No More Googling!

[ocdengineer]

You guys have to detach from the search engines.  Searching by symptoms is one of the worst things you can do when you have health anxiety.  You can find links to all kinds of strange rare diseases.  I did the same thing and diagnosed myself with all sorts of stuff, but I stopped and won't do it anymore.

Down with Google!

LOL.

Later,
OE

[pippip]

Down with google is right!! I don't do it as much but I still do it. I used to put a post it and that would stop me but i think i've become immune to that method now. How did you all stop googling or did it just like go away? Its summer and I can sense getting bored and googling I used to google so bad i would just look up diseases even if i didnt have the symptoms and then get the symptoms and such. So stupid really, but i used to do that

[peanut]

I have never really stopped goggling, I have now looked for the best case scenario and convice myself I have some thing minor, for example, my headaches were driving me nuts, so I googlieg, instead of looking at the brain tumor site, I went straight for tension headaches.  I have convinced my self that its tension.  Guess what I woke up this morning with no headache.
I know its Corney but it worked for me.
I hope to be goggle free one day.

[Dave89]

Thanks to google I have sepsis. Or a flesh eating virus. And a possible brain abscess.

[Xalatimo]

lol, its not googles fault

[Xalatimo]

its just funny cuz i just diagnosed myself with MS, a brain tumor, and charcot-marie-tooth syndrome all in the past wk, all due to google

[suki43]

I've learnt my lesson - google has given me periodontal disease - and a severe case at that!

I've actually never been back on Google which is amazing given that I work from home alone and could be on there all day if I wanted.

I just don't go there.

This is me looking in my mouth all the time 

Here is my reaction 
Here's me feeling stupid
Here's me feeling exhausted from worry 

And here's how I am feel when I'm happy again 

Suki

[pippip]

Thats a really good idea Peanut, to google something that has your symtoms but isn't serious. Whenever you google you miss the most obvoius dianostics. It took me like an hour once until I found out/ remember logically that stiff neck can be from the way you sleep at night and sleeping in a cold room can cause a stiff neck becaues you try and curl up to get warm. Google misses normal everyday things that probably cause alot of our symptoms 

[ocdengineer]

I was always looking for my symptoms all in one package and when you do that you come up with some really bad things like Lyme disease, Hypoglycemia or diabetes, Ulcers, Brain tumors, etc.  It is hard not to assume the worst when you feel so bad.  I don't Google anymore.  Although, I have been known to Google for my kids when they are sick.  I think my preoccupation has moved to them more than myself.  Anyway, I know it was the worst thing I could do when I had anxiety.  I decided that instead of Googling that I would read as many books on anxiety disorder and specifically OCD as I could.  This helped a lot and I actually learned a lot about my specific disorder which helped me deal with the symptoms. 

It truly is crazy what you can self-diagnose yourself with when Googling!

Take care and stay away from that Google,
OE

[powderkeg241]

Hi All,

WebMD and Google "informed me" that my symptoms were most likely the cause of ALS, leukemia, bone cancer, or MS. I truely believed that I had one of these diseases the past few weeks. As medical tests eliminated the probability of having these condition I shifted to new illnesses . I really hate living this way. I currently believe that my muscles are just breaking down and the doctors do not know what I have or I have a new condition that will be named after me.

 

[Xalatimo]

webmd and wrongdiagnosis.com are the worst, they are depressing, i dont go there, u cant get advice from a website u need to get to a doctor.  you can read a symptom of MS and it will say numbness and tingling.  if you experience numbness and tingling for 3 seconds you may think u have MS, because its a symptom.  but its also a symptom of thyroid, lack of calcium, etc so there is no way to tell without seeing a doctor.  plus, anyone can experience a time where they feel weak, it doesnt mean its ALS. u cant tell the severity of the symptoms just by googling.  it will say for example for lung cancer "coughing up blood" so one day u spit, and a little blood comes out, which is normal sometimes, so you will think u have lung cancer.  but really someone who has lung cancer has the same symptom, coughing up blood, except they are probably spitting out blood all the time, and lots of it. 

[powderkeg241]

I agree but that would take logic to come to that conclusion. When I am obsessing and my OCD is in full mode, I take each little nugget of information and run with it. No matter how much I know it is irrational. I small swelling in a lymph node becomes lymphoma, a patch of redness becomes leukemia, a small twinge in the back of my rib cage becomes renal failure. I know what you are saying though...

[mel07]

sigh. i have been googling on and off all day and have just found a whole family of rare eye disease called White Dot Syndromes that i am now convinced i have. no kidding. the symptoms match precisely. i hate this

[suki43]

Hi Mel

Well, I am officially banning you from Google now! 

