Shifting Symptoms. Important aspect in proving its anxiety. Your Experiences

[LeeHaneyBrown]

Hi, everybody

 I was thinking about a very important issue in regards to our shared health anxiety or hypochondria. The issue is " Shifting Symptoms" that is when you have been worried about a particular symptom in a particular place for prolonged a period of time and your whole focus becomes dieases related to these symptoms within that area then all of a sudden after getting a test or sometimes not the symptom dissappears and you feel fine ( for about an hour ) then you begin getting a whole new symptom in a whole new place and now you are convinced just like before that something is wrong and now your whole focus shifts towards this new worry and the old worry is completely forgot about.

For example I had light headedness and neck tightness after what I refused to believe at the time was a panic attack, I then had these symptoms for about 2 weeks straight with very little relief, I was convinced that I had a brain tumor or ms all my focus was my head, when I went to the ER I told them to not take an ekg or my blood pressure as I was not worried about my heart only my head.

Then one day when I was having a brief period of relief from my light headedness I was watching the TV about a farmer who had recenley had a heart atack and then within minutes I started to listen to my chest and take my pulse and sure enough I started to believe that something was wrong, I thought my heartrate was slow even though it was 65 which is fine. I then woke up the next day to find my left arm numb and a pain in my chest and from then on I had chest pain for a prolonged period of time just like the lightheadedness before, my whole focus once again shifted.

I did not now have a brain tumor or ms I now had faulty heart. Since then my symptoms have shifted several timesto differant parts of the body each time new symptoms with new worries. Has anyone else experienced shifting symptoms and more importantly does this prove to ourselves that it is anxiety that we are experiencing as our diseases seem to change overnight. hope to hear from you soon. Thanks Lee

[skyisblue]

Yes, I do experience this "Shifting Symptoms"

Just when I'm about to get over a particular symptom, I usually find another one to obsess on! It's really difficult! 2 weeks ago, I had sinusitis and diarrhea. I thought I had some very very serious illness. Now my diarrhea and sinusitis are gone, however my stools are still a bit irregular (hopefully just because of the after effects of the antibiotics) so I think there's still something wrong with me!

4 days ago, I began obsessing this strange rash on my arms (at the back of my elbow. how do you call that part?).

And last night I woke up at the middle of the night a little bit sweaty (I'm just hoping that it was the hot environment and/or anxiety symptoms).

It's truly devastating me! The past 2 weeks have been difficult...

[AOKAY]

What you are calling "symptom shifting" has been termed "the symptom imperative" by Dr. John Sarno in his books, particularly The Mindbody Prescription and The Divided Mind.  I recommend both books highly for people with health anxiety. 
I am oversimplifying Dr. Sarno's theory, but he feels that certain driven personality types suppress their unconscious rage with physical symptoms.  One of the sure signs this is happening is when the pain goes away in one area of the body and then returns in another area.  The unconscious mind has a need to create pain somewhere in the body to keep distracting you from your rage.  When the symptoms shift, you know it's psychological and you have it on the run.
I know this sounds like psycho mumbo jumbo, but you owe it to yourself to get Dr. Sarno's books out of the library and read at least the beginning to see if you don't identify yourself in his description of the personalities prone to his diagnosis.  If it still doesn't make sense to you, don't go further.  I have to admit that the first time I read his book I dismissed it.  Only on the second reading years later did I become a believer.