Hypochondriac Tales
  • Home
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Resources
  • All Posts
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact

Hypochondriac Tales

Adventures in an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

  • Home
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Resources
  • All Posts
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact

Over-Empathizing and Getting Anxiety from GoFundMe Pages

by melissa January 16, 2018January 15, 2018
written by melissa January 16, 2018January 15, 2018

In addition to minor bodily sensations throwing me into a tailspin of catastrophic thoughts, there always seemed to be a few additional causes of my health anxiety obsessions. You already know about one of them.  Back when I read about a friend of a friend who was diagnosed with a rare type of leukemia, and then I subsequently convinced myself that I had that same type of Leukemia. 

In other cases, I would obsess on behalf of people that didn’t seem obsessed.  

Obsessing for other People

One day a few years ago, my husband and I went to visit another couple that we know.  We wanted to see their new home, and, the wife was about 7 months pregnant with her first child.  At one point during the evening, I noticed her rubbing her rounded belly.  

Free 30 Day Guide to Improving

Health Anxiety Symptoms

Manageable daily tasks you can try for the next 30 days to kickstart your path to overcoming hypochondria & health anxiety.

envelope

“Is the baby kicking?” I asked.  
“No. My stomach just burns so badly,” she replied.
“Oh, you mean like heartburn?” I asked, which is pretty much one of the only things I know that happens during pregnancy. 
“No, like my skin burns.  It’s like my skin is stretching so much over this new belly that it feels like I have a perpetual sunburn.”  

I started to feel my anxiety levels rise.  I was genuinely worried for her.  

“Oh my god,” I said.  “That sounds awful.  What does your OB/GYN say?”
“My doctor?  Oh, I haven’t bothered to bring it up with her.  It’s not a big deal.  I’m sure it’ll go away when the baby is born. No worse than a sunburn.”  

I didn’t say much beyond that.  But I was stressed for her.  Why was she taking this lackadaisical approach toward her health?  What if that skin burning sensation was a symptom of something more serious?  At the very least she should bring it up with her doctor, shouldn’t she?  And can you imagine, having constant discomfort all the time!?  I’m glad I’ve never had to experience pregnancy.

It was like somehow I was over-empathizing, or somehow projecting my health anxieties onto other people. I was worried about her, but somehow envied her own lack of worry.  

Now, after therapy, I realize that this is how non-health anxious people react to mild bodily sensations. That is, they don’t really react.  They just observe and move on, sometimes barely noticing the sensation or not associating anything negative with it.  

The Tragedies of GoFundMe Pages

I would also obsess when I’d see a tragic-sounding GoFundMe page.  For example, when I would see someone I know post a link to a GoFundMe page for someone who has just been diagnosed with some sort of terrible disease. I would try to find out the age of the person, if it’s not on their GoFundMe page.  If they’re close to my age or younger, I start to question the rationale about deadly ailments being rare among younger adults (even though I know that applying rational explanations to irrational thoughts is not helpful to someone suffering from OCD.)  I mean, after all, here is this young, previously healthy person now fearing for their life after being diagnosed with this disease that was only supposed to affect older people!  

What I Learned in Therapy

At some point during my therapy, I started to discuss the way I obsess when I read when someone my age has been diagnosed with a serious illness or died from something unexpected like a pulmonary embolism or a heart attack in a healthy-looking person.  

I told Dr. Lindo that, like giving up Googling my symptoms, I’ve now stopped clicking on GoFundMe pages or links to obituaries of young people that friends might post to Facebook.  

I thought that that was the right thing to do.  Just like not googling my symptoms.     

But, wrong.  

Dr. Lindo explained, “It is fine if you want to avoid reading articles like that for now while you’re learning to treat other aspects of your OCD.  However, the long term goal will be for you to be able to read articles like that and to not have subsequent obsessive thoughts.  It’s fine to have a normal emotional response to stories like that.  It’s sad, even if we don’t know the person.  So, it’s okay to be sad.  However, you’ll eventually want to learn to have that more appropriate emotional response without all the obsessions.”

Hmmm.  Easier said than done, I thought to myself.   

