Hollie Sharman's Journey Through Health Anxiety
Hollie Sharman shares how a panic attack led to years of health worries and, later, a diagnosis.
Hollie Sharman is 25 years old. For a long time, she was convinced she was dying. According to BBC News, she went to hospital four to five times a week complaining of excruciating chest pain.
The longest Sharman spent in A&E (the emergency department of a hospital) was 13 hours. Doctors could never find anything wrong with her, despite numerous tests.
Sharman had always worried about her health as a child. The worry grew over time.
Things changed on her 22nd birthday. Sharman had a severe panic attack in restaurant toilets. That panic attack triggered years of health anxiety for her.
Sharman was eventually diagnosed with health anxiety and health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder (a condition where a person has unwanted thoughts and repeats certain actions to try to feel calm). Her family and partner have been incredibly supportive.
Clinical psychologist Dr Kirren Schnack says health anxiety is a constant worry about being seriously ill when you are not. Key signs include frequently checking the body, taking temperature or blood pressure, and researching symptoms online.
Schnack advises checking the NHS website for new, concerning or persistent symptoms. She also advises making a GP appointment if a symptom has not gone away within two weeks.
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