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I can't stop worrying about cancer :(

I'm 22 years old and this seems to be getting worse :frown:

I can't stop worrying about cancer. I know it's silly, but I do extensive research on the internet about any symptoms which come up, however mild they are. I've read that 1 in 3 people will get cancer in their lifetime and that makes me so worried :'( it seems like there's nothing you can do about it and even people with perfectly healthy lifestyles get it randomly and young people get it too. I feel like I can't enjoy my life because I'm constantly worrying and feeling ill all the time and I think what's the point if there's such a huge chance I could get cancer one day, or someone close to me could.

My absolute biggest fear is bowel cancer, and it's getting to the stage where I'm too scared to go to the toilet now and I hold it in and get stomach ache. I have fears that I might see blood or have bad diarrhoea which will make me worry about cancer. I literally have panic attacks on the toilet if it feels soft or different cause I'm terrified I'm passing blood or something, so often I don't look. When I have looked the stools look strange; no blood but mucusy and a strange colour and that's fuelled a lot of anxiety. Often I feel tired and lethargic and dizzy too which I've read are also a sign of bowel cancer.

You might be annoyed at this next bit, but I started smoking a year ago to curb general anxiety, and now I've quit (it's been extremely hard to do so). Now I'm in a constant panic that maybe that 1 year of smoking might have had an adverse effect on my body and I could still get cancer a few years later cause of a stupid thing I did a year ago. I also don't drink heavily, but have had several nights recently where I have drank quite a lot with uni friends, which makes me worry more about pancreatic/liver disease.

I feel in a constant state of gloom and worry and I feel like I can't enjoy my life. People tell me to chill out and enjoy my uni days and that cancer only happens to older people, but I've read stories where people have been my age and younger, or been a ''one off''. I always worry I could be a one-off or someone who gets lung cancer or smoking disease despite being told it only happens to long-term smokers.

I just want to feel normal and enjoy life without worry. I've cut out cigarettes and am going to keep the drink in moderation, but I still can't stop this ''what if'' feeling.

Any advice? :frown: Sorry if this was too long.
Reply 1
Bump, as this has taken a while to approve
All I can say to you is stop doing so much research on it. When people look up symptoms and stuff on the internet they end up making everything seem more dramatic in their head. There's no point worrying about possibly getting cancer in future, you can't live your life in constant fear that you will get it and I think you know that.

Have you tried talking to your GP about this?
Reply 3
I suspect what you're describing is health anxiety (used to be called hypochondriasis). It can really be extremely disabling - the sort of thing you're doing - net research/smoking are the kind of things people do with HA when they are trying to 'neutralise' some of the anxiety about illness. It can progressively get worse til it's difficult to function normally at all.

But the good news is it is very treatable. In the first instance I'd Google help for HA - there are self help materials online. I'd also go to your GP - ask for a referral to a counsellor /psychologist with an interest in health.

Good luck!

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Reply 4
I was also going to suggest health anxiety and I back up everything gustavus has said. Go to your GP and explain your symptoms - they'll be able to refer you for a course of therapy e.g. CBT, that could help.
[QUOTE="Anonymous;44784680"]I'm 22 years old and this seems to be getting worse :frown:

I can't stop worrying about cancer. I know it's silly, but I do extensive research on the internet about any symptoms which come up, however mild they are. I've read that 1 in 3 people will get cancer in their lifetime and that makes me so worried :'( it seems like there's nothing you can do about it and even people with perfectly healthy lifestyles get it randomly and young people get it too. I feel like I can't enjoy my life because I'm constantly worrying and feeling ill all the time and I think what's the point if there's such a huge chance I could get cancer one day, or someone close to me could.


It's not silly at all to worry about cancer, probably most of us do worry about it and wouldn't admit it. It's good that you've researched the symptoms though, staying aware and being careful is something to be praised, not laughed at. Having a healthy lifestyle as possible, as opposed to living off junk food, not getting enough exercise etc, would most likely help reduce your chances but like you said healthy living is not an instant invincibility. I still worry about getting cancer to be honest, not as much as I used to but occasionally the notion really hits me at moments and I get scared. Don't worry, it's perfectly rational to feel sacred about it but you shouldn't let it dominate. I'd recommend looking up the authour Christopher Hitchens, if you're unaware of him that is, who sadly died from terminal esophageal cancer in 2011. There is an interview on youtube he did with Jeremy Paxman and he speaks openly and very bravely about his illness. Just a recommendation :smile:. You said you feel what's the point if you do get cancer, my apologies if I come off as patronizing but you are going to die one day. We all will, it's inevitable, but should you let your mortality stop you enjoying your life? Bad things do happen to us, it's one of the major elements of being human but we shouldn't let that stop us enjoying life. We should find the treasures of life among the ruins (and that's coming from the mouth of an everyday pessimist!)

My absolute biggest fear is bowel cancer, and it's getting to the stage where I'm too scared to go to the toilet now and I hold it in and get stomach ache. I have fears that I might see blood or have bad diarrhoea which will make me worry about cancer. I literally have panic attacks on the toilet if it feels soft or different cause I'm terrified I'm passing blood or something, so often I don't look. When I have looked the stools look strange; no blood but mucusy and a strange colour and that's fuelled a lot of anxiety. Often I feel tired and lethargic and dizzy too which I've read are also a sign of bowel cancer.

You might be annoyed at this next bit, but I started smoking a year ago to curb general anxiety, and now I've quit (it's been extremely hard to do so). Now I'm in a constant panic that maybe that 1 year of smoking might have had an adverse effect on my body and I could still get cancer a few years later cause of a stupid thing I did a year ago. I also don't drink heavily, but have had several nights recently where I have drank quite a lot with uni friends, which makes me worry more about pancreatic/liver disease.