My Current State of GoFundMe Page Reactions

I did continue, for quite a long period of time, to avoid reading GoFundMe pages and other pages that might “trigger” a new health worry or obsession for me.  These days, I read them. Yet, I’m still not sure if my response is an “appropriate emotional response” like my therapist said should be my goal.

I almost immediately put myself in the shoes of the person who has the disease or has just died.  I become overwhelmed at the thought that it probably could have just as easily been me.  I empathize with their families, imagining also that the person could have just as easily been a loved one of mine.

I do think I am doing a much better job these days of not having hours or even days-long obsessions about the person, or the disease that is afflicting them or perhaps even took their life.

So, in that respect, therapy definitely “worked.”  But I do wonder if I continue to overthink it more than other “non health anxious” people do.

What about you?  How do you react when a loved one complains of a minor ailment or when you read a tragic story?

Want email notifications when I publish a new post? Sign up below!

Liked this Post? Support Hypochondriac Tales on Patreon and Get Exclusive Access to Additional Content!

1 comment
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
melissa

previous post
The Setback in my Battle Against Health Anxiety OCD
next post
Distraction is not a Good Solution for Anxiety

You may also like

Being a Hypochondriac Was Ruining My Life. Here’s...

October 29, 2018

Seeking Therapy for Health Anxiety and Hypochondria for...

November 13, 2017

Have I Always Been Obsessive about my Health?

September 23, 2019

The Setback in my Battle Against Health Anxiety...

January 9, 2018

Suffering from Hypochondria and Health Anxiety for Ten...

November 29, 2017

What is CBT and how does it Help...

December 7, 2017

No, I don’t want to go Hiking, I...

December 1, 2017

Response Prevention for OCD and Controlling my Compulsions

December 5, 2017

The Small Wins in my Health Anxiety OCD...

December 15, 2017

Why am I a Hypochondriac? The Origin of...

November 15, 2017

1 comment

Maria October 12, 2020 - 12:24 pm

I know this post is a couple of years old but I resonate so much with it! I would obsess over the GoFundMe type pages, and putting myself in their shoes. I’d end up donating a lot to these pages too.

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

About Me

Hi, I'm Melissa and I'm a recovering hypochondriac. For nearly a decade, I thought that any little sensation in my body meant that I was dying or had some terrible disease. This blog is the story about how I became so anxious about my health, and how I eventually got better, in the hopes that it can give hope to other health anxiety sufferers!

Get Exclusive Content

Support Hypochondriac Tales on Patreon!

Resources

These are books that were recommended to me by my therapist, and helped me ease my health-related anxieties (Affiliate Links).

Keep in touch

Facebook Email

Advertising

Recent Posts

  • Health Anxiety in the Time of a Pandemic

    March 22, 2020
  • Have I Always Been Obsessive about my Health?

    September 23, 2019
  • I Googled a Symptom and I’m Sorry

    May 14, 2019
  • Health Anxiety Self Help Options

    April 4, 2019
  • 8 Ways to Help a Hypochondriac Friend

    March 16, 2019

Recent Posts

  • Health Anxiety in the Time of a Pandemic
  • Have I Always Been Obsessive about my Health?
  • I Googled a Symptom and I’m Sorry
  • Health Anxiety Self Help Options
  • 8 Ways to Help a Hypochondriac Friend

Recent Comments

  • Sophie on Floaters and the Final Straw – Deciding to Seek Therapy
  • Maria on Over-Empathizing and Getting Anxiety from GoFundMe Pages
  • Nora on Being a Hypochondriac Was Ruining My Life. Here’s How I Got Better
  • Carolyn on Overcoming Hypochondria (Even if you think you’re Hopeless)
  • melissa on Response Prevention for OCD and Controlling my Compulsions

Archives

  • March 2020
  • September 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017

Categories

  • Anxious Thoughts
  • During Therapy
  • Pre-Therapy
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • March 2020
  • September 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017

Disclaimer

I am not a mental health professional. This is my own personal blog and my own personal story, and none of the content should be construed as advice or instructions. Seriously people, don’t listen to strangers on the internet.

@2016 - PenciDesign. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign


Back To Top