Why do I always think I've got cancer?

Google the symptoms. I'm a doctor, and believe me the ones who think so are usually the ones who never get it. so calm down. If not, is there anything that disturbs you on an everyday basis or anyone in your family who had it or who passed away because of cancer? That could possibly have a correlation

I'm only 13 and I'm thinking of me having CANCER. I'm so scared and I've seen many doctors but I keep getting new symptoms

Hey, I'm worried that I have cancer. About 6 1/2 years ago, I was told by a doctor that I could have melanoma (skin cancer). I think I should go & see the doctor again because I could possibly be showing signs/symptoms of melanoma.

If you're anything like me, you always look up your symptoms on webmd or google and those sites always tell you that you have cancer. Majority of the time you're fine though.

Thinking that you have an illness such as cancer could be a phobia called hypochondria or also known as health anxiety, maybe get checked for peace of mind.

This is something anxiety does to trick us into thinking we're sick. Anxiety is a monster that looms around us, looking for something that will make us miserable. It is also a liar, so it makes things up that we can't help but believe. So when you think that you have cancer, it is the lying voice of anxiety trying to convince you of something that is not there.

I am in the same boat! I make myself absolutely sick with worry by constantly going to Google and searching the same terms over and over again: “pancreatic cancer,” “unexplained weight loss,” “signs I don’t have cancer,” etc. It is exhausting and draining. Knowing my age, lack of risk factors, etc., does not help. However, other things I have read on line also provide great support, including groups like these. I also had a check up today at my local doctor’s surgery, and had a chance to express what I think are my silly concerns with the nurse. She was compassionate, a good listener, and kindly said, “I really don’t know how else to provide you with reassurance,” explaining in her professional and lovely way, that my “symptoms,” were not indicative of anything morose or evil at all. I have always had difficulty believing that nothing bad is going to happen. We recently moved, I no longer work outside the home, and my stress levels are considerably diminished. I’m the type, then, who is always waiting for the other show to drop, especially when the stars seem to have aligned in my favor. Sigh. I’d love feedback on this!

If you actually were diagnosed with cancer, what do you imagine would happen? Could it be possible that you are looking for that outcome to happen in your life? Are there other ways that you could get those outcomes in a productive, healthy way?

People always think they have cancer because they know cancer is a terrible disease, so when even the slightest problem occurs with them and their body, they think worst case scenario and automatically thinks cancer.

Sometimes depression is a very complicated thing. Always make sure to make regular appointments with your healthcare provider. Get all lab work and tests done to ensure it is not. The fear of cancer is very real and can take a toll on a person. However, it is often not cancer. The fear alone of cancer can be devastating. If it is not, make sure to seek personal help through a counselor or therapist...as that fear can be just as taxing on you psychologically as cancer is taxing physically.

Are you scared of having cancer? Does it run in your family? Do you worry yourself that you may have cancer? I'm sure at least one of these questions is true in your mind, & Honestly, If you want to stop thinking like that, Then I would contact your doctor & have them do a blood test & a check up to make sure that all is fine. But I think it is your worried mind making you think that.

Nervousness or anxiety usually comes from wondering about the future, somehow we find ourselves thinking on the future avoiding the present not even being aware of it, perhaps product of our tendency to overthink, its important to be aware of it so one can work on calming the mind and start to occupy about the worrys instead of just concern about them, to be in the present and actually enjoy the moment.

I have health anxiety, it's a horrible thing. You have it similar to me; some people just get a fear of one specific thing (like cancer or heart attack) whereas, like you, I can get it for any physical symptom whatsoever. First thing to bear in mind is that the chances are, all of the pains you get are anxiety itself. That's the problem with anxiety; one of my most common problems was fearing a heart attack, and what does anxiety do? Raises your heart rate and makes you feel like you're having a heart attack! It's a vicious cycle. The first thing I'd suggest is getting some help; obviously you can go through your doctor or, if that's too hard, Anxiety UK are there to help and can refer you for CBT or other therapy (whatever suits you). I've also got a copy of the book 'Overcoming Health Anxiety' by Rob Willson and David Veale which does what the title says... it tries to help people like us overcome health anxiety! I wouldn't say that this is the only solution though, I learnt the best thing to do is talk to a professional who understands what you're going through. You've already taken an important step by being open about it on here. Involve family and friends too if you feel you can, they may not understand exactly what you're going through but they can support you through it.

I'm not sure, maybe you feel like you have symptoms that indicate cancer? you'd have to go get checked out if you think you do.

Dealing with medical paranoia can be difficult. Try not to look up your symptoms online, and trust your doctors to know when you have a problem. It can be especially difficult for those of us who know someone who has had cancer or dealt with medical issues. Keep in mind that that person's journey is not your journey. When you start to feel yourself becoming paranoid, have a plan in place and don't let yourself fall too far down the rabbit hole. Remind yourself how may times you thought you had cancer previously, and ask yourself if you were correct any of those times. Based on your track record, do you really think you have anything to worry about? There are a lot of reasons you could have these concerns, but if it's really weighing on you, a higher priority could be figuring out how to deal with these concerns on a day-to-day basis.

