I'm almost done w/the book.

Should we move on to ch.2 or, should be get more into chapter 1?

Hi I read half of the book but I need to get back to chapter one for the discussion....
I guess we can start asking what deseases do you guys fear the most and why?
what do you think the cause of your disorder is?

Hi, guys. Chapters 1 and 2 seem to be a lot of background about how the author reached his treatment plan for health anxiety sufferers. I think the more helpful information came in the later chapters. Perhaps if there is are particular aspects of chapters 1 and 2 that readers want to cover, they could bring them up so that we can discuss.

My main fear is having a heart attack. A lot of my body symptoms are in the area of my heart. I also have fears of cancer. I usually have a "fear du jour," some disease I've heard about or read about that day that I obsess on. That's a wierd thing about my anxiety; it migrates. When I calm down about one health fear, another one jumps in to take its place.

The cause? Too wierd - my mother did a number on me. She and my dad were divorced, and she would make me pretend to be sick to get attention from him. (This only happened a couple of times, but it was enough to mess up a confused little girl.) I also found a letter (when I was about 11, maybe)that she had written to his commanding officer stating that I had a heart problem, needed surgery, and might die. None of it was true, but I didn't know that at the time.

It really bugs me that she is still controlling me because I still have the anxiey. (She has been dead for many years.) I'm still reacting to fear that she instilled, and I hate that.

On the positive side, I am getting better by using the skills learned in this program, Claire Weekes' books, and counseling.

My main anxiety is about my blood pressure, & I lost my father to a heart attack when I was 17. He suffered from hypertension. So, I'm constantly thinking my BP will be so high that I'll have a heart attack, too, or a stroke. My very 1st boyfriend had a stroke at age 32, & he's still physically disabled. So that crosses my mind alot, too.

I used to worry about breast cancer, heart disease, especially when I would get out of breath when climbing stairs or something.

It's cool talking about it freely like this. I don't feel crazy trying to explain this to someone who doesn't understand anxiety

I started my HA right around the time my sister was diagnosed with non-hodkins lymphoma. I have had fears ranging from MS, ALS, brain cancer, liver cancer, AIDS, and now having a big fear with breast cancer, does not help that I have to do my baseline mammogram this year, grrrr, it stinks getting older

I ordered the book and am waiting for it to come in.

XFILEFAN,

Remember when we were younger, we could eat pizza & buffalo wings for dinnner, & not think twice about it? Now, I check everything for their ingredients.