Reddit reviews Overcoming Health Anxiety: Letting Go of Your Fear of Illness

https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Health-Anxiety-Letting-Illness/dp/1572248386

A few things. I've made some changes in my religious life as a Christian that I think have been very helpful. I started going to therapy, and was fortunate enough to get setup with an incredible therapist. I started taking medication, but I'm already weaning off one of the pills! This was a process though. They didn't get the right medication combo for me right away. I've increased the amount of time I spend at the gym. That burns a lot of nervous energy and is associated with a lot of other mental health benefits. Also, I got setup with a primary care physician who is quite special and who I really trust. He let me share with him all of my health concerns and let me set up a patient portal account to talk with it. This is a lot better than strangers in the ER and urgent care centers. I've also benefited from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Health-Anxiety-Letting-Illness/dp/1572248386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498246765&sr=8-1&keywords=overcoming+health+anxiety

Let me know if I can be of further help. I've recovered enough to the point where I am really eager to give back. I'm grateful for all the help I've received on this subreddit. Sorry for the late reply!

I totally get where you're coming from. The sad thing is, many people don't. They just call us hypochondriacs and laugh about it, but it's terrifying when you're going through a crisis, whether it's going to kill you or not.

I think it's very interesting that you mentioned your own health from a few years ago and how your anxiety might've been heightened because of that. I'm pretty sure you've found the cause! My own anxieties about my health started when a) my friend died of cancer and then b) I got cancer myself (all good now, yay!). So there's reality within those fears, but the fears we have are starting to take over and that's not cool. Like "yeah, I get it, brain, you're trying to help me survive by worrying about my health" but seriously, our brains need to slow. down.

If you're open to it, I have a book that really helped me get through my health anxiety that I don't mind sending to you. It's this one: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Health-Anxiety-Letting-Illness/dp/1572248386/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481929952&sr=8-3&keywords=health+anxiety
I read the first few pages and I was like, wow, this author really understands my way of thinking. Let me know if you'd like a copy - maybe a book isn't the miracle cure but it does make you stop and think about the way our behavior is shaped by our thinking, and I found that really powerful.

You are ok. If you had a serious heart problem you would know. Go to the doctor and have a check up, talk to them about your anxiety too. They can recommend some solutions. I also recommend reading this book.