Maybe because your anxiety always makes you come to the worst possible conclusion. Which would end up as rash = skin cancer.

Cancer is widely publicised because of the fact it claims so many lives. Awareness of the disease is useful in fighting it but it can also alarm people who might be unwell but haven't found a diagnosis yet. It's also worth noting that an internet search is a poor diagnostic tool and cannot replace a medical doctor when treating a problem as it doesn't have sentient access to the patient and therefore cannot treat the person as a whole.

You wonder why you just always think you have cancer, is that right? Tell me more about this please, ok.

You may be a hypochondriac. I am one myself. It's where you think you have always got an illness. Maybe you should go to the doctor, to see if you actually DO have something wrong. If that's not the case, maybe visit a therapist.

I had the same problem for a very long time! Many of the symptoms of cancer can be manifested purely by anxiety. Whether it's a lump in the throat, a bruise not heeling, or even a weird pulsating sensation somewhere in the body. Unfortunately, this is a self-actualizing cycle since the anxiety will cause these symptoms and thus further anxiety! I recommend doing everything you can to relax, and you'll notice your symptoms and thoughts start go away. If not, seeing a medical professional is very important to prevent full-blown hypochondria.

may be cause you are studying too much about cancer.. when we study something too much we think that we are suffering from it ! also known as Medical students' disease also known as second year syndrome or intern's syndrome !

In one word Google. Our minds like to take things to the worst case. If you friend doesn't call back you think 'uh oh what did I last say, did i make her mad?" When you get a call from the school nurse you think the worst. Its just the way we are wired. It may help you to remember previous times where you thought the worst but it was something minimal. Training your brain to maybe not go full out every time something comes up. It may also help to try to work in meditation daily so you can see how your river of thoughts work.

It sounds like you're experiencing some health anxiety. When we notice something different about our bodies, whether it's a sore throat, lump, bump, or even a headache, our minds might automatically assume the worst case scenario, which is often cancer or an incurable disease, when we are experiencing health related anxiety. We operate in a cycle of "what-if" and often seek reassurance from friends, family, the internet, and medical professionals. I'm sending you hugs because experiencing health anxiety can be very scary and frustrating. We often recognize that the worst case scenario is not likely, but our minds still experience the anxiety and go through the "what-if" thinking like it is. If you are in any doubt, you can always check with your licensed medical professional regarding any health concerns as well as any anxiety concerns.

Thinking you always have some sort of incurable or chronic disease isn't as rare as people think. But it's more about people jumping to conclusions when they present with certain symptoms and of course, symptom searching on the internet leads to drastic conclusions about what you might have. The best way to deal with it is to try to prevent self diagnosing and if there is something you are truly concerned about go to see your doctor/gp about it, for a formal diagnosis. It could be nothing, but everything , especially related to cancer, is worth geting checked out.

With all the information available today it can be easy and tempting to self-diagnose ourselves, however it is best if you have any health concerns to see a doctor for their opinion. If the doctor rules out any medical issues and you still find yourself thinking something is wrong you may be struggling with anxiety. A trained therapist can help you resolve the symptoms of this anxiety.

For me, it was because I was raised by a parent who always jumped to worst case scenario. A head ache was a brain tumor, that sort of thing. But our culture does a LOT of awareness around early cancer detection, so I think we've all been "programmed" to some extent, to always be aware of potential symptoms. For me, the best way to control this anxious voice is to get regular physicals and keep up with my other doctor appointments. I can remind myself that I had blood work done in May, and that everything was fine.

I find that over-researching is the main culprit. I find it helps to visit my general practitioner and making sure that all is well.

We tend to catastrophize illnesses. It seems in today's world, we are always being taught to prepare for the worst. Having terminal illness like cancer is one of the worst outcomes. Check with a doctor, maybe two for a second opinion. They will be able to put you at ease. Health anxiety is common

It could be your biggest fear and you just can't stop letting your brain go to that extreme. It's a scary thing and something that I've been worried about since I was young as well.

You aren't alone! It's probably three factors. First, you probably have a personality that thinks big picture and long-term, causing anxiety. In other words you tend think about death more than most. Second, we live in a world where news reports and internet resources can fill our heads with all kinds of health concerns. Third, you may have some kind of health issue that has similar symptoms, like fibromyalgia or arthritis. Between these factors it's no wonder that many of us get worried about cancer or other life-threatening issues. What to do about it? Pay attention to your feelings of fear and worry, don't try to push them away or pretend they aren't there. Pay attention to the fear as long as you can. This will help to clear the emotional fog so that your mind can logically decide if you should get more tests done. Personally, I've gone through tons of testing due to the same fear. I don't know if I'll ever get over these fears. But I am slowly accepting the fact that it's not reasonable to go to the Dr. for every little symptom. So I'm only going if the symptom is persisting for a couple months. I've also learned that no one can "feel" what illness he has, so there's no point in speculating. Only modern tests can determine whats actually going on, and I'm only going to get those after a couple months of persisting symptoms. Also I'm learning to manage anxiety generally. Good luck!