Need some support for tonight

[middlenamehypochondria]

Hi,

Usually I work 8-5 but once a month I work an evening shift and there isn't as much going on to keep me busy.  I start searching things online and work myself into a panic.  It seems to happen every time.  Well here I am and I did just search some random symptoms and now I'm a little scared.  I don't want to search google anymore.  Any advice?  Why do I do this to myself? 

[kitn77]

I understand, believe me I have visited Dr Google WAY too many times, it's like a habit with me, but I'm slowly realising that you have to just stop going there. Put a rubber band on your wrist and every time you think about looking up something snap it, I'm about to do this again too. Can you take a book instead rather than get on the computer? Can you go and get a cup of coffee or tea or go and talk to someone else there or phone someone?? The key I've been told is to distract yourself away from your symptoms and looking up stuff online is fueling your anxiety and you're only going to come off worse.

Don't go looking up stuff, make today the day you are NOT going to do that.

Best Wishes

[kitn77]

Oh I forgot to say..before you go looking up stuff..ask yourself (and this is what I'm going to do every time I want to look up something)

"Will I feel better if I look up stuff or will I just fuel my anxiety and make myself feel worse"..

Your answer should be the second one...so please try hard to stay away, you WILL feel better for it

[Bella Roma]

If you want something to do online, maybe try this booklet:  http://www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/leaflets/Health%20Anxiety%20A4%20%202010.pdf
I can't take credit for posting it originally (please take credit if it was you), but it's really helped me.  The main things I found helpful were reminders and support to stop checking symptoms with doctors/family/friends and to stop looking up information online.  And it may sound wrong, but once I stopped checking symptoms with others or online, I've felt a lot better.

I usually do something else if I feel like I want to visit Dr. Google, like clean, read, play with my kids, but if you only have internet (I've been there), maybe try to look up things that will make you happy.  Go to You Tube and watch music videos for songs you like, or watch comedy skits from Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Eddy Izzard, Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin... or anyone who makes laugh.  Also for a list of funny websites, check http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/funny-websites
If you don't like comedy, try to look up something that fascinates you (a period in history, a movie [imdb.com], song)... just don't let yourself click on any links about illnesses that someone had or how they died!   But comedy is my personal fav, because it rarely leads to further searching of 'scary' topics.

Good luck!

[middlenamehypochondria]

Thanks!  I'm just getting ready to go.  I did pretty well tonight.  I forced myself to stay busy.  It's hard because my job involves a computer and it's so easy to click on google..... I wish my company would block some of these sites....I appreciate you taking the time to reply. 

PS.  I do watch funny videos, you're right comedy rarely leads to "scary" topics!

Have a great weekend.