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Severe Health Anxiety

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Citygirl1 Sat 10-Oct-26 23:11:33

Hi I hope someone can help put my mind at rest. I am 64, work full time, due to retire in two years, which I am not looking forward as I fear boredom. I am divorced and live alone.
My main issue is my extreme anxiety, at the moment is more health related. I have always been one to worry about the future, going over the what ifs and imagining the worse case scenario.
I am fit, I can do my job (office based but I am up and down from my desk all the time), I can walk quickly and everything like that. But for the past year I have been getting aches and pains. It started with a stiff neck a year ago. An Xray showed degenerative changes. I saw a physio and he assured me not to worry, gave me some exercises to do. From then on I developed general aches and clicking in my joints. The stiff neck eased and went away over the summer. Now it’s back again and my body is generally stiff and achy. Blood test results last year came back clear. I’ve just had blood tests done last week and they are clear. My GP thinks its anxiety. I have been taking Citralopram for the past three years (prior to that I was on Prozac), she’s now putting me on Duloxetine as she says this is for anxiety and depression but also eases body aches. I am in the process of weaning off Citralopram and introducing Duloxetine.
I will also add that my sleep pattern is erratic as I often go to bed late and then have to get up for work the next morning. My diet is poor because I can’t be bothered to cook for myself when I get home from work.
But the thing is that I am still not reassured. Clear blood tests, reassurance from the doctor isn’t cutting it for me anymore. I worry that I will become immobile and stuck in my flat. I live in an upstairs flat (two storeys) which I love and would never want to leave but I worry in case one day I can’t manage the stairs, even though my neighbour is 83 and manages. I worry that when I retire I won’t be able to go out and do the things that people assure me will be fun and keep me busy. All this anxiety is making my pain worse and it’s a constant viscious circle. Sorry for the long post but I fear I will have a breakdown if I don’t calm down. I have done CBT a few times and nothing seems to work.
I will say though that when I am at work and busy all day my aches do seem to ease. It’s mainly when I am at home they seem worse.

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butterandjam Sat 10-Oct-26 23:42:58

Don't focus on the future for now. There are some easy effortless ways to help yourself right now.

I think good sleep and a good nutrition, are the basis of good physical and mental health. A good diet doesn't necessarily involve much cooking.

If you like bread eggs, milk, cheese, nuts salad and fruit, you can start a healthy diet with minimal cooking.

Try going to bed an hour earlier, with the window slightly open so you spend the whole night breathing fresh air.

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Graphite Sun 11-Oct-26 00:00:32

You summed it up in the last sentence of your post. These things don’t bother you (or as much) when you are at work and busy.

Everybody gets aches and pains as they get older. That’s perfectly natural and can be countered by staying active, a mixture of walking, swimming, exercise classes, going to the gym. Of course, you don’t have to wait to retire to do that but once you do you will have more time to develop a routine and won’t be tired from work. You will also have more time to shop, cook and eat a better diet.

Retirement doesn't mean boredom. Why would you think it does? It just means you spend your time differently. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities and a wealth of clubs, groups and societies to join.

What do you like to do in your spare time now? If you don’t already, it sounds to me like you might benefit from engaging in a mix of gentle exercise and some hobbies you can do at home to distract you from your healthy worries. Getting lost in an arts or crafts project is great for mindfulness. Never too late to learn a new skill.

Ditto the advice butterandjam gives.

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