[paulineej]

I’m constantly scared something is physically wrong with me. I have all these pains, I don’t even know what doctor to go to first. Also since I am quite anxious I always procrastinate calling offices since I’m too scared to call.
I also can’t really describe how I’m feeling but I always get scary thoughts like lately I’ve had some trouble with my ears and also feel dizzy sometimes. So I think I might have a tumour in my brain. I’ve actually been to 2 doctors about this and neither of them were any help.
Also my heart is making weird noises (I’ve had all kinds of tests done, everything seems to be fine), my body just hurts and I can’t put my finger on where it’s coming from.
At night I lie in bed and feel my heart beating weird, my legs hurting and also my arms and I think I might not wake up in the morning.
I know this sounds really stupid but I don’t know who to talk to about this. This really isn’t even all I’m feeling. I already thought of so many things that might be wrong with me, I’m so lost I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to sound like a crazy person to my doctor and I also don’t want to worry my friends and family too much.

[Skeezyks]

Hello paulineej: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

I doubt I can really be of much help with regard to your concern. Yes, it is possible your concerns are "all in your head", so to speak. But it's also possible there is really something wrong... perhaps some type of chronic illness that the doctors you've seen simply aren't identifying.

Sometimes one simply has to doggedly pursue answers to these types of conditions until the correct diagnosis is finally made. Of course, your anxiousness around calling offices does make this doubly difficult. If you're not already doing so, perhaps seeing a mental health therapist might be of some benefit.

Here are links to some articles from PsychCentral's archives on the subject of hypchondria that may be of some interest:

https://psychcentral.com/lib/tacklin...-worried-well/

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archiv...-hypochondria/

Also... PsychCentral has a sister website: "NeuroTalk". There a lot of members over there who have struggled to find answers to some very difficult illnesses. You might also take a look at the forums over there & see if you see anything you think may be helpful. Here's a link:

https://www.neurotalk.org/

I don't know, of course, if you're here simply seeking advice with regard to this particular concern or if you plan to hang in here with us. However, should you be planning to continue on (we hope you do)... may I suggest you introduce yourself over on PC's New Member Introductions forum? Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/new-...introductions/

There's a lot of support that can be available here on PC. The more you post, & reply to other members' posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are the chat rooms where you'll be able to interact with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) So please keep posting!

[Rose76]

I think one thing is clear: at the very least, you do have an anxiety disorder. I think any doctor would come to that conclusion. That's not to say that you don't also have some issue affecting you physically. Anxiety can manifest as physical aches and pains. And physical ailments can aggravate anxiety. The physical and the mental feed off of each other. (For the past few years, I occasionally get severe, serious chest pain. It is pure anxiety, but the physical pain of it is totally real. I've seen both a cardiologist and a psychiatrist. I'm glad my heart's okay, but there is nothing fictitious about my chest pain.) Doctors will not think you're crazy. Anxiety is a very real condition. It stresses both the mind and body and can lead to other things, physically and mentally.

Your symptoms are real, and your body is telling you that something is wrong. If that something happens to be psychological, that is just as real and important as arthritis or a cardiac arrhythmia. No responsible doctor is going to dismiss it. Be open to the possibility that it may be something different from what it feels like, as in the case of my chest pain. A physician who does not respond with concern is unworthy to be your doctor.

So step away from belittling your own reality. You need help troubleshooting where the stress - physical or mental - is coming from. If a doctor refers you to a therapist, that is not to deny the validity of your complaints. It is to identify possible stressors, which we often can't see because we are too enmeshed in them. The professional to start with is your primary care provider, whether that is an MD, a PA or a NP. The PCP can order tests and make referrals. Just getting this problem out in the open may somewhat alleviate it.

You've approached two doctors already. Sometimes a physician will deliberately under-react to a patient's complaint for fear of infusing it with more energy . . . to see if it may fade away on its own. It would be appropriate, on your next visit to a PCP, to say that you've sought help before and you need to be taken seriously. This is where your self-doubt will not serve you well. Don't minimize the reality of your problem. If you don't, others will be less likely to.