Hi everyone,
I'm 26M ( single and living with parents) and I'm wondering if anyone else experiences something similar.
I had some dental problems last year. Before that, I never really paid much attention to my teeth apart from normal brushing and dental checkups.
But after those problems, I started checking my teeth almost every day to see if anything had changed. If I notice even a very small difference, I immediately become worried and start searching Google/Reddit to find out what it could be.
Sometimes the difference is probably something very minor, but my mind immediately starts thinking about the worst possibilities. I can feel very anxious and sometimes even get stomach discomfort until the feeling eventually goes away.
This has also started happening with other parts of my body. I sometimes feel like I need to check my face, skin, hands, legs, teeth, etc. to make sure nothing new has appeared.
So I have a few questions:
Do most people actually check their body regularly like this, looking for new changes? Or am I paying much more attention to my body than most people?
I'm 26, but whenever I need to see a doctor, I usually want my father to come with me. I feel scared about going to the doctor alone. Is this unusual at my age?
I currently work from home, and I'm comfortable being close to my family. However, I'm worried about changing jobs because many opportunities would require me to move far away from home. One of my thoughts is, "What if something happens to my health while I'm far away and I need my parents?" Or “If I stay here, my parents can protect me. If I move 900 km away, I am unprotected."
Since I’m getting multiple issues at this young age, I’m getting thoughts like stay single for rest of the life since I can’t take care of myself, so how can i take care of my life partner?
I don't know if this is health anxiety, general anxiety, or something else.
The strange thing is that before my dental problems, I wasn't like this. Now even a small physical change can trigger a lot of fear.
I'd really like to hear from people who have experienced something similar.
Do you constantly check your body?
Did a real health problem trigger your health anxiety?
Do you also seek reassurance or Google symptoms when you notice something?
Were you able to overcome or reduce this?
Did therapy or CBT help?
How did you become comfortable going to doctors or dealing with health concerns on your own?
I’m not really looking for medical opinions. I’m more hoping to hear from people who understand the anxiety cycle and how they worked through it.
Thank you for reading.