obsession about health issues and dying

[Brendan _2204]

Hi
So a month ago I got a chest infection. I still have it.. it has caused me a lot of grief and anxiety. Feeling like I couldn’t breath. Struggling to sleep for weeks. Now my kids have covid and that’s freaked me out.

Only thing is since this.. I go into abit of a freak out where I wonder if my bronchitis is more then bronchitis.. then I start freaking about about getting a chronic illness or terminal and dying. I even worry about how I’ll die.

I just wish I mentally was back to normal without freaking out over it. Even if I see people on tv acting dying it freaks me out.

[Ula]

Dear Brendan
This sounds a really hard time for you. I have used therapy to help myself with panic. However you may not choose the therapy path. I have also used medication from my GP. I would talk to Gp or do an econsult.
Seek urgent help if you feel desperate.
This forum is for carers of people in need of care so you may want to look at MIND or Rethink mental illness.
Please seek help you sound really low and I wish you well. Ula

[Kevin _2204]

I had this really bad after the birth of my second kid. I ended up having my first panic attacks brought on by the physical symptoms anxiety was causing me. I had an ultrasound for a persistent pain in my abdomen, complete blood work done to rule out thyroid issues, an EKG and 24 hour heart monitor to prove my heart was healthy.... Plus those same intrusive thoughts about what if I or my husband die in our sleep, what if one of us died while we were alone with the kids, what would the kids do, how horrible and scared they would feel if we were unresponsive. It got much better around 6-12 months out right when I was considering getting extra help for it, but I still get derailed by intrusive thoughts when I am tired or stressed, and I still get over-the-top about minor health issues anyone in my family is suffering. It's awful but it definitely helps me that I KNOW it's all in my head.

[Norah_2205]

I go through this from time to time, mostly focusing on losing family members. I'll have intrusive thoughts about actually attending their funerals and then break down in tears. I'm sorry, it's so stressful and just plain sucks. With therapy and medication I have gotten better.