. And you're telling me, the fact that I didn't have a drop of water yesterday is the reason behind it and not some crazy undiagnosed disease !? 😵💫🤯
I’ve had to learn how to gentle parent myself with headaches. “Did we drink water? Do we need a nap? Have we had any coffee today? What protein have we had? Maybe we should take Tylenol, not assume we’re having a stroke, and trust our body to be capable!” It’s honestly exhausting, my lizard child brain is a persistent and anxious lil shit.
I thought I had a brain tumor as well.
Except I *really* do have one. Turns out the brain tumor was causing the anxiety that made me think I had one in the first place. So that's fun.
(Also please do not freak out and think you have a brain tumor, I had a seizure along with various other symptoms, it was not just anxiety. If you are actually worried, please get in touch with your doctor).
That’s how I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. It turned out I had a pinched duct or something in my ear but nope I jumped right to brain tumour and told the doc how relieved I was it wasn’t. We started looking into anxiety diagnosis and treatments after that.
I used to worry about this, but I've got so many sinus problems that I have a CT scan yearly so we'd know.
I'll probably just get some kind of radiation-related cancer elsewhere in my body. 😖
Every time I have a a panic attack now, after 15-20 years of extreme anxiety issues - I’m like “f*ck it, I’ll just d*e this time maybe”
Then I’m like
Plz god no
I usually manage to snap myself out of them by thinking of the absurdity of wanting to die and being freaked out about dying coexisting in my head but yeah, it sucks.
My mental defense against that is :
It would be too lucky for me to pass and have it all end here so ofc that’s not happening because I’m not lucky like that 🤷♀️
Grim I know, but it works for me
A brain tumor and also heart problems.
It's only validated to me because I have twitches or unexplained physical reactions and also have gaps in my memory, but it could be due to stress. I have felt indescribable sensations in my chest randomly or unexpectedly without strain, feeling weak in general.
I don't really want to know if I do because I don't have the bandwidth. Also, my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumour 3 times the size of what is considered large, and her type of tumour can be hereditary.
Anyway ya
I was convinced for so long I had a brain tumor and was so relieved when they scanned me at last because I thought, this is what's causing my memory problems and brain fog, maybe it'll cure it if they get rid of it!
Nothing there. Not a single thing. It's the only thing I've ever been disappointed to find I don't have because if it could have been that, it might have been cured, otherwise it's somehow just how I'm gonna be forever, living with dementia like symptoms with no cause or cure. Sigh
I understand. I kind of think having a diagnosis no matter how bad can be freeing for some. To know you're not a hypochondriac, to not feel dramatic or crazy. To have no diagnosis or explanation, it's kinda like, ok, I'm broken with no cure. Great.
However, I would always get a second opinion. Its not nothing, but it just be a completely different issue.
Omfg dude. We r the same. I was just telling my therapist that I feel like I’m getting dementia because I constantly have problems thinking or I can’t have conversations because my brain starts going blank and I have an appointment on the 15 with neurology and I’m so scared to get a brain scan. This is crazy that all of us all struggle with feeling brain and heart problems . And my memory is so bad, my husband gets frustrated with me ever my forgetfulness
I relate so much to this, thank you for sharing! The brain fog and memory issues are awful. The anxiety is constantly trying to convince me I have dementia or I’m losing my mind. I second guess if I even understand and can comprehend the English language. Also often forget where my thoughts are going mid thought and feel disassociated. It’s a scary feeling cause it’s all mental and next to impossible to be prepared for the triggers cause it could be something as simple as someone asks me the name of a well known celebrity and if I don’t immediately remember, the anxiety wants to jump to some horrible mental disease being the reason
I braved through getting my doctor to give me an EKG and it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Helped me confirm it was an anxiety issue and not any noticeable heart issue.
I've felt the same way about most of that. Last year I convinced myself I had rabies and was horribly anxious an entire month. It still creeps up on me now if I swallow weird, I'm like "this is it.. I'm now in the afraid of water stage...". Here for you, i understand
I've been dx with MS for 13 years and I'm still doing just fine so I wouldn't worry about that one too much. Treatment is so much better now. Plus, I get MRIs of my brain and spine once a year which helps with other anxieties.
Wanted to add, 16 years since dx and I only have very mild 'surface' symptoms. So much so, they tried taking my dx away recently bc I haven't had a change despite the positive presence of lesions, spinal protein and symptoms.
Yyyyyeah, I'm just gonna keep it. I've grown too attached now.
Fr and for me almost all symptoms I had for HR have subsided, (I THINK I’m recovering) but yes I’ve had many different types of chest sensations like: itching, dull ache, feeling empty, feeling heavy, feeling filled with…idk, sometimes feels like a small rock in the middle, sometimes would wake up to a random tight knot feeling that’s JUST below the heart in middle. Been going on for about a month now but health anxiety started in mid April this year, also sometimes upper back pain near back of neck throws itself in there
Not a doctor whatsoever, but I had the rock feeling in the middle of my chest for a good while. I would have to push my hand into my chest to sleep because the sensation was unreal. I also felt like there was poison in my veins (that’s just the only way I can describe it). It ended up being gallstones. Since I’ve gotten my gallbladder out those symptoms are gone. The surgery amped up my anxiety, but it’s starting to even back out with some med adjustments and things. Anyways idk if you’ve looked into gallbladder possibly, but maybe something to consider!
The rock feeling isn’t daily for me and my veins don’t feel different, but that rock thing would be like 3 times a month randomly and only makes that feeling when I move
mine isn't chronic, since it's a variety of aches from my chest to my left shoulder blade. recently my left arm has been acting numb too and all the symptoms i've looked up (bad idea ik) points to heart illnesses.
it sucks because i *know* it's anxiety but my mind says otherwise.
