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Health anxiety

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samsingleton1991
samsingleton1991 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
edited April 2020 in Disability rights and campaigning
Hi,

ive just joined today and really need some advice. For the past few years I’ve suffered from health anxiety, where I convince myself that I have an illness such as cancer even after it being confirmed with tests etc. Through my doctor that I don’t. 

The new one is obviously corona virus! I’m worried that I’ve contracted it. My question is though, is that can you actually develop very real symptoms from health anxiety? I’ve developed a cough over the past few days, and I’m wondering if that could possibly because I’m over reacting and thinking I’ve caught the virus. I know there’s always the possibility that I do have it, but I don’t seem to have any other symptoms, and the cough only appears when I’m thinking about it. 
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  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,103 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @samsingleton1991 - Welcome to the community, & thank you for joining. I think everyone is rightly concerned about Coronavirus. Unfortunately we are unable to advise as we're not medically qualified. However, if you need medical advice about this there's an online NHS website. See: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/
    Hope this helps.

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  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community member Posts: 2,619 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi Sam,

    I'm another one with health anxiety.  I'd say it absolutely can cause symptoms - plus I/we also focus more on symptoms that other people might ignore.  Although obviously that doesn't mean you don't have it either.

    Really, it's the high temperature that's important with diagnosing Corona - your body raises it's temperature to kill off the virus, so that's the symptom that proves it.  A dry cough can come from anything...bit of dust or pollen, low humidity/dry air, being a bit dehydrated, etc.

    I've kept having a really hot sensation on my forehead since the virus started...though it doesn't actually feel hot to touch, and only seems to appear when I'm thinking about it so must all be in my mind!  Doesn't stop me from pancking every time I notice it though! :|
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  • samsingleton1991
    samsingleton1991 Community member Posts: 2 Listener
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    It’s absolutely awful ? I’m already working from home and self-isolating so if I do have it then I guess I’m doing the right thing. It’s just scary! Also now that Boris Johnson is in ICU it just makes it all so real and that no one is safe or invincible ?
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  • Abdi_Scope
    Abdi_Scope Scope Membership Team Posts: 269 Pioneering
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    Hi @samsingleton1991 -  welcome to the community and thank you for sharing your worries. As a community we are here to help each other through this time.

    @chiarieds advise that we can use the service at https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/ if we need medical assistance. You may find this thread helpful about Wellbeing https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/69759/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing useful.

    We are all helping each other at the moment to be able to cope and come through.

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