One thing that I really struggle with is irrational obsessing about any number of things, but usually something regarding my safety or health. In typical hypochondriac fashion, I have diagnosed myself with hypochondria 🙂 What is particularly challenging about this obsessing is that the sensation, pain, or lump/bump in my body feels/looks very real and so it ‘seems’ rational. What follows, though, is a snowball of irrational thoughts that lead to irrational behavior. For example:

C: Mole on my neck
T: This mole hurts. It feels like there is a lump around it. This could be a tumor. (Yes, it escalates very quickly)
F: Fear/terror
A: Waste DAYS and significant energy obsessing until I go to the doctor
R: Go to the doctor and get told I’m simply anxious

My question is how do I stop this snowball of irrationality from occurring when the sensations feel really real? My biggest fear is that I will stop taking these bodily sensations seriously and stop obsessing, only to later learn that I actually did have something wrong with me and I should have ‘listened to my body.’

I’m stuck! Really looking forward to any insight on this. Thank you!