It's not doing you any good, and rather than helping you, it's making you worry more.

If you're on the internet, come on here or Ebay or other store sites, but not Google!!!!

Suki

[powderkeg241]

Mel,

Sorry to hear about that. I know it is so difficult but try to remove yourself from google or any other medical sights. I was driving myself crazy last week with diagnosing myself based on symptoms. I sounds easy coming from me, I know that, but it only creates more fear and anxiety. I was sure I had lymphoma, leukemia, MS, and ALS the past few weeks thanks to the internet medical sites. Everything turned out negative when I went to the doctor.

Everyone always seems to tell me that things will be alright and not to worry and that is usually of little solace to me so I do not want to tell you the same thing. Try to stay busy and keep your mind occupied if possible and pull yourself from the internet. I made me completely crazy. I almost cry as I sit and type my symptoms into the computer and wishing that all of my emotional fear and anxiety would just be removed even through death if need be. I wish you the best and good luck  

[mel07]

ok, i am taking a break from it. i might even get my husband to take the laptop to work so i can't be tempted!

[suki43]

That's my girl! 

I actually don't Google, Mel and am not aware of a lot of symptoms, and to be honest I feel better for not knowing. The onlything I have Googled is about periodontal disease, and it's the one thing I have really worried myself sick over.

So I think that speaks volumes...

Suki

[Xalatimo]

its ridiculous how many disorders there are out there, i had no idea before i started googling all this up.  now when i type in a letter in the search box, every disorder that i ever types is there in the memory, i must have like over 3000 disorders in the memory.  weird suff like Reyes Syndrome and Prion Syndrome stuff that people never heard of  its good to know sometimes though, as some doctors might not be familiar with all these weird disorders, and plus it helps to eliminate some out.  like for example lets say you read about meditteranian fever, who has heard of that ? no one, probably not even doctors, but if you know about it, and have the symptoms u could suggest it and they would look into it, its a fine line though between using it to your advantage and over doing it where you start thinking u have every disorder

[dizziegirl3]

i too am guilty of googling everything. right now i have tonsil cancer (no joke) i serioulsy believe i have it and i am already thinking about treatment. i'm going ot the dr on monday but bc i know all the symptoms i am getting them. one symptom is ear pain on the side of the enlarged tonsil. well i have ear pain right now and i am totally freaking out. i can't take this anymore! i just sit here all day and read and read and read which leads me to being totally upset and concvinced i'm dying...why do we do this to ourselves?

[Xalatimo]

do u drink and or smoke? i dont know, tonsil cancer symptoms are so vague and general, do you see a lump? are you spitting blood or anything like that? trouble swallowing? throat pain? any ulcers? loss of taste? have u seen a doctor they would be able to tel if something is wrong jus by a quick look in the mouth

[dizziegirl3]

i do not drink, i do not smoke. the only lump i see in my tonsil that is enlarged on one side. no lumps in my neck that i can see or feel. i am not spitting up blood, no trouble swallowing (only when i start to think about it and freak myself out) no uclers that i know of and no loss of taste (althoug i have a loss of appetite bc im so nervous about this i cna't eat)

[suki43]

Hi Dizzie,

 When was the last time you were ill with a virus or cold? Have you had any ear infections , throat infections?

The point being, something virus or bout of illness you've had previously may have left one side of your tonsils more swollen than the other. Viruses and bacteria are the most complex organisms on the planet, and a swollen tonsil could well be the by-product of a previous virus. It may go down in time or it may be like this always. Either way, I think you are absolutely fine and have nothing to worry about.

Suki

[dizziegirl3]

hey suki

i did have strep throat about 3 weeks ago but even before that my tonsil was enlarged. i think i first noticed it in january and kept looking at it, i do believe it went down but it is still big, i am jus freaking out bc only my right ear hurts right now and i don't know if i made it hurt or if its bc i really have something (like cancer) since i already knew the symptoms!  thanks for the words of encouragment. it does help!

[suki43]

Hi Dizzie,

So you first noticed it in Jan, but it could have been there longer?

Has a Dr checked your ear? YOu may have some wax in there that's causing the pain. Is it ear ache per se?
Catarrh and mucus can cause wax build up as well as water in the ears from showers or swimming. I had my ears syringed yrs ago and used to get pain.

Suki

[Xalatimo]

maybe u have an ear infection or possibly ear wax build up...do u use q tips, cuz every doctor tells me not to use them, it makes it worse, it pushes the wax further into the ear and causes problems.  my last visit my doc gave me ear drops instead.