Fear of getting ALS

[Edward_Nolan]

Hello everyone. I've only been learning English for six months and if anything, I'm sorry if there are mistakes in my text. A month ago, I felt weakness in my arm, and at that moment I remembered that there is such a disease as ALS, naturally my main mistake was to find the symptoms of ALS on the Internet, as it turned out they are very extensive.

After that, my life turned into a nightmare, I started watching my body, I was afraid that muscle fasciculations would appear, and what do you think? they appeared all over the body, but the weakness in the arm disappeared. In order to check myself, I worked out every day, ran up the stairs, lifted weights, later I decided to make an appointment with a neurologist, he examined me and said that at my age ALS was unlikely, he performed a couple of tests and said that I had anxiety. After seeing a doctor, I calmed down, fasciculations disappeared, and anti-anxiety pills were prescribed to me.

But it was temporary, last night I woke up and felt that the little finger on my right foot started twitching, thoughts about ALS appeared again.Now I feel discomfort in my tongue, as if it has become hard, although I swallow food well, weakness has disappeared and fasciculations too, but sometimes there is fasciculation on the little finger and it continues to twitch.

I think about ALS every day, I understand that this is not right, I have a habit of drinking energy drinks, I think that they have exhausted my nervous system. When I think about ALS, I imagine myself in a wheelchair, my family people are nearby and crying. I've already visited three neurologists and they don't see any signs of ALS in me. I have been a very suspicious person since childhood, 2 years ago I thought that I had schizophrenia and brain cancer, I myself underwent an MRI of the brain, where nothing dangerous was found. I am 25 years old and my whole life is ahead of me, but these symptoms do not allow me to live in peace, once again I apologize for the mistakes in the text.

 

[lgelb]

Hi Edward, it sounds like you have a condition called health anxiety. It is very troublesome to some people and will destroy your life if you don't get help for it.

Some counselors specialize in health anxiety, but others, who are just good counselors (and I am talking about psychologists or social workers with a Master's degree; one does not need to see a psychiatrist to get help) can also provide effective treatment.

If there is a mental crisis center telephone or Internet resource in your country, they may have some referral suggestions for you. Your friends and family or doctor may also know a good counselor -- that is all you have to ask about.

Sometimes the first counselor is not a good fit, and so you move on to another. It can be difficult at first to accept that you need this kind of help, but it is much more difficult to live your life in fear.

Best,
Laurie

 

[Edward_Nolan]

Thanks a lot for the reply. Yes, I have good psychotherapists in the country and I'm thinking of going to see them. Because lately I have begun to associate all my anxiety with ALS, I watch my speech because I think I can make a mistake, I check myself if I have lost my memory, I think to limit myself from checking information about serious diseases so as not to increase my anxiety.

 

[Nikki J]

You are absolutely right. Mr google is the enemy of anxiety. You can start by blocking sites like this that trigger you. If the temptation to unblock is too strong you can enlist a trusted friend or family member to do it for you. You can also consciously step away from your device Good luck. Learning to conquer health anxiety will be a tool you can use forever. You have feared other diseases before als and without treatment will fear more. Stop the cycle now. You don’t want to live like this for the next 60 plus years