r/HealthAnxiety • u/Ordinary-Ad9549 Beat Health Anxiety! • Jul 27 '25
Progress Story That Offers Advice for Others Progress in my first health anxiety relapse after 3 years free from it: nearly there again!
Hello everyone! Just wanted to share my bit of experience. I have general anxiety since I was a child. I developed HA as a young adult after my first 100% random and unprompted panic attack in 2017, thinking it was a heart issue (apparently this is not an uncommon trigger for people with HA). In 2021, after finishing CBT and my SSRI treatment, I was completely healed from general anxiety & HA (as in, the thoughts were exceptionally rare and fleeting).
Last autumn, a ridiculous but *huge* HA trigger made me fall into my first full-blown anxiety (and HA) relapse after almost 3 years of total healing of anxiety. It was humbling and very difficult, but I immediately talked about it to my doctor, saw a therapist a few times and applied all that I had learned into CBT. It sloooowly got better and better. Some days are harder than others but when I look back, the progress is there, month by month, week by week.
My HA is still here, although it's "low-grade" at least compared to what it was. I say I'm nearly there because all I need now is to stop worrying "quicker" about my physical symptoms and stop googling (I do it way less than before therapy but, you guys know it, it's easy to fall back into the habit!)
What helps me the most at this stage, and what I want to highlight the most for other people who go through HA and read this... is the "2 weeks rule" where I book NO doc appointment and if the symptom worrying me is still there after 2 weeks, I do. But so far it could be a three day rule - and I haven't seen the doctor since February! āŗ
Even though it still is here every day, it is amusing and greatly helps rationalising to see that my symptoms change so often. It's like my anxiety is pushing the buttons. I have various aches... but they keep travelling from from one body part or organ to another. Every week or so it changes. My HA is a creature and it's travelling, I hope it's having fun š
Remember, the body is always doing normal, and healthy things such as digestion, hormone fluctuations, etc. It also, you know it, reacts to stress. So, various aches, discomforts are normal and temporary, and they are enhanced by anxiety or HA. They'll pass, you will see. Yes, even what you feel right now, you who are reading me! :)
Anyway, that's where I'm at currently. Any of you have experienced total healing and then relapses? Are you progressing in your journey, noticing you catastrophise a bit less than you did a few months or years ago?
Stay strong everyone, be gentle with yourself, and be patient. Healing is possible!
3
Jul 27 '25
This is very reassuring. Iām off the heels of a gnarly spiral back into HA after a while of being mild, trying my best to remind myself of my own safety and power in this
1
u/Ordinary-Ad9549 Beat Health Anxiety! Jul 27 '25
You said it, even though it's hard to believe when you're neck-deep in HA, you're safe and this will pass. You've been through worse, I am sure of it. Sending you all my thoughts, I hope you feel some relief soon!
2
Jul 27 '25
Oh yeah, there's been several relapses. Each one makes it easier to understand how it works and when I'm falling back into it, but it still feels horrible. Currently going through a mid-strength one atm. One little stressful event and I'm back here. Sometimes I can stand the stress without health anxiety taking over, sometimes can't. My body has just decided that this is our way to deal with stress. It's really annoying with the tens of (different/new) symptoms each time but it is what it is. I just remember the bliss when I come out of it and can live life normally again.
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u/Ordinary-Ad9549 Beat Health Anxiety! Jul 27 '25
Sorry to hear you're going through one! But I'm glad to hear you have a positive outlook on the whole thing. It's reassuring for me to read that you had different/new symptoms as well, it's what made this first relapse of mine difficult. It felt "new", I thought I was back at the bottom of the ladder, but no. Like you said, doesn't feel nice, but it's easier to understand and therefore to move past it. Hope you get relief and that nicely described bliss of being fine really soon!
2
u/Unfair_Secretary9227 Managing HA in šØš¦ Canada Aug 03 '25
I feel like I'm at the beginning of your journey, I'm glad you're doing better ā¤ļø I had what I think was a panic attack last month, and I've been constantly worrying about having heart problems, despite multiple EKGs, stress EKG, blood tests, chest x-ray... and the fact that I'm in my early 20s! When I start thinking too much about it, it feels like my heart sinks and it is so scary :( Definitely will stop googling as much
Thank you for sharing your story, this HA is very new to me so you're giving me hope!
1
u/Skyyiing Jul 27 '25
I'm back at work after being away for 10 days due to a health anxiety spiral/"episode". I'm trying to settle in, but it's been quite difficult so far, and all I want to do is hide away from the world. Before that, I've been having on-and-off episodes over the last few years that have been incredibly debilitating.
So thank you for posting this. It's very helpful to read/remind myself of all the things you've posted.
1
u/Rintrah- Aug 01 '25
I am in the same boat in terms of having a huge relapse after three years relatively free. I mean, minor flares here and there, but three good, beautiful years.
1
u/Ordinary-Ad9549 Beat Health Anxiety! Aug 07 '25
Late reply, but oh no, I'm sorry your experience is mirroring mine with the relapse at 3 years! You have to hold on to the hope that you were able to reach that "normalcy" and you will be able to get back to it. Sending warm thoughts!
5
u/elderYdumpsterfire Jul 28 '25
This is reassuring. I'm on the tail end of a 5 months BAD episode. Longest I've had. And I'm embarrassed to say I'm sitting in the ER right now bc I honestly can't tell if what's happening is a big deal or not. I'm so over it. I'm over the fear and shame