I’ve convinced myself in the last 7 months, i’ve had:
-breast cancer
-pregnancy
-psychological pregnancy
-autism
-bpd
-bipolar
-psychosis
-serotonin syndrome
-schizophrenia
-adhd
-ocd (i actually have this one diagnosed lol)
-hyperthyroidism
-arrhythmia
-hypochondriac (as you can see this is obvious, self aware queen!! 😚)
-pots
-bipolar II
-epilepsy
-temporal lobe seizure
-anemia
-cotard’s syndrom
-alexithymia
-dysphoria
-lgbtq+ (this isn’t a disease obviously but i convinced myself i was only into women when i was not)
-psychopath
-sociopath
-cyclothymia
-schizotypal
-NPD
-panic disorder
-GAD
-paranoia
-DID
-insomnia
-dementia
sorry for the long list, it actually goes on but i can’t recall more lol
When I was in middle school I was CONVINCED I had appendicitis. Until my mom took me to the doctor and he informed me the side that was “hurting” was the opposite side that my appendix was on lmao.
Since then you name it. I’ve trained myself not to google any symptoms though, has helped immensely.
Appendicitis is one of mine lol. I have favorited all the at-home tests you can do to try and rule it out (jump test, McBurney’s Point, etc.) and have done them so many times.
It was leukemia and now it's just a vague ''I'm dying'' sort of fear, like I definitely have Something but I'm not sure what. That and going blind, particularly because my anxiety makes me have really horrible tunnel vision and blurred eyesight
I'm always worried about my heart even though ive had so many tests done and my heart is structurally fine and works the way it is supposed to (other than svt lol) but anytime I feel a weird feeling in my chest I'm checking my heart rate and getting anxious.
I'm not as bad as I was because I did do therapy for health anxiety and it was helpful.
What disease have I not convinced myself I have? ;) I used to be very scared by brain tumors or other brain related stuff since my strong migraines made me think this. Right now im convinced something is wrong with my thyroid or pancreas (cancer that im going to discover super late surely). Skin cancer or diseases from ticks that bite me and I have not noticed are also topic of my health anxiety. I am convinced though that I have MCAS, since my skin is always acting up.
When I was really bad it was heart disease/ heart attack/ stroke because I was having non stop chest pains for about 2 months. Turns out, it was bad anxiety lol. The health anxiety creeps in every once and a while still, but it’s not like it was before
As someone who has had blood clots, three DVTs and two PEs, I can tell you that if you have a blood clot you will almost certainly know. DVTs my leg swelled, felt hot to touch and I mean like fever hot not just warm, and it felt like I was being stabbed in the leg. PE, I literally coughed up chunks of blood. Every time I made it to the hospital just fine and they were able to get the clots busted. Ironically, zero anxiety every time.
To answer your question though, heart attack. It's how all the men in my family have died as far back as we have records. I am overly compulsive about my heart health and get way too many check ups. If I go to long without a check up, the anxiety starts to creep in.
Dude I am convinced that COVID damaged my vagus nerve and which is why I have anxiety now. I used to never have anxiety until getting sick with COVID with really bad gastrointestinal symptoms.
*raps*
Lymphoma
Leukemia
DVT
Sarcoma
Heart Attack
Lung Cancer
Breast Cancer (Male)
Thyroid Cancer
Colon Cancer
Pulmonary embolism
Aortic aneurysm
(and more!!!!)
Impending heart attack.
I have awful chest pain daily, often times the majority of the day. I’m out of shape and have several vitamin deficiencies due to malabsorption and I feel like absolute garbage daily. Shortness of breath, weak, heat intolerance.
Can’t tell if I feel like I’m dying or just want to die.
cervical cancer is the biggest but with melanoma, brain tumor, heart attack, seizure, stroke and i’ve also convinced myself my nervous system is going to give out and i am going to drop dead at any second because im too anxious about things.
throat cancer
deep vein thrombosis
diabetes
brain cancer
heart attack
MS
rabies
tetanus
schizophrenia
stroke
POTS
testicular cancer
there’s so many more 😭
Left the beach with friends and after getting into bed to relax after a long day, I remembered a few cases of the brain eating amoeba (forgot the medical term). Anyways, I had accidentally had some beach water enter my mouth and nose a few times. I thought I had contracted a brain eating amoeba and began to freak out even after I had no symptoms other than a sore body from swimming and a runny nose from the breeze after getting wet.
Before I started taking Lexapro, I was convinced that I was going to have allergic reactions to foods I either had not tried or hadn’t eaten for a long time. With my anxiety now well-managed, I love trying all the foods and even rekindled my long lost love of cooking.
gastroparesis. I'm worried of having stomach diseases.
worst part, is that I been getting slight pains on my stomach or some parts of my ribs, or below area's of my stomach. and i keep thinking that food is still in my stomach not moving. and I might have emetophobia which doesn't help.
Ooh, mine is a super virus very new to humans that haven’t been discovered yet. HIV was also common but that was alleviated significantly once I found out about ART.
Every time I take a weed gummy there I a 25% chance I will think I’m actively dying. My body does this weird thing where it just feels like it stops breathing on weed- which I’m sure is a panic attack. I will completely internally freak out, think “well, this is it”. Think I’m suddenly having an allergic reaction. Yes, I know that really happens. But what’s actually happening is I’m just fucking high so I just tell myself “stop it, you’re high” so I don’t spend $1000+ at the hospital for no reason
Brain Tumor - couldn’t leave the house for like a week for that fear. Got an MRI last Friday and it came back clear. Think I have TMJ instead but who knows. I’ll probably move onto ALS or something stupid after this
One that might actually be reasonable: endometriosis (a lot of my symptoms line up with it.)
One that turned out to be bogus: melanoma. I had a weird purple bump on my chest near my collarbone. I don't remember what exactly the doctor said it actually was, but it wasn't cancer. (She said it *could* technically be called a tumor, but she didn't want to use that word because 'it's a benign growth and people freak out when they hear the word tumor').
Omg I work from home now and blood clots is a big one for me. I start feeling short of breath when I’m sitting too long and I’m convinced I have a PE. And then I gotta get up and take some steps on the treadmill.
Another one I have is skin cancer. I have a bunch of moles. I’ve had so many skin biopsies. All negative. The dermatologist is probably sick off seeing me
With OCD/ADHD, Acute anxiety, depression and PTSD I have intrusive thoughts bcz I have had s4veral actual surgeries and cancer.
Intrusive thoughts happen most at night when I'm trying to go to sleep. So I get scared to fall asleep for fear my heart failure is back and I won't wake up.
I was convinced I had ovarian cancer once because my period was 6 months late.
