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It Starts With Food is a phenomenal book to start with just to understand how food affects us. Another one that covers autoimmunity is The Immune System Recovery Plan. Both of these books revolve around diet and not anxiety, but it is my firm belief that in order to find what is triggering the anxiety, you must work on other areas of your life first. If diet, exercise, and sleep do not subdue your symptoms, then keep searching. I’d be willing to bet if you tried the elimination diet, whether Whole30 or Dr Blum’s Recovery Plan, this will help you.

I’d love to hear about your progress. Please feel free to follow up. You’re so young!! You have so much potential!! Don’t let something like this control you. Initially, you might find yourself resistant to try new things, so it will take what I call ‘just making the decision’. This means that if you want to find peace with your health, you just have to decide to do it and push through whatever doubt (or anxiety) you might have.

It’s one thing to make the decision, so how do you stick with the decision you might be thinking? Especially when the stress really peaks. Three things.

1. Know the why. If you do not have a ‘why’ to what you do in life, regardless of what it is, there is no way you’ll stick with it. The why gives us guidance. It gives us dedication and strength. When part of you says who cares, the part that knows the why will say, I do. Really think about this. Take a few days and literally write down a mission statement for yourself. When the anxiety is really affecting you, go to wherever you have this hanging up and read it. Breathe! Deep breaths! If you have to, say, Progress, not Perfection! to remind yourself that it’s okay to feel the way you because you have a plan to get to a better place. This is merely a bump in the road, not a road block.
   
2. Once you have the why, make some goals. The rules about goals: they must be measurable, have a time of completion, and they must be assessed regularly to see if they are still effective.
   “I will work on being less stressed”. This is not a goal. It has none of the components of a goal. “This week, I will take 10 minutes each day to meditate before starting my day.” That is a proper goal. It’s measurable, it has an end date, and at the end of the week, you can measure its effectiveness. Write these goals down to make them real and tangible. Put them with your mission statement and at the end of each week, assess your progress. This might sound time consuming, but after a couple weeks, this new habit will take very little time.
   
3. Make the goals small! So many people who make goals want to go for the gold immediately. Perhaps the person wants to lose 50 lbs. so their goal is to lose fifty pounds, within 6 months, working out 6 times a week. That meets all the requirements of rule #2 technically, but if the person has never worked out or has no idea what diet they should be eating, what’s the likelihood of sticking to this goal? Instead, maybe some goals should be, pick up 3 different whole foods I have never ate before to cook with at the grocery this week. Boom. Small, obtainable, measurable, and can be assessed. Smaller goals also give us the chance to start getting some momentum. They build optimism and positivity, which, in and of itself, can work wonders for anxiety.
   
   For you, being anxiety free might be the ultimate goal, but to reach that, you will need to make smaller, more focused goals to reach that bigger one. You can do this. You might need to enlist the help of someone you trust. Find an accountability partner so when you do hit rock bottom (and that’s okay if you do!), you have someone to lean on who can help you stay on track with your goals.
   
   Again, feel free to reach out if you have more questions. Patience is going to be your friend here. However, just on elimination diets alone, people have made sweeping recoveries to all sorts of illnesses. I won’t go into the details but look at those books I suggested to see how food can truly affect us.
   
   Life is a journey. No one lives your life but you. Make it yours. Make it awesome!

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!

Haha, yay for another person who is both fascinated and frightened by sickness! :)

I think my favorites are prion diseases because of how completely godawful they are. Being super sick is a thought that scares me, but at the same time, I'm amazed at the weird stuff our bodies are capable of doing.

If you're more of a book person than an ebook person like I am too, these are some of my favorite reads:

101 Diseases You Don't Want to Get which lists a pretty big variety of conditions - not all are fatal, some just make you feel like crap.

The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse This one discusses really nasty conditions, old-timey remedies, weird fetishes and just plain bizarre illnesses.

Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It Title's pretty self-explanatory on this one. :)

Sleepwell Sleep/Snore Internal Nasal Dilator for Snoring Relief, Congestion Relief, Restful Sleep, Restorative Sleep, Increase Airflow, Soft, Comfortable, Latex Free, Drug Free, Nasal Strips, 12Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TKYMK1C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wMUHDbBD9099R

Also, and sorry for the late reply, I meant to type more earlier and got sucked into a meeting. This product is what I feel did me the most good. Twitching stopped, also, magnesium is a natural anti-anxiety and promotes restful sleep. I've never felt better since using it. A word of caution, it can also act as a laxative (gross, I know), so if you try it start with a low dose (like half a teaspoon in water) then work up. Your body will adjust. I currently take about half a tablespoon a night. Work up and give it about two weeks. The "unflavored" kind tastes like poo, this is my favorite flavor. Hope this helps!

Natural Vitality Natural Calm Plus Calcium Raspberry Lemon, 8 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K9FF4M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_bnkuybK0QMETA

1. Talk to a therapist about this. This is some thing that could be helped with the right person to talk to.
   
   
2. You need to eat. You're hurting yourself to avoid your period. This isnt okay.
   
   
3. Look into birth control to eliminate your period. I can personally attest that the Mirena IUD stopped my period (2 years strong, only light spotting at the first 2 months). I've also read about BC pills that can reduce/eliminate your period. A doctor is a good place to start for help with all of this. Note: IDK how old you are or what country you're from, but in my opinion if you're old enough to have a period you're old enough to use birth control. I hope this is accessible to you.
   
   
4. If its touching the blood, look into using tampons and getting a bidet ( https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00A0RHSJO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MrGRCb6X5PXPM ). This washes off your private-bits after you go or have your period and you just pat dry when done. No need to touch a lot of blood. Talk to a doctor or gyno on how to use tampons. Here is also a pretty good guide https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/menstruation/how-do-i-use-tampons-pads-and-menstrual-cups .
   
   Bottom line is you need to eat. Talk to someone about how you're feeling and about accessing these supports until you've dealt with the psychological root of your menophobia.

I think you’re ok. I experience the same symptoms with my anxiety and much more. You will start to feel better as soon as you start taking care of your anxiety. Try reading about it. There are a couple great books to help you like this

I can empathize with having a severe and debilitating fear, because I have been there. Also like you, I am badly psychosomatic and this is something I still struggle with daily. I have had various health issues/focuses since I was young but the past few years have by far been the worst. I won't go into detail on what my problem is, but know that I also fear an undiagnosed or missed medical condition that may kill me suddenly. I too have been to the doctor, ER, and urgent care multiple times. And I too have been told there is nothing wrong with me.

These are the things I have done to try and help myself.

• Exercising. I began running about a year ago. I was out of shape and it was horrible but I am now able to run 3 miles 4 to 5 times per week. This has greatly helped me with my anxiety.
  
  
• Therapy. After years of knowing that I had a mental health issue, I finally said enough and found myself a therapist. He also referred me to a psychiatrist. Both of these individuals have had a positive impact on my life and have helped me cope with this disease.
  
  
• Books. The two that I recommend most for people like us are It's Not All in Your Head and Hope and Help for Your Nerves
  
  
• Meditation. The books I mentioned above discuss meditation. It's a simple thing to do and it takes a minimal amount of time each day. At first I felt it was silly, but it has truly helped me.
  
  You may have already tried all of these things without success, but I would give them another shot if you have. I felt hopeless, like you. There were days I feared even leaving my bed. I'm in graduate school, as I believe you are as well, and I know that we are both under a lot of stress and the expectations are high.
  
  We have over-analytical minds, which help and hurt us. I hope that this is helpful for you and please reach out to me if you ever need advice, need to vent, or just want to talk.
  
  Best wishes my friend.

