Newbie

[homely60]

Hi all, i am a 61 year old mother of three. I have suffered from hypochondria all my life. My mother was like it and she nearly drove my dad nuts. So it is no surprise. She took me to the doctors and convinced them i had a heart complaint. I spent a huge amount of my childhood in and out of hospital, suffering from tachycardia and having all sorts of tests. Even a cardiac catheterisation. I wasn't present for the results and my mother told me that the doctor said i wouldn't live to a very good age because i had a misshapen heart. I found out as an adult that it was a lie. I also witnessed a 19 year old aunt die of cancer when i was 12. So i have gone from thinking i had a heart problem to being obsessed about cancer. I actually started to get a little control over this, until Christmas 2009. I had gone through the menopause and was completely over that. I had a bleed suddenly at Christmas i was sent for an ultrascan and biopsy all clear. It took me nearly all year to stop checking for bleeding and panicking everyday, it would happen again and then just as i was starting to relax, this Christmas the same thing happened again. This is again being put down to stress but they are doing all the necessary checks but i am convinced that i have cancer of the womb or ovaries and it is developing slowly and hasn't shown up yet. I am now back on tranquilisers and anti depressants because this is taking over my life again. I would just like to add to all the young people on here in this situation, i also have been worrying about health all my life and i have reached 61 and so far been very healthy. How sad what a waste of all those years worrying unnecessarily. I hope you can get the help you all need so that you can stop this at a young age. I have missed out on so many hours of happiness by obsessing over illnesses for nothing. Now i am older i think that it will happen one day because of my age. My parents are both in their 80's so i could have another 20 years and will waste those as well. Regards Homely

[hypotoo]

Well said Newbie. Welcome.

Those who choose to ignore the advice and counsel of this member are certain to repeat her history.

Newbie, I am only a few years younger than you, but am in remission from hypochondria. Although you've suffered decades you may still recover if you're willing to work through the pain of recovery. Seek the counsel of a mental health professional, and consider CBT.