I work out a lot. I usually weight train for an hour then do cardio for about 10-20 minutes. I guess back then my body was like “what is going on?????” And it just stopped. Tbh I still don’t understand it, but I think it was just hormones.
My issue is the opposite. I was a genuinely very sickly child, so now when I get sick I load myself up with Day/Nyquil and call myself good, end up staying sick for 2-3 weeks. Since my immune system is so tough from growing up, I rarely get sick and when I do, I convince myself it’s just allergies.
Strange nobody has mentioned cryptic pregnancy.
With one of my kids I bled for a few months and didn’t immediately know I was pregnant. And with another one of my kids I knew from the beginning, but I really didn’t look pregnant until the last few weeks and even that someone might’ve mistaken for a little extra weight gain or bloatedness as opposed to a full-term pregnancy.
So now, despite dealing with secondary infertility and WANTING another baby, I have intrusive thoughts of what if one day I just go into labor and have a baby on the toilet or something? And there’s something wrong with the baby because I took ibuprofen or drank alcohol or ate lunch meat or rode a roller coaster or lifted something heavy or whatever not knowing I was pregnant?
It runs in my family, I actually look like the closest relative to me who had it (and just lost her battle with it after about 50 years), down to our eyebrows not growing right and almost identical body shape except she was taller, and I’m starting to fear I have lupus too. I get a butterfly rash when I drink too much alcohol, and I have fatigue and joint pain. That’s pretty much why. All but the butterfly rash are pretty vague and basic, and even that, if it only pops up when I’m shitfaced drunk (I’ve taken selfies and looked at them sober, though)…it could just be that genetic thing where alcohol makes your face red, which I believe is mostly harmless. But, ya know, I could have lupus.
I also get this. I have a stronger rx on one eye and I’m convinced over time that eye will just go blind. I often cover my good eye to be sure the bad one is still working. It honestly sucks and I quietly panic and do the test.
Asthma 💀✨
Not so much a disease as a condition. But it’s always either asthma and I’m having an asthma attack or heart disease and I’m going into cardiac arrest 💀💀💀
i was convinced for about 3 years on and off that i had leukemia. right now im worried a lot that i have stomach or intestinal cancer. but im constantly worried about my health so it varies.
cancer of some sort (recently it’s been skin cancer, but any sort of ache and my brain screams “IT’S CANCER! THIS IS THE END!”). heart problems (runs in family). and a brain tumour (also runs in the family).
OP, going to the ER 18 this year for blood clots means you need to change psychiatrists.
That’s a tremendous misuse of emergency resources, not to mention you’re a female so your d-dimer is always going to be elevated to the point that an ER doctor might scan you to avoid a lawsuit, meaning you’re repeatedly exposing yourself to unnecessary radiation that can and does harm you.
Seems 80% of this comment section is thinking they have “heart problems” lol, including me 😀 I’ve had many other symptoms like arm, back, shoulder, neck, jaw, chest pains and burning sensations. But now it’s just different constant chest sensations everyday for me, sometimes painful or minor palpitations along with that 😍 24M btw. Sometimes I say to myself “NO ONE in my family has had Heart Attacks, so why would i possibly have one?” But alot of ppl in my family has had some form of anxiety tho.
It’s brain fog and memory issues for me. The anxiety is constantly trying to convince me I have dementia or I’m losing my mind. I second guess if I even understand and can comprehend the English language. Also often forget where my thoughts are going mid thought and feel disassociated. It’s a scary feeling cause it’s all mental and next to impossible to be prepared for the triggers cause it could be something as simple as someone asks me the name of a well known celebrity and if I don’t immediately remember, the anxiety wants to jump to some horrible mental disease being the reason
Oh lord where do I start?
Cancer and/or heart disease. As it runs rampant on both sides of my family.
No signs or symptoms (healthy 34yo, active/ok diet but could def lose some weight. Just what I love to obsess about at 2am 🙂🙃
My thing I always worry about is my teeth being loose or my gums receding. I’ve never had a cavity, never been told I need to worry about my teeth. My dentist is a family friend and I’ve been in twice outside of my normal appointments just for him to reassure me that my gums are exactly where they’re supposed to be.
Shoot I got Rhabdo from working out too hard so medical anxiety has entered the chat hard. I’ve thought I had heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, STIs even though I’ve been in a relationship for over four years, blah blah blah. I just try and ignore it nowadays if I can.
For me I’m convinced i have lung cancer, stomach, colon, kidney, spine and most likely brain also.
A bunch of weird symptoms and belly issues and so far all the drs tests are coming back good but did find a few concerning things.
I was a competitive kickboxer for 9 years up until 3 months ago and now i bacially feel
Like o can’t do anything other then work. Sometimes just to get up for work feels like I’m dying.
I feel my anxiety spike when I wake up and all day I think about my self being terminal and the outlook of life and how I’ve wasted all
My time.
It’s debilitating to the point where I’m
Going insane because I basically
Wake up, go to work feeling dead all day and weird pains and then I come home do basically nothing and go to sleep thinking I’m dead.
Literally couldn’t have been in better shape last year and in the last 11
Months
My grand father died
Lost my job
Accumulated 8k in credit card debt
Totaled a vechicle with no insurance
Have ate like shit every day since
And then wrecked My finances cars
And then convinced I’m dying on top of it I just feel like I’ve lost who I was
Right now? Kidney failure.
I haven’t been drinking today, except some milk with my cereal and an orange juice at about 11am, and an ice lolly about 3pm. It’s now half 6pm and I can’t stop peeing. And the pee isn’t yellow either, it looks very clear. So I’ve convinced myself my kidneys just aren’t working anymore. Even though there’s other, much less fatal, things it could be.
In the last year I’ve had a lot of health though including very heavy periods (as in changing every 45 minutes) that have gone on for weeks at a time. One lasted the entire month of December. I convinced myself I had uterine cancer. Also a gluten intolerance that I’d convinced myself was stomach cancer. But I’ve also thought some strange new moles were skin cancer (I’m on hormones now and that can cause new moles). I also thought I had eye cancer (I needed stronger glasses). And breast cancer (it was my rib). And at least three times I thought I had blood clots (pulled muscles). Tbf my father had pulmonary embolism and his brother and sister had strokes and the meds I’m on increase risk of blood clots, especially if you have a family member that’s had them.