I've had that strobe light EEG too! Isn't it so uncomfortable? If that didn't cause a seizure, then worrying definitely won't either. You'll be okay. In the meantime, you should read this book. It's really helpful

http://www.amazon.com/Worried-Sick-Exaggerated-Physical-Illness/dp/0981484344

So I know a lot about this. I've been dealing with acid reflux at night for 10+ years and I have a pretty good handle on it. So first of all, if you can sleep on your back, it's the best position for acid reflux and noticing palpitations. What works for me also is to create a wedge incline with several pillows so that my head is elevated above my stomach. I also drink Calm mixed with Benefiber and that helps to aid with digestion, especially heavy meals (I sometimes drink Kefir as well). What I've noticed over the years is that once my stomach empties, maybe 3-5 hours after eating, I can usually sleep however I want, but sometimes you just eat really late and it can't be helped (maybe eat a lighter meal is this instance). So basically, try not to lay down or at least sit upright until it's time for bed. The last advice is to try and avoid foods that you know bother your stomach, for instance, I know that I can eat Whole Wheat Bread, because I get horrible heartburn and reflux. Good luck.

Yep! There's an entire chapter about Health Anxiety OCD in "The OCD Workbook," which is one of the first books that my therapist recommended that I use early in my therapy. https://www.amazon.com/OCD-Workbook-Obsessive-Compulsive-Harbinger-Self-Help/dp/1572249218/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511722537&sr=8-1&keywords=the+ocd+workbook

For what it's worth, she also recommended the book "Coping with Anxiety" https://www.amazon.com/Coping-Anxiety-Simple-Relieve-Worry/dp/1626253854/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1511722618&sr=1-1

Is there anyway for you to see a therapist and be put on meds? It sounds like this could really help you if your health anxiety is this high. I wouldn't want anyone to live through this sort of stuff -- it's horrendous. I'm reading a book I found on Amazon about health anxiety that's helped me a LOT: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572248386/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is probably some RSI from all the drawing made worse by muscle tension from anxiety. I have multiple trapped nerves in my shoulders and arms due to muscle tension that can cause these kind of pains. I'm a gamer/ Games Designer so I use computers a lot and I also draw.

I found mild exercise to be the best help and using one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/ResultSport%C2%AE-Hand-Therapy-Exercise-Balls/dp/B001EVP2BQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1466200288&sr=1-3&keywords=exercise+ball+hand

I started having PVCs in my teens, I'm 37 now, had all the same tests and stuff you have and with the same results, normal. I'm still alive too obviously.

You and your doctors have done your due diligence in regards to your physical health. You're healthy despite what your brain is saying to you.

I've dealt with health anxiety for years and only recently sought out a therapist to help me. Therapy has been amazing and if your insurance provides any coverage for it I suggest you find a therapist to help you. It may take time to find a therapist you like as well so be aware of that and dont stop trying.

If therapy isn't an option right now due to cost then read this and pick up this book which is the one mentioned in the first link.

The blog post and book echo a lot of what I've been doing with my therapist and it does work. It takes time and real effort but it does work and things start to change.

The gist of this bullshit health anxiety is that we're all living in a prison of our own design. Our though processes and patterns keep us in it. You experienced physical symptoms of anxiety and your brain hyped you up because it was scary so now if you get anxious for whatever reason your brain goes "oh I remember what to do when we feel like this, fight or flight time" and you lose your shit. Changing our thinking and thought processes over time can stop all of this.

I have been struggling with health anxiety on my blood pressure for almost a decade now, and I can relate to everyone here also. It has been a really long journey that has taken me to the ER multiple times, multiple visits to cardiologists, etc. I've seen numerous doctors and tried every BP medication (which didn't help me). I've discovered some interesting things in my case:

• My anxiety plays a HUGE role in my blood pressure. When my arm first goes into the cuff, it doesn't matter how I feel, my first couple of readings are always off the charts (my highest so far was about 200/110)
  
• My high readings can be really scary, it's not uncommon for my top number to be in the range of 160-180. Of course, when this happens at the Dr they are alarmed and that makes me alarmed so my anxiety goes up, and everything just gets worse
  
• Blood pressure is a terrible anxiety target because it causes a feedback loop. You get anxiety, so your BP goes up, and then you can either feel the effects or you get a high reading, which causes more anxiety, and the loop repeats.
  
