"Working through my health anxiety"

I was diagnosed with anxiety and low mood in October 2023. I thought I had worked through my anxiety struggles but in August 2024 my anxiety developed further into health anxiety. This terrified me, I found myself counting my pulse, checking my body for bruises and measuring these regularly throughout the day.

I was terrified of minor illnesses such as colds developing into major illnesses and was convinced I was more unwell than I really was.

This affected my personal relationships and made me feel like I was going crazy.

In September 2024 I found out I was pregnant and this added more fuel to my health anxiety because I now had another little human to worry about also!

I decided to refer myself back to talking therapies and this time I was referred to full CBT sessions. Here I met the most wonderful therapist, she listened, she cared and she worked through everything with me. Nothing I said phased her, she always had a reassuring tone and level headed response for me. She allowed me to speak and I genuinely felt heard for the first time in my therapy journey. I feel this is why my recovery was more successful this time round. The tools she has provided me feel more useful this time round and I feel more confident and able to communicate with my family more freely than before.

Don’t get me wrong, the health anxiety has not gone away, but I feel I am more capable of dealing with my triggers and worries without relying on the professional support.

I feel confident that I am healthy, strong and if I do become unwell I feel I am better equipped to stay strong and fight against my worries.