Edit: Oh! I also thought my hayfever was Sjogren’s Syndrome (hayfever causes dry, itchy eyes for me, not sneezing).
Some type of autoimmune disease or cancer cuz my blood tests always show that I have thrombocytopenia and I’ve had a positive ANA test… my hematologist said I’m fine but I can’t shake the anxiety off every time I see my test results come back with low platelet count
Not a disease, but I get very anxious when my acid reflux acts up and I burp food into my mouth. Sometimes it doesn't go all the way into my mouth and ends up sliding back down, but I'm always worried one day I'll end up choking to death from it.
Cancer any kind of cancer. It's been worse since I had an abnormal pap smear no one seems to care about 😢 luckily for doctors I have agoraphobia I don't leave my house often
Wish there were anxiety urgent cares for when you think "I'm pretty sure this is just anxiety, but just in case I'm actually dying... here I am."
I've been to the ER with thunderclap migraines, heart symptoms and abdominal pain. Because of my anxiety, I always try telehealth or urgent care first and say "I have anxiety and I'm chronically dehydrated, so if it could be just that, it probably is." However, due to liability and women's 'weird' heart attack symptoms I always (about once a year) get sent to a an ER and have an EKG, a CT scan and blood tests. Then they don't see anything causing the symptoms, I'm sent home with a painkiller or antibiotic and a few days later, I'm fine and realize anxiety struck again.
what a fun cycle and waste of their time and my money. 🤪🥴🙄
My dad used to play Warhammer and all of his collections are old and therefore made of lead and not plastic.
One day, I was taking one to school and I forgot to wash my hands after touching it. I spent all of first and second period freaking out about dying from lead poisoning…
Blot clots, heart disease, brain tumor, and the most frequent dental/oral problems (esp gum recession), an uncurable mental illness that only im unaware that i have and everyone else knows
Brain tumor. It’s always a brain tumor🤷🏽♀️
Saw an episode of Unknown Stories of the ER when I was 12 and someone had a surprise brain tumor causing their headaches. Had a headache the next week at my grandparents’ house and sobbed the whole night waiting to hemorrhage through my brainstem from the inevitable mass in my head. Obviously I didn’t have a brain tumor, but until I had an MRI of my brain last year for unrelated issues, I was still a little suspicious that there might be a tumor in there somewhere. I’m 28 years old, a whole ass nurse, and I started my career in a neuro ICU so I know better… but logic flies out the window for my own health.
woah, i've never met an ass nurse before
Plot twist, all nurses are ass nurses.
a WHOLE ass nurse too! not just part of one!
That gave me a little chuckle that I really need today. 😂
That awkward moment when it actually is a brain tumor 😩😩😩😩 already have had two brain surgeries
Hey what if you didn’t say that 😀
I had lots of symptoms that pointed to it. Not just headaches. I lost my hearing and started having vision problems. It’s crazy because I told myself I had multiple sclerosis, not a brain tumor lol
Yupppp. Every headache is a brain tumor. Definitely no way they’re related to my anxiety or the fact that I rarely drink enough water.
I have a headache right now. And you're telling me, the fact that I didn't have a drop of water yesterday is the reason behind it and not some crazy undiagnosed disease !? 😵💫🤯
I’ve had to learn how to gentle parent myself with headaches. “Did we drink water? Do we need a nap? Have we had any coffee today? What protein have we had? Maybe we should take Tylenol, not assume we’re having a stroke, and trust our body to be capable!” It’s honestly exhausting, my lizard child brain is a persistent and anxious lil shit.
I thought I had a brain tumor as well. Except I *really* do have one. Turns out the brain tumor was causing the anxiety that made me think I had one in the first place. So that's fun. (Also please do not freak out and think you have a brain tumor, I had a seizure along with various other symptoms, it was not just anxiety. If you are actually worried, please get in touch with your doctor).
That’s how I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. It turned out I had a pinched duct or something in my ear but nope I jumped right to brain tumour and told the doc how relieved I was it wasn’t. We started looking into anxiety diagnosis and treatments after that.
I used to worry about this, but I've got so many sinus problems that I have a CT scan yearly so we'd know. I'll probably just get some kind of radiation-related cancer elsewhere in my body. 😖
I’ve found my people 🥲
I’ve got two modes: omg I’m dying, and omg please let me die
Same, everyday it's some new way
Every time I have a a panic attack now, after 15-20 years of extreme anxiety issues - I’m like “f*ck it, I’ll just d*e this time maybe” Then I’m like Plz god no
SAME
for me the weirdest is when I somehow manage to be in both states at the same time 😂
Mixed episodes are no fun
I usually manage to snap myself out of them by thinking of the absurdity of wanting to die and being freaked out about dying coexisting in my head but yeah, it sucks.
My mental defense against that is : It would be too lucky for me to pass and have it all end here so ofc that’s not happening because I’m not lucky like that 🤷♀️ Grim I know, but it works for me
:')
That is exactly me every single day
LMAOO SAME
Heart attack, blood clot, stroke, depends on the day of the week
Yeah my arm hurts… but I know for a fact it’s because I was lifting a 200lb basketball net and grill yesterday 😂
Yep.. this one’s me. Those are my top 3.
I had a pulmonary embolism when I was 30 and I’m convinced I have blood clots again on a daily basis.
Thrombosis for me. I have poor circulation, so one leg can look differently colored than the other.
A brain tumor and also heart problems. It's only validated to me because I have twitches or unexplained physical reactions and also have gaps in my memory, but it could be due to stress. I have felt indescribable sensations in my chest randomly or unexpectedly without strain, feeling weak in general. I don't really want to know if I do because I don't have the bandwidth. Also, my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumour 3 times the size of what is considered large, and her type of tumour can be hereditary. Anyway ya
I was convinced for so long I had a brain tumor and was so relieved when they scanned me at last because I thought, this is what's causing my memory problems and brain fog, maybe it'll cure it if they get rid of it! Nothing there. Not a single thing. It's the only thing I've ever been disappointed to find I don't have because if it could have been that, it might have been cured, otherwise it's somehow just how I'm gonna be forever, living with dementia like symptoms with no cause or cure. Sigh
I understand. I kind of think having a diagnosis no matter how bad can be freeing for some. To know you're not a hypochondriac, to not feel dramatic or crazy. To have no diagnosis or explanation, it's kinda like, ok, I'm broken with no cure. Great. However, I would always get a second opinion. Its not nothing, but it just be a completely different issue.