I think someone has already stated in their reply to your post that this sounds like hypochondria. I would recommend telling your doctor about this or someone who may be experiencing a similar situation, it's nothing to be at all embarrassed about.

I feel in a constant state of gloom and worry and I feel like I can't enjoy my life. People tell me to chill out and enjoy my uni days and that cancer only happens to older people, but I've read stories where people have been my age and younger, or been a ''one off''. I always worry I could be a one-off or someone who gets lung cancer or smoking disease despite being told it only happens to long-term smokers.

I just want to feel normal and enjoy life without worry. I've cut out cigarettes and am going to keep the drink in moderation, but I still can't stop this ''what if'' feeling.


This is purely recommendation but could your "what if" feeling be helped by being as honest as possible to yourself, making yourself fully aware that you are human and prone to suffering? I admit to myself "Yeah, I could get cancer one day, I could die from it" and I think about death everday which may sound horrible to say to ones self and I'm not trying to paint a horrible picture of life here. I personally think that the first step to becoming a happier person is being fully honest to yourself, not just about your weaknesses as a human but also your strengths, finding what it is about you that makes you personally happy. Find what it is in life that's makes you happy (I know that's not always an easy thing to do) and advocate it for yourself, you are entitled to happiness my friend.

Any advice? :frown: Sorry if this was too long.
No worries, you have nothing to apologize for :smile: Please don't worry yourself for too much longer than you should have to. Remember, you are entitled to personal happiness. Looking back on my reply, I should be the one apologizing if I've sounded annoyingly naive and overly optimistic :smile: Look after yourself
Reply 6
[QUOTE="IbanezTotoro;44797442"]
Original post by Anonymous
I'm 22 years old and this seems to be getting worse :frown:


. Don't worry, it's perfectly rational to feel sacred about it but you shouldn't let it dominate. I'd recommend looking up the authour Christopher Hitchens, if you're unaware of him that is, who sadly died from terminal esophageal cancer in 2011. There is an interview on youtube he did with Jeremy Paxman and he speaks openly and very bravely about his illness. Just a recommendation :smile:.

You said you feel what's the point if you do get cancer, my apologies if I come off as patronizing but you are going to die one day. We all will, it's inevitable, but should you let your mortality stop you enjoying your life?



I understand this poster is trying to help but I wouldn't recommend reading cancer accounts - however good they are! This is because the OP is solely focusing on those unfortunate people who have contracted TERMINAL cancer (like Mr Hitchens!) - OP please be aware even though many contract cancer ONLY a small proportion aren't treatable!

Also I think saying - 'don't let your mortality stop you enjoying life' probably isn't that helpful.

Presumably, if the OP could do this -, they would have, and they would be enjoying life?!
just know that the chances of you getting cancer between 22 and 32 is very low. At least try to live in peace assuming that you will not be getting cancer in the next 10 years
and tbh we're humans, we live in unstable bodies and in an unstable world, we do this together
Reply 9
Go have a chat with your GP about your anxiety.

To lessen your fears, the chances of you getting cancer at this age is really really small, so don't worry. The whole 1 in 3 thing is a general probability, and more applicable to older people than your age. Your odds of getting cancer is as low as me getting a merit this year (which is really low :wink: ).

We will all die one day, but that day is going to be ages away, and there's no reason to fear. We all worry about getting some horrible disease, or getting into a car accident, but if we really are so unlucky to get into such a predicament, worrying about it before it even takes place has no value whatsoever. So stop worrying so much and enjoy life. What good will it do to worry about cancer?
If it makes your feel any better, scientists have made some outstanding research and are not far off a comprehensive cure for certain cancers, they've created a drug that effectively reboots the immune system allowing it to target cancer cells instead of being suppressed. As well as that even the most inaccessible brain tumors (often the hardest to treat) are now using a scorpion poison which illuminates cancer cells in UV light, therefore allowing them to operate with reduced risk of cutting away brain tissue.

I know it gets thrown around a lot, but cancer is no longer a death sentence, and hopefully soon we can all be free from cancer.

Special props to all the scientists in that field btw, simply amazing work.
I’m 13 and I constantly worry about cancer, it’s never not on my mind and also why single little things that doesn’t seem normal I take as a sign th at it could be be cancer, I have a lump on the bottom of my toe that is painless and I’m worrying it is cancer, nobody else understands my anxiety, they say they do but they really don’t so if anybody could help that would be great
Original post by xameliex
I’m 13 and I constantly worry about cancer, it’s never not on my mind and also why single little things that doesn’t seem normal I take as a sign th at it could be be cancer, I have a lump on the bottom of my toe that is painless and I’m worrying it is cancer, nobody else understands my anxiety, they say they do but they really don’t so if anybody could help that would be great


see your GP
Was gonna say something that would scare you, so I'll say something else

My grandad had cancer not that long ago and he is fine
Original post by xameliex
I’m 13 and I constantly worry about cancer, it’s never not on my mind and also why single little things that doesn’t seem normal I take as a sign th at it could be be cancer, I have a lump on the bottom of my toe that is painless and I’m worrying it is cancer, nobody else understands my anxiety, they say they do but they really don’t so if anybody could help that would be great


You should be worrying about the MOD that is going to appear shortly and give you a black mark for resurrecting a thread from 2013. They did it to me twice last week. The links I followed were at the foot of the page and I suppose you just clicked on this one.

You might find that you worry is about death rather than the means of death. It comes in many guises...
Anxiety is a big part of what GPs are there for nowadays, and they can also assess you on the off chance that there is something physically wrong. I used to get pains all over my body, went to my GP, but turns out it was psychological and he referred me to a psychiatrist. I doubt that your problem will be anything new to them, they are there to help with this kind of thing. Seriously, seeing a GP will help you so much.

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