Ann (Hypochondria)
Student
Austin, TX
I've suffered from hypochondria for as long as I can remember and it made me constantly worried about being ill. I tried not to think about it and it would work for a little while, but it would always creep back in. I was wasting a lot of time looking up conditions online and checking myself for symptoms. I was constantly going and getting checked for illnesses that were not real. Going to the doctor wasn't a very good coping mechanism for me because I started to become worried that I was getting sick from an infected needle or other tainted equipment at my physician's office. It is expensive to go see the doctor, so it had become a financial burden as well.
All the worry was putting a strain on my relationship with my boyfriend because he was tired of me asking him if he thought that I could get sick from different things. My thoughts were affecting my general outlook on life. I couldn't look forward to the future because I felt like something bad was going to happen to me. I was constantly afraid that I had put myself in a risky situation where I wasn't careful enough and had gotten myself sick. There were even points where I had breakdowns because I couldn't control my irrational thoughts; I would convince myself that something that I had done had made me sick and I would get emotionally upset over it.
I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I was skeptical at first, but I was so tired of feeling the way that I always felt. I was in a transitional time in my life and I wanted to put it behind me and not have to worry about things going forward. I started to notice results after the first session. I had a more positive outlook because I knew that I was working towards my goal and had the confidence to know that I could achieve it.
It really helps to talk about my problem with someone and address it rather than keeping it inside. I'm not stressed out the way that I used to be and I don't have to worry about going to the restroom in a public place anymore. I don't have to change my schedule or my plans to avoid certain situations and that gives me a lot more freedom. I have a process that I can go through now when I start to feel like I'm in a situation where I could get sick and I'm able to be rational with myself and prevent myself from getting worked up about it. This has definitely given me more confidence about my future and my ability to stay healthy and not worry about being sick.
I think the most important benefit for me has been that I'm able to overcome my problem and I can live a better life because of it. I have better relationships with people because I'm not burdening them with my problems and worries anymore. I have the freedom to live my life without worrying about being sick and that is such a relief to me.
There have been times recently where I had breakouts on my skin, before I would have freaked out and now I know that it's not a big deal and I'm able to put it out of my mind and not dwell on it anymore. I think that the problem was related to my reactions and I'm much better able to control the way that I handle situations that might involve the possibility of being infected by an illness. I am confident that I'm free of the hypochondria permanently and I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who suffers from hypochondria because it's a good way to develop a skill set that you can use to overcome problems and also address concerns that might come up in the future.