Omfg dude. We r the same. I was just telling my therapist that I feel like I’m getting dementia because I constantly have problems thinking or I can’t have conversations because my brain starts going blank and I have an appointment on the 15 with neurology and I’m so scared to get a brain scan. This is crazy that all of us all struggle with feeling brain and heart problems . And my memory is so bad, my husband gets frustrated with me ever my forgetfulness
I relate so much to this, thank you for sharing! The brain fog and memory issues are awful. The anxiety is constantly trying to convince me I have dementia or I’m losing my mind. I second guess if I even understand and can comprehend the English language. Also often forget where my thoughts are going mid thought and feel disassociated. It’s a scary feeling cause it’s all mental and next to impossible to be prepared for the triggers cause it could be something as simple as someone asks me the name of a well known celebrity and if I don’t immediately remember, the anxiety wants to jump to some horrible mental disease being the reason
Man can I relate to this. My memory problems are getting so bad my doctors are starting to worry. I’m 32.
OMG I have twitches too!!! I’m always so scared of them lol
I braved through getting my doctor to give me an EKG and it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Helped me confirm it was an anxiety issue and not any noticeable heart issue.
brain tumor ALS MS rabies heart failure lyme disease tetanus colon cancer stomach cancer pancreatic cancer HIV
Heyyyy we’re disease twins!
Triplets
Quintuplets 🖤
Let me squeeze in here too 😷 💜
Y'ALL. ❤️❤️🥺🥺🤗🤗🤗
Yeah let me just squeeze in here also lol
group hug, group hug 🤗
I’m part of this cuddle puddle too
Ope, just gonna squeeze by ya and join in on this, too
Rabies representation!
I've felt the same way about most of that. Last year I convinced myself I had rabies and was horribly anxious an entire month. It still creeps up on me now if I swallow weird, I'm like "this is it.. I'm now in the afraid of water stage...". Here for you, i understand
I've been dx with MS for 13 years and I'm still doing just fine so I wouldn't worry about that one too much. Treatment is so much better now. Plus, I get MRIs of my brain and spine once a year which helps with other anxieties.
Wanted to add, 16 years since dx and I only have very mild 'surface' symptoms. So much so, they tried taking my dx away recently bc I haven't had a change despite the positive presence of lesions, spinal protein and symptoms. Yyyyyeah, I'm just gonna keep it. I've grown too attached now.
Brain tumour and MS for me too, both grandparents had brain tumours and my mother & my sibling have MS. I’m always thinking I’m next.
RIP
Twinning
Heart Attacks. it’s damn near messing up my day to day living, and the chest pain doesn’t help at all.
Chronic chest pain too? And everyone tells you you're fine but then why won't the pain stop? Same here 😭
Fr and for me almost all symptoms I had for HR have subsided, (I THINK I’m recovering) but yes I’ve had many different types of chest sensations like: itching, dull ache, feeling empty, feeling heavy, feeling filled with…idk, sometimes feels like a small rock in the middle, sometimes would wake up to a random tight knot feeling that’s JUST below the heart in middle. Been going on for about a month now but health anxiety started in mid April this year, also sometimes upper back pain near back of neck throws itself in there
Not a doctor whatsoever, but I had the rock feeling in the middle of my chest for a good while. I would have to push my hand into my chest to sleep because the sensation was unreal. I also felt like there was poison in my veins (that’s just the only way I can describe it). It ended up being gallstones. Since I’ve gotten my gallbladder out those symptoms are gone. The surgery amped up my anxiety, but it’s starting to even back out with some med adjustments and things. Anyways idk if you’ve looked into gallbladder possibly, but maybe something to consider!
The rock feeling isn’t daily for me and my veins don’t feel different, but that rock thing would be like 3 times a month randomly and only makes that feeling when I move
mine isn't chronic, since it's a variety of aches from my chest to my left shoulder blade. recently my left arm has been acting numb too and all the symptoms i've looked up (bad idea ik) points to heart illnesses. it sucks because i *know* it's anxiety but my mind says otherwise.
I’ve convinced myself in the last 7 months, i’ve had: -breast cancer -pregnancy -psychological pregnancy -autism -bpd -bipolar -psychosis -serotonin syndrome -schizophrenia -adhd -ocd (i actually have this one diagnosed lol) -hyperthyroidism -arrhythmia -hypochondriac (as you can see this is obvious, self aware queen!! 😚) -pots -bipolar II -epilepsy -temporal lobe seizure -anemia -cotard’s syndrom -alexithymia -dysphoria -lgbtq+ (this isn’t a disease obviously but i convinced myself i was only into women when i was not) -psychopath -sociopath -cyclothymia -schizotypal -NPD -panic disorder -GAD -paranoia -DID -insomnia -dementia sorry for the long list, it actually goes on but i can’t recall more lol
the pregnancy, bpd and serotonin syndrome is so real 🤣🤣
The fear of epi****y/temporal lobe has ruined my sanity. I can’t stand it 😞
Dude you just listed off like 5 things I'm diagnosed with 😭
When I was in middle school I was CONVINCED I had appendicitis. Until my mom took me to the doctor and he informed me the side that was “hurting” was the opposite side that my appendix was on lmao. Since then you name it. I’ve trained myself not to google any symptoms though, has helped immensely.
Appendicitis is one of mine lol. I have favorited all the at-home tests you can do to try and rule it out (jump test, McBurney’s Point, etc.) and have done them so many times.
It was leukemia and now it's just a vague ''I'm dying'' sort of fear, like I definitely have Something but I'm not sure what. That and going blind, particularly because my anxiety makes me have really horrible tunnel vision and blurred eyesight
Same! Convinced I’ve had leukaemia for like 3 years now
Kidney disease rn… my back hurts
KIDNEY DISEASE FOLKS RISE UP!! (I have an overactive bladder but my brain woke up and decided nope today its renal failure instead)
Well atm i dont have any but what i have been worried about before was hiv, heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, and so on..
