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Hi all,
I have been a long time reader of the forum but haven't yet posted anything.
As per the title, I was wondering if anybody here has experience with Diabetes and Health Anxiety. Those of you who have, what extent do/did you suffer from health anxiety and do you have any tips to manage or even overcome it?
I have been type 1 diabetic for 10 years since the age of 22, on Novorapid and Solostar. For the first 8 years my control was always in the low 50's hba1c, which I considered good. This was with finger prick testing alone.
Then I had a panic attack out of nowhere 1 day, no rhyme or reason to it, just happened. I had all the classic sysmptoms which I came to learn about. I didn't know what it was at the time and in the moment I quite literally thought I was dying. I managed to see a doctor within 30 mins of the episode and the white coat telling me it was 'just' a panic attack calmed me down and my immediate symptoms subsided. But then the real trouble started.
For the last 2 years I have been trapped down the health anxiety rabbit hole with a side order of type 1 diabetes to go along with it. They seem to feed off of each other. I feel consumed with constant thoughts of 'health' every single day, before with just the diabetes it was tolerable but since that first panic attack and what has since come with it, it is now all consuming. Whether it's something specifically to do with my diabetes like my BG level, which I have really struggled with during this time, or if it's somewhat unrelated such as an ache in my chest and thinking it's an imminent heart attack, I just can't seem to get away from thinking and obsessing about 'health' and symptoms. I have spoken with 2 therapists, 1 specifically who specialises in health anxiety but I never really got anything from the sessions. I regularly go on youtube and listen to people who have gone through this (just health anxiety) themselves which helps but the relief is short lived and reality kicks back in.
With regards to the health anxiety, I have had reassurances several times from doctors and tests, that always show I am fine, even with the bloodwork done with the hba1c and the eye exam. This never seems enough though, even if I have good days/weeks, the anxiety is constantly there at varying levels and constantly throws up new 'symptoms' for me to focus in on and obsess over. During this time I have had some amazing life moments happen, such as the birth of my 1st child in October and moving into a new house. The health anxiety/diabetes combo takes the shine off of these moments.
I was coincidentally given a libre 2 cgm 2 weeks after that 1st panic attack which I thought would really be a game changer for me, but it had the complete opposite effect probably due to the anxious state I was in. I stuck with the cgm for about a year and a half but had to take it out in the end as it was just feeding this health anxiety. Over a 7 day period, I worked out that i was scanning the sensor 42 times a day on average. Hearing the high glucose alarm was a particular downer for me. Since taking it out, I feel my levels have been better with just finger prick testing, but time will tell when I have my next hba1c I suppose.
Sorry for the long post, but as above, does anyone have experience with this diabetes/health anxiety combo? Do you have any tips to manage or even overcome it?
Thanks,
Damian
I have been a long time reader of the forum but haven't yet posted anything.
As per the title, I was wondering if anybody here has experience with Diabetes and Health Anxiety. Those of you who have, what extent do/did you suffer from health anxiety and do you have any tips to manage or even overcome it?
I have been type 1 diabetic for 10 years since the age of 22, on Novorapid and Solostar. For the first 8 years my control was always in the low 50's hba1c, which I considered good. This was with finger prick testing alone.
Then I had a panic attack out of nowhere 1 day, no rhyme or reason to it, just happened. I had all the classic sysmptoms which I came to learn about. I didn't know what it was at the time and in the moment I quite literally thought I was dying. I managed to see a doctor within 30 mins of the episode and the white coat telling me it was 'just' a panic attack calmed me down and my immediate symptoms subsided. But then the real trouble started.
For the last 2 years I have been trapped down the health anxiety rabbit hole with a side order of type 1 diabetes to go along with it. They seem to feed off of each other. I feel consumed with constant thoughts of 'health' every single day, before with just the diabetes it was tolerable but since that first panic attack and what has since come with it, it is now all consuming. Whether it's something specifically to do with my diabetes like my BG level, which I have really struggled with during this time, or if it's somewhat unrelated such as an ache in my chest and thinking it's an imminent heart attack, I just can't seem to get away from thinking and obsessing about 'health' and symptoms. I have spoken with 2 therapists, 1 specifically who specialises in health anxiety but I never really got anything from the sessions. I regularly go on youtube and listen to people who have gone through this (just health anxiety) themselves which helps but the relief is short lived and reality kicks back in.
With regards to the health anxiety, I have had reassurances several times from doctors and tests, that always show I am fine, even with the bloodwork done with the hba1c and the eye exam. This never seems enough though, even if I have good days/weeks, the anxiety is constantly there at varying levels and constantly throws up new 'symptoms' for me to focus in on and obsess over. During this time I have had some amazing life moments happen, such as the birth of my 1st child in October and moving into a new house. The health anxiety/diabetes combo takes the shine off of these moments.
I was coincidentally given a libre 2 cgm 2 weeks after that 1st panic attack which I thought would really be a game changer for me, but it had the complete opposite effect probably due to the anxious state I was in. I stuck with the cgm for about a year and a half but had to take it out in the end as it was just feeding this health anxiety. Over a 7 day period, I worked out that i was scanning the sensor 42 times a day on average. Hearing the high glucose alarm was a particular downer for me. Since taking it out, I feel my levels have been better with just finger prick testing, but time will tell when I have my next hba1c I suppose.
Sorry for the long post, but as above, does anyone have experience with this diabetes/health anxiety combo? Do you have any tips to manage or even overcome it?
Thanks,
Damian