• What I found helpful in my case was to force myself to sit down several times during the day and take many readings. In my case sometimes I'd have to sit and do readings one after another for 20-30m straight and write down each one. I don't do this all the time now (probably not good for you), but it was useful for a while because I learned something important: my first few readings are always sky-high, and then they eventually go down and begin to stabilize as my anxiety wears off. Sometimes it takes a LONG time for this stabilization to occur, because each time the BP cuff tightens, my anxiety goes back up, but over time I found that the anxiety does start to go down as you become desensitized to the process
  
• For me, I've discovered that while my BP is still not great, it's not nearly as bad as it seems. My numbers usually tend to stabilize to an average of around 145 in the morning (still high, but not ER-level high), and when I'm feeling calm or I take readings after exercising, they're even lower (stabilize around 130's, or high 120's)
  
• The biggest things that have helped me personally (everyone is different) is doing the following: - Regular exercise / cardio - Forcing myself to take lots of readings at home to slightly desensitize myself (it is also just useful information, because chances are you'll find that eventually your numbers do start to go down over time) - and of course, NOT WORRYING about it.
  
  About the "not worrying" part... this is one of the hardest things. I had to really go thermonuclear on my anxiety and tackle it from every angle. I did the following:
  
  
• Began writing lists of every quote, technique, or anti-anxiety trick I could find, and keeping track of what would help and what didn't. I basically started curating my own health anxiety "cheat sheet"
  
• Began exercising (jogging) almost every day. This is huge, if you can do it. I can almost guarantee it will help.
  
• Yoga, and stretching, at least once a day
  
• Diaphragmatic breathing techniques. These are legit (you can google it, it's really simple, sometimes called 'belly breathing') and can sometimes have a very noticeable effect on my health anxiety and other issues (palpitations etc.).
  
• Tried to work regular mindfulness / meditation into my schedule (tough to do but it also has been hugely helpful). My highest recommendation for meditation books is 'Mindfulness in Plain English' by Bhante Gunaratana (https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/)
  
• Read books on anxiety. Some that have helped me are 'The Worry Cure' by Robert Leahy and 'Badass Ways to End Anxiety' by Geert Verschaeve. When you read them, treat it like homework. Keep a pen handy and underline passages that you find insightful. Then come back and re-visit those when your anxiety or panic attacks are bad.
  
  Beyond not worrying, or tackling your anxiety directly, the most obvious way to reduce health anxiety about blood pressure is to eliminate the problem to begin with. For me I've never been able to get my BP numbers normal, but as I mentioned above I started exercising more and taking regular readings at home (sometimes many in a row). I'd keep a log book actually, of the day/time, and a series of sometimes 20 or more readings in a row. This was useful because it provided concrete information on the reality of my situation* I was no longer just speculating or worrying, I could see, clear as day, on paper, that while my BP is high (or at least elevated, at best), it was not so high on average that it was going to cause my imminent death.
  
  Another thing to remember: a lot of people have high blood pressure. ALOT. Like 1/3 of the country. And another 1/3 are pre-hypertensive. And that was before they adjusted the numbers some time ago to lower the 'ideal' range even lower. Why is this important? Because people are not dropping dead left and right from high BP, even though 2 out of 3 people you see every day are outside the normal range. Yes, it's not a great condition and you want to address it if you can, but chances are it is not going to kill you any time soon.
  
  Also, your BP numbers during the day don't even matter that much. Numerous studies have found that the numbers taken at home or at the Dr. actually aren't nearly as important as your systolic while you are sleeping. This is of course nearly impossible to measure at home, but chances are while you are sleeping you BP is probably MUCH lower than when you are awake and experiencing anxiety.
  
  Just wanted to share some of the things I've found / learned in dealing with this myself. Of course, everyone is different but you're definitely not alone. Good luck and hang in there