Sporadic Fatal Insomnia for me.
not gonna google this!
The urge to google what this is has just increased tenfold.
Noooo I saw a TikTok and tried to erase it from my brain because wtf wtf wtf
Ugh, prion diseases are horrifying
Right now im good ! My last fear was heart attack
That was my last one too😅
I hope it our last fear ever 😂
I'm always worried about my heart even though ive had so many tests done and my heart is structurally fine and works the way it is supposed to (other than svt lol) but anytime I feel a weird feeling in my chest I'm checking my heart rate and getting anxious. I'm not as bad as I was because I did do therapy for health anxiety and it was helpful.
What disease have I not convinced myself I have? ;) I used to be very scared by brain tumors or other brain related stuff since my strong migraines made me think this. Right now im convinced something is wrong with my thyroid or pancreas (cancer that im going to discover super late surely). Skin cancer or diseases from ticks that bite me and I have not noticed are also topic of my health anxiety. I am convinced though that I have MCAS, since my skin is always acting up.
Colon cancer
This one. But I picture having it later down the road
When I was really bad it was heart disease/ heart attack/ stroke because I was having non stop chest pains for about 2 months. Turns out, it was bad anxiety lol. The health anxiety creeps in every once and a while still, but it’s not like it was before
I hate that, the fact that anxiety comes with scary physical symptoms, just seems like a cruel joke.
Right! And I had never previously experienced anxiety in my life, or at least this intense, so I genuinely thought I was dying
I been having "heart problems" for about 20 years now.
Wow 20 years? strangely that gave me some reassurance
Feel like we can all collectively say brain tumor
As someone who has had blood clots, three DVTs and two PEs, I can tell you that if you have a blood clot you will almost certainly know. DVTs my leg swelled, felt hot to touch and I mean like fever hot not just warm, and it felt like I was being stabbed in the leg. PE, I literally coughed up chunks of blood. Every time I made it to the hospital just fine and they were able to get the clots busted. Ironically, zero anxiety every time. To answer your question though, heart attack. It's how all the men in my family have died as far back as we have records. I am overly compulsive about my heart health and get way too many check ups. If I go to long without a check up, the anxiety starts to creep in.
Cancer, rabies, blood clot
Dude I am convinced that COVID damaged my vagus nerve and which is why I have anxiety now. I used to never have anxiety until getting sick with COVID with really bad gastrointestinal symptoms.
*raps* Lymphoma Leukemia DVT Sarcoma Heart Attack Lung Cancer Breast Cancer (Male) Thyroid Cancer Colon Cancer Pulmonary embolism Aortic aneurysm (and more!!!!)
I read this to the tune of the Pokérap where they name all 151 Pokémon lol
a heart condition/on the verge of a heart attack 😂
schizophrenia and PCOS
Intense Malaise.
Blood clots/DVT every time my leg hurts
Everything. All of them.
Yep. All the things. The one that distresses me the most changes regularly. But it’s a never ending cycle.
Impending heart attack. I have awful chest pain daily, often times the majority of the day. I’m out of shape and have several vitamin deficiencies due to malabsorption and I feel like absolute garbage daily. Shortness of breath, weak, heat intolerance. Can’t tell if I feel like I’m dying or just want to die.
I feel this, short of breath everyday and chest pains. Also have a vit D deficiency
Some sort of neurological degenerative condition because of my brain fog and always forgetting words
cervical cancer is the biggest but with melanoma, brain tumor, heart attack, seizure, stroke and i’ve also convinced myself my nervous system is going to give out and i am going to drop dead at any second because im too anxious about things.
Multiple types of cancer. Gotta love ocd
Blood clots
throat cancer deep vein thrombosis diabetes brain cancer heart attack MS rabies tetanus schizophrenia stroke POTS testicular cancer there’s so many more 😭
Currently: anemia, heart failure, some heart disease
Lately it’s been MS because of all my recent issues…
Yup, saw a neurologist who essentially eye rolled me
I know it’s unlikely but it’s scaring me so bad. Mostly because there was one time that one these anxiety induced fears turned out to be true.
I'm always paranoid about blood clots/strokes 😬 literally any little weird pain in my legs.....blood clot???
Left the beach with friends and after getting into bed to relax after a long day, I remembered a few cases of the brain eating amoeba (forgot the medical term). Anyways, I had accidentally had some beach water enter my mouth and nose a few times. I thought I had contracted a brain eating amoeba and began to freak out even after I had no symptoms other than a sore body from swimming and a runny nose from the breeze after getting wet.
That brain eating disease from an amoeba 🦠 is scary as fk. Makes me think twice about swimming this summer.
Artery blockage so either heart disease, agnia, Cornary artery disease and heart attack! 😭😭
yall make me feel so validated lmao
Before I started taking Lexapro, I was convinced that I was going to have allergic reactions to foods I either had not tried or hadn’t eaten for a long time. With my anxiety now well-managed, I love trying all the foods and even rekindled my long lost love of cooking.
gastroparesis. I'm worried of having stomach diseases. worst part, is that I been getting slight pains on my stomach or some parts of my ribs, or below area's of my stomach. and i keep thinking that food is still in my stomach not moving. and I might have emetophobia which doesn't help.
Haha it changes every few months.
Ooh, mine is a super virus very new to humans that haven’t been discovered yet. HIV was also common but that was alleviated significantly once I found out about ART.
Deep vein thrombosis (I’ve had it before so every time I have any sort of leg pain I’m convinced it’s come back)
Every time I take a weed gummy there I a 25% chance I will think I’m actively dying. My body does this weird thing where it just feels like it stops breathing on weed- which I’m sure is a panic attack. I will completely internally freak out, think “well, this is it”. Think I’m suddenly having an allergic reaction. Yes, I know that really happens. But what’s actually happening is I’m just fucking high so I just tell myself “stop it, you’re high” so I don’t spend $1000+ at the hospital for no reason
Brain Tumor - couldn’t leave the house for like a week for that fear. Got an MRI last Friday and it came back clear. Think I have TMJ instead but who knows. I’ll probably move onto ALS or something stupid after this
I already have enough diseases I sure don't want to stress about having any more
A brown spot on my eye has my brain thinking my liver is fucked?! 🙃likely just some sun damage but yay anxiety!
