Can someone help me tonight? I've been sliding the past few weeks into such a dark place - this time, not for the first time, strongly accompanied by unbearable anxiety about my health.

I got the usual report from the doctor after an exam and some tests: 'You're healthy as a horse.' But I feel so unwell, and my gut - the devil in my gut - keeps telling me it's not stress-related but is a real, physiological, hard-to-diagnose, devastating and probably terminal illness.

My head tells me all the right, soothing, reasonable things, but I'm unable to hold onto those things because I'm in the middle of being tormented by the anxiety. The anxiety is stronger than my reason at the moment.

Can anyone relate? Can anyone help? Even a kind word would go a long way tonight. I'm afraid to go to sleep.