LIVING WITH HEALTH ANXIETY (HYPOCHONDRIA) | Hattie Gladwell

Living With Health Anxiety (Hypochondria)
I have lived with health anxiety - otherwise known as hypochondria - for two years now, ever since I was first hospitalized with pneumonia in 2011, and then again in 2015 for a nearly-perforated bowel because of ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
What is health anxiety?
Health anxiety is an anxiety condition that is often housed within the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) spectrum of disorders. Those affected by health anxiety have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea that they are currently (or will be) experiencing a physical illness.
Throughout the end of December 2017 and January 2018 health anxiety literally ruined my life. In this video, I talk all about how it did so, what it’s like to live with and how anyone else suffering with the same thing can learn to cope.
There's so much more to my experience of health anxiety than what I talked about in this video. But I was trying to keep it as short as possible.
To give you more information on my symptoms, I was having intrusive thoughts and disturbing images in my mind of me being critically ill. I was checking my body for symptoms every hour. I was waking up shaking from nightmares, I was having daily panic attacks, I was having lots of physical anxiety symptoms and I really struggled to function. I will be talking more on this in future videos though!
Please subscribe to my channel if you like my videos or would like to keep watching things related to mental health! xxx

[@kevinkay7607]

Does anybody else have fear of doctors and hospitals? I have a great fear that they won't understand me and put me in the mental ward, I lost faith in my doctors a long time ago. I have same thing as you, health anxiety and hypochondria , I know that I am healthy and I just have that fear that we all know so well. Please let me know if you feel the same way.. thank you for this vidio. Means a lot.

[@aqsakhan6047]

Yes i also suffer health anxiety And scared to take medicines or visit doctor what if they gave me bad medicines and then... Don't worry its just your mind tricking you.

[@emilyforward7381]

Its so nice to see someone similar to my age speaking about health anxiety. I struggle massively with my Emetaphobia which causes me severe panic and health anxiety. I'm the exact same as you around winter months as I panic about catching any illnesses that may cause me to be sick. Its nice to see I'm not the only person struggling. Thank you for speaking out!xx

[@JeM130177]

Thanks for making this video. My health anxiety contributes hugely to my anxiety/agoraphobia. I worry about feeling ill or especially feeling sick (i have emetophobia) to such an extent that I feel terrible and I'm unable to do anything about it or I'm unable to control the situation. This completely takes over when i get anxious and panic because the physical symptoms of a panick attack really scare me and as you say when you're anxious about symptoms of anxiety it's massively unhelpful and much more difficult to think logically and convince yourself you're okay. This means i worry about panicking or feeling unwell whilst away from home because at home is where i feel i can cope best i also have trouble leaving my dad or with him going out because i feel like if something happens i need him there to help me because I'll just be completely incapable of helping myself (even though i know logically this isn't true). I struggle to drive my car because I'm scared of panicking whilst driving and not being able to concentrate and drive. I struggle my way through every meal worrying about whether i feel sick or not and I'm super picky about expirey dates on food or anything that could potentially be dodgy like fish or eggs. It's absolutely horrendous and now I'm agoraphobic to the point of not being able to physically get to my drs so i worry more about needing them because i might need help and not be able to get it. It's absolutely horrific and i hope me just blurting out my life story wasn't harmful to you in any way. I think I've always a bit a bit hyper aware of my health but usually my logical mind has won but at the moment anxiety just flares up so easily it's much more difficult. I have not experienced situations of being hospitalised like you have and I'm not 100% sure where my fear comes from but i do have a theory that my mum dying suddenly when i was little means you quite quickly lose the ignorance of "it can't happen to you" since you've seen it definitely can so why wouldn't it? And you want to be on the top of you game all the time to be able to notice problems as quickly as possible. It's bloody exhausting is what it is hahah. Google is awul. I'm guilty of it too. Once or twice it has been reassuring. Sometimes i get my dad to look up things for me so he can look through things with a more rational mind and tell me things. I'm glad you feel better than you did but sorry to hear you're still struggling. Also i TOTALLY understand you about Christmas Eve etc. with the drs. I was so much more worried about needing help or needing to get something to help me cope from a shop that wasn't open or something it was horrible. Again thanks for making this video. Hope things continue to improve for you xxx

[@jadapowers6081]

I had health anxiety for 4 months now and it is scary,I cried every time I feel any symptoms because I'm scared

[@ashlyncampbell7150]

i've struggled with health anxiety since July of 2018. it's debilitating and tiring and all i want to do is cry. my parents think i complain about it for attention when in reality it's a cry for help. on really bad days i can have panic attacks. i remember one really bad day i was putting my clothes away in my closet and it got so bad that i just sat down and cried for about 30 minutes. i was shaking and trembling and all i was thinking about at that moment was if it was ever going to end. i have almost no one to talk to. what i want more than anything is for my parents to help me. they just don't get it, and i can't blame them. health anxiety is not very common and doesn't even make sense to the sufferers. i'm only 14. i want to live my life without any worries but health anxiety restricts that. sometimes i feel so worthless from the people around me that i get suicidal.

[@joolsfactor]

Bless Your Heart. May you become stronger very soon. God Bless You xx

[@lexivaha389]

How are you now?

[@alicetaylor424]

Honestly cannot thank you enough for making this video. Health anxiety has ruled my life for the past 8 years and I can relate to your experiences so much. It really is just awful, completely debilitating and does make you consider whether it’s all worth it. I think you are amazing for being open about your mental health despite it not being easy because it’s reassuring to know there are people out there who understand it. I wish I was brave enough to just talk to the people around me about my struggles. Sending lots of love, keep going xxxx

[@JasonGlausWx]

The craziest thing about Health Anxiety is you can have it after just one traumatic event or you can develop it when you're young. For me I started having it when I was 8 years old. Never had any crazy surgeries, never broken a bone, I just have insane "what if" health anxiety from things I've seen and things that happened to my family members. Evert day feels like a struggle to survive and it sucks

[@beesilva9085]

I have health anxiety since I was a child & now,,,It’s gotten worse for me having been a caregiver for several family members that were terminal.

[@JansViews]

I hope this video gets seen by the people who need it. You sound like a very grounded young lady and your descriptions are essential in reaching relatable people who can be inspired and comforted by your intelligent explanations. I will be subscribing as i want to witness your recovery and rising strengrh when dealing with your mental health. Keep strong! Xx

[@hattiegladwel]

Jan's Reviews thank you so much! Xx

[@yoyoma4424]

Thank you for the video. I have health anxiety for over 10 years. And off and on heavy drinker and as a women that has stressed me especially since every report on google is heavy drinkers especially women die of liver disease. Now my gear is quitting cold turkey as my ex doctor said I could die of a seizure so now I am weening myself down. Mind you I literally drink two light Coronas daily or every other day. Hopefully once I ween off I will drink 4 times a year if that. This year I quit smoking due to health anxiety. Now it’ll be alcohol. Thank you . I worry about disease , heart beats , my weight . Everything you panic about I panic about that as well. But mostly heart or liver.

[@dmacxo]

Proud of you xxx

[@hattiegladwel]

Thank you love you xxx

[@patsyhay9592]

The struggle is real x

[@Truerealism747]

Do you have asperger's adhd as ocd is comorobid also with hypomobility i have been told since my sons diagnosis if uou have ocd from say 3 its because if asperger's.little late at 43 and just list my.mym ti severe ns have have fybromyalgia symptoms

[@hensacunanan5936]

hi hat hope we could chat have desame experience i have health anxiety.. its good theraphy went you have someone to talk about this issue, and share some experience

[@sherifyassin2633]

do you have any acoount in facebook or page for advice about ocd