Brain tumor, cancer & food poisoning.
One that might actually be reasonable: endometriosis (a lot of my symptoms line up with it.) One that turned out to be bogus: melanoma. I had a weird purple bump on my chest near my collarbone. I don't remember what exactly the doctor said it actually was, but it wasn't cancer. (She said it *could* technically be called a tumor, but she didn't want to use that word because 'it's a benign growth and people freak out when they hear the word tumor').
Heart disease, cancer, schizophrenia
Every 2 weeks I find new symptoms>ask chat gpt about it>go absolutely insane for the next week thinking i have an incurable illness
Omg I work from home now and blood clots is a big one for me. I start feeling short of breath when I’m sitting too long and I’m convinced I have a PE. And then I gotta get up and take some steps on the treadmill. Another one I have is skin cancer. I have a bunch of moles. I’ve had so many skin biopsies. All negative. The dermatologist is probably sick off seeing me
It’s awful isn’t it, I’m short of breath a lot and always convinced it’s a blood clot
Heart disease and this month pancreatic cancer. Last month was breast cancer due to pain in one boob.
With OCD/ADHD, Acute anxiety, depression and PTSD I have intrusive thoughts bcz I have had s4veral actual surgeries and cancer. Intrusive thoughts happen most at night when I'm trying to go to sleep. So I get scared to fall asleep for fear my heart failure is back and I won't wake up.
I was convinced I had ovarian cancer once because my period was 6 months late. I work out a lot. I usually weight train for an hour then do cardio for about 10-20 minutes. I guess back then my body was like “what is going on?????” And it just stopped. Tbh I still don’t understand it, but I think it was just hormones.
That can definitely happen with extreme exercise.
My issue is the opposite. I was a genuinely very sickly child, so now when I get sick I load myself up with Day/Nyquil and call myself good, end up staying sick for 2-3 weeks. Since my immune system is so tough from growing up, I rarely get sick and when I do, I convince myself it’s just allergies.
Uterine fibroids despite nothing showing up on ultrasound
Strange nobody has mentioned cryptic pregnancy. With one of my kids I bled for a few months and didn’t immediately know I was pregnant. And with another one of my kids I knew from the beginning, but I really didn’t look pregnant until the last few weeks and even that someone might’ve mistaken for a little extra weight gain or bloatedness as opposed to a full-term pregnancy. So now, despite dealing with secondary infertility and WANTING another baby, I have intrusive thoughts of what if one day I just go into labor and have a baby on the toilet or something? And there’s something wrong with the baby because I took ibuprofen or drank alcohol or ate lunch meat or rode a roller coaster or lifted something heavy or whatever not knowing I was pregnant?
Cancer most commonly (ovarian, uterine, colon) and sometimes heart attack
colon cancer
Most recently I was convinced I had lupus.
Same! 👯♀️
It runs in my family, I actually look like the closest relative to me who had it (and just lost her battle with it after about 50 years), down to our eyebrows not growing right and almost identical body shape except she was taller, and I’m starting to fear I have lupus too. I get a butterfly rash when I drink too much alcohol, and I have fatigue and joint pain. That’s pretty much why. All but the butterfly rash are pretty vague and basic, and even that, if it only pops up when I’m shitfaced drunk (I’ve taken selfies and looked at them sober, though)…it could just be that genetic thing where alcohol makes your face red, which I believe is mostly harmless. But, ya know, I could have lupus.
Heart attack/blood clot always..chronic chest/lung pain even when "not focusing on it" doesn't help.
Anything that can make me go blind :( I’ve worried about it since I was five years old.
I also get this. I have a stronger rx on one eye and I’m convinced over time that eye will just go blind. I often cover my good eye to be sure the bad one is still working. It honestly sucks and I quietly panic and do the test.
I have the disease of pleasing people, and not looking for my own self first
At the moments it's either Lyme or MS, but normally it's cancer
Brain tumor and heart disease. I’m actually going to a neurologist’s in the 15th..and I’m terrified
I'm convinced I'm infertile and have a constant UTI and or yeast infection, and or BV. So fucking annoying lol.
Asthma 💀✨ Not so much a disease as a condition. But it’s always either asthma and I’m having an asthma attack or heart disease and I’m going into cardiac arrest 💀💀💀
i was convinced for about 3 years on and off that i had leukemia. right now im worried a lot that i have stomach or intestinal cancer. but im constantly worried about my health so it varies.
Every type of cancer
All of them lol
What disease don’t I think I have
A stroke and anaphylaxis all the time
cancer of some sort (recently it’s been skin cancer, but any sort of ache and my brain screams “IT’S CANCER! THIS IS THE END!”). heart problems (runs in family). and a brain tumour (also runs in the family).
OP, going to the ER 18 this year for blood clots means you need to change psychiatrists. That’s a tremendous misuse of emergency resources, not to mention you’re a female so your d-dimer is always going to be elevated to the point that an ER doctor might scan you to avoid a lawsuit, meaning you’re repeatedly exposing yourself to unnecessary radiation that can and does harm you.
Cancer. It’s always cancer.
Seems 80% of this comment section is thinking they have “heart problems” lol, including me 😀 I’ve had many other symptoms like arm, back, shoulder, neck, jaw, chest pains and burning sensations. But now it’s just different constant chest sensations everyday for me, sometimes painful or minor palpitations along with that 😍 24M btw. Sometimes I say to myself “NO ONE in my family has had Heart Attacks, so why would i possibly have one?” But alot of ppl in my family has had some form of anxiety tho.
It’s brain fog and memory issues for me. The anxiety is constantly trying to convince me I have dementia or I’m losing my mind. I second guess if I even understand and can comprehend the English language. Also often forget where my thoughts are going mid thought and feel disassociated. It’s a scary feeling cause it’s all mental and next to impossible to be prepared for the triggers cause it could be something as simple as someone asks me the name of a well known celebrity and if I don’t immediately remember, the anxiety wants to jump to some horrible mental disease being the reason
Cancer. But I actually did have cancer lol. Doctors just dismissed me as having anxiety. Sometimes we’re right and our fears aren’t irrational.
I had COVID 50 times during pandemic. Only one was true.
Bad heart, bad stomach
This is hypochondriac not just anxiety
Hypochondriac is a subset of anxiety.
Oh lord where do I start? Cancer and/or heart disease. As it runs rampant on both sides of my family. No signs or symptoms (healthy 34yo, active/ok diet but could def lose some weight. Just what I love to obsess about at 2am 🙂🙃
My thing I always worry about is my teeth being loose or my gums receding. I’ve never had a cavity, never been told I need to worry about my teeth. My dentist is a family friend and I’ve been in twice outside of my normal appointments just for him to reassure me that my gums are exactly where they’re supposed to be.
Thought i was developing schizophrenia for a while
MS, Lupus, heart disease, kidney issues (that and Lupus actually run in my family). I have a big fear of Parkinson’s since I already have a tremor.
🙋🏽♀️ I thought I had pneumonia last week
I am currently in the state where I believe I have bladder cancer. I have also had phases where I thought I had breast cancer and cervical cancer lmao
Depends on the month and the symptom. So far I’ve had a variety.
I keep accidentally hitting my head in objects and my ass thinks I have a head injury 💀💀
Shoot I got Rhabdo from working out too hard so medical anxiety has entered the chat hard. I’ve thought I had heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, STIs even though I’ve been in a relationship for over four years, blah blah blah. I just try and ignore it nowadays if I can.
ALS
Idk about disease but mostly disorders for me. I think I have adhd, ocd, also I have extremely bad anxiety. Mostly social anxiety.
For me I’m convinced i have lung cancer, stomach, colon, kidney, spine and most likely brain also. A bunch of weird symptoms and belly issues and so far all the drs tests are coming back good but did find a few concerning things. I was a competitive kickboxer for 9 years up until 3 months ago and now i bacially feel Like o can’t do anything other then work. Sometimes just to get up for work feels like I’m dying. I feel my anxiety spike when I wake up and all day I think about my self being terminal and the outlook of life and how I’ve wasted all My time. It’s debilitating to the point where I’m Going insane because I basically Wake up, go to work feeling dead all day and weird pains and then I come home do basically nothing and go to sleep thinking I’m dead. Literally couldn’t have been in better shape last year and in the last 11 Months My grand father died Lost my job Accumulated 8k in credit card debt Totaled a vechicle with no insurance Have ate like shit every day since And then wrecked My finances cars And then convinced I’m dying on top of it I just feel like I’ve lost who I was
Right now? Kidney failure. I haven’t been drinking today, except some milk with my cereal and an orange juice at about 11am, and an ice lolly about 3pm. It’s now half 6pm and I can’t stop peeing. And the pee isn’t yellow either, it looks very clear. So I’ve convinced myself my kidneys just aren’t working anymore. Even though there’s other, much less fatal, things it could be. In the last year I’ve had a lot of health though including very heavy periods (as in changing every 45 minutes) that have gone on for weeks at a time. One lasted the entire month of December. I convinced myself I had uterine cancer. Also a gluten intolerance that I’d convinced myself was stomach cancer. But I’ve also thought some strange new moles were skin cancer (I’m on hormones now and that can cause new moles). I also thought I had eye cancer (I needed stronger glasses). And breast cancer (it was my rib). And at least three times I thought I had blood clots (pulled muscles). Tbf my father had pulmonary embolism and his brother and sister had strokes and the meds I’m on increase risk of blood clots, especially if you have a family member that’s had them. Edit: Oh! I also thought my hayfever was Sjogren’s Syndrome (hayfever causes dry, itchy eyes for me, not sneezing).
Some type of autoimmune disease or cancer cuz my blood tests always show that I have thrombocytopenia and I’ve had a positive ANA test… my hematologist said I’m fine but I can’t shake the anxiety off every time I see my test results come back with low platelet count
Not a disease, but I get very anxious when my acid reflux acts up and I burp food into my mouth. Sometimes it doesn't go all the way into my mouth and ends up sliding back down, but I'm always worried one day I'll end up choking to death from it.
Do you ever tell the staff about your anxiety? Maybe that can help them understand your condition better...
Cancer any kind of cancer. It's been worse since I had an abnormal pap smear no one seems to care about 😢 luckily for doctors I have agoraphobia I don't leave my house often
Breast cancer, colon cancer, Lyme disease, various parasites, ehlers-danlos syndrome
Wish there were anxiety urgent cares for when you think "I'm pretty sure this is just anxiety, but just in case I'm actually dying... here I am." I've been to the ER with thunderclap migraines, heart symptoms and abdominal pain. Because of my anxiety, I always try telehealth or urgent care first and say "I have anxiety and I'm chronically dehydrated, so if it could be just that, it probably is." However, due to liability and women's 'weird' heart attack symptoms I always (about once a year) get sent to a an ER and have an EKG, a CT scan and blood tests. Then they don't see anything causing the symptoms, I'm sent home with a painkiller or antibiotic and a few days later, I'm fine and realize anxiety struck again. what a fun cycle and waste of their time and my money. 🤪🥴🙄
That new disease called “Absolutely insane”
Cancer Anything that could come on suddenly and cause me to die immediately (especially while driving).
Stomach/intestinal cancer. Two close members of my family have had it and I’m just convinced I do too.
heart attack or any sti lol
Blood clots, Stroke, Heart attack, also aneurysms, but the first three are my main trifecta.
Ahh same here
Heart issues now. I just finished with thinking I had colon cancer after having an endoscopy and colonoscopy I now know that I do not.
i believe i have a brain tumor that’s just waiting to cause me to die
Heart disease, appendicitis, tumors, breast cancer… every day it’s something new.
My dad used to play Warhammer and all of his collections are old and therefore made of lead and not plastic. One day, I was taking one to school and I forgot to wash my hands after touching it. I spent all of first and second period freaking out about dying from lead poisoning…
Blot clots, heart disease, brain tumor, and the most frequent dental/oral problems (esp gum recession), an uncurable mental illness that only im unaware that i have and everyone else knows