Struggling with despair and fear about health

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Over the past 5-6 months I’ve been really struggling with my health - suffered from panic attacks and severe anxiety as well as some horrible gastrointestinal symptoms that have recently got so bad I’ve been referred for upper and lower Endoscopies. Throughout it all I have been praying the rosary, going to mass and trying to still do things for others and pray but I am really struggling with fear surrounding what’s wrong with me and also suicidal thoughts. Does anyone have any spiritual advice on how to overcome these thoughts/ feelings when physical and mental distress health wise? I don’t want to give up and have been offering up my suffering and praying a novena to St Pio and Therese but feeling very overwhelmed and frightened. I’m relatively young and feels like my life has been torn apart in such a short space of time.

I’ve had some major realisations throughout this health trial about my fairy and I so want to be well again so I can be of most service to others, be the best disciple and bring glory to God through my life. Thank you in advance to anyone reading this and I hope you have a good day blessed and guided by the Lord x
 
Sorry awful typo ‘ fairy’ was meant to say faith!!! :woman_facepalming:t2:
 
From a logical standpoint, a panic attack accomplishes nothing in this situation. I’d suggest that besides prayer, you see if there’s something easy you can do such as taking a nap or a walk that might cause you to panic less. You might look up the Nada Te Turbe prayer by St Teresa of Avila, who also struggled with worries about her health and yet lived to be quite old.

I also find it helpful to remind myself that most people in the world are having bad anxiety over something, and often it’s something far worse than whatever I am dealing with. I can pray for them and me both.

With respect to life and death, it’s best to just give that to God. It’s up to him, it’s not up to any one of us. I feel better leaving it in his hands because it makes me too confused wrestling with it myself.
 
Thank you so much for your reply!
I will look up the sources you suggest, that’s really helpful God bless you.

Panic attacks have got a lot better- it’s more the quite debilitating physical symptoms ( that I’m not sure of the cause of yet though this is in the process of being investigated) that is feeding anxiety. I’m ashamed to say I don’t give it to God enough and feel I’m failing at the moment as a Christian because I’m not able to be as strong and patient and hopeful in these circumstances as I want to be. I feel worn down by it- In essence I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired and struggling daily feeling depleted but I so need to find away to draw closer to God. Please pray for me and I hope you are having a good day x
 
Agree praying- for others and with own intentions always helps! I offered up my suffering for someone I met in a support group who was having a colonoscopy today and prayed for them and was so happy to hear today it went well. Let me know if there’s anything I can pray for for you x
 
We’re all worn out with this pandemic. I’m in a better position than many, many folks and yet I often feel like I’m trying to slog through molasses just to get what I have to do done.

You pray for me and I will pray for you!
 
Yes hypochondriasis is horrible. I’ve been through that many years ago. It’s weird cause my physical hypochondriasis later turned into spiritual hypochondriasis (scrupulosity). I recommend two things. Pray to your guardian angel and ask for some sign that he/she is watching over you. Also the book “The Worrier’s Guide to the Bible, 50 Verses to Ease Anxieties” was very helpful to me
 
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Fr Jacques Phillipe’s book “Searching For and Maintaining Peace” has helped me many times.
 
Reply to Thank you so much for your reply - I will pray to my guardian angel tonight and also pray for you
God bless
 

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
My Daily Psalm Book is a simple Divine Office for lay people to pray the Psalms assigned to each day of the week. Or follow your own schedule, returning to favorite Psalms or using the helpful guide to find those Psalms specially suited to personal occasions and needs, including:

• Dealing with depression and discouragement
• Managing excessive pride—as well as timidity
• Preparation for Confession and Adoration
• Times of need, sickness, and trouble
Click to expand...
 
Thank you so much that’s very very kind Will pray for you too! I’m in the uk so not actually sure we have a directory of catholic therapists unfortunately:-(
 
Litany to the Guardian Angel.

Angel of love, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here: ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.

You can also talk to your angel like you talk to God or the saints. 🙂
 
Hi there. I feel your pain. I was diagnosed with an oversized and overactive amygdala due to a couple of major stressors in my life. I have personally found Christian meditation with accompanying breathing exercises to be the best thing for managing my anxiety and stopping my panic attacks altogether. There are many online that you will find, as well as Christian meditation apps. I like to close my eyes and envision Christ standing in front of me in a beautiful garden full of light. No words - just Him, smiling at me and emanating light, whilst I quiet my mind, and slowly breathe in His goodness, peace and love. I do this daily, for about 20 minutes. Every time my mind flicks to fears about my health, the future or the past, I just gently guide myself back to Christ, and slowing my breath. I have found that I am able to stop my heart from racing by doing this.
I recommend you get to a psychologist or anxiety support group that can help you talk through these issues, and perhaps a natural health practitioner (ND) to assess if you are depleted in any thing in particular that may help support you physically.
Stay strong - I will pray for you 🙂
 
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Until you have bedbugs, you have no bedbugs. In other words, you don’t know what’s wrong yet and the fix could be quite manageable indeed. Perhaps a small procedure during the endoscopy or colonoscopy will fix things for you. For me, my life was saved when they opened up my common bile duct during an endoscopy, a small cut and my life was back to normal. So often the best happens to you, not the worst.

Try little science experiments such as not eating sugar or whatever else you can think of. You have to try many things.
 
Dear Lara,
Thank you so much for your reply and for sharing your story and good outcome! :pray:t2: So good to hear and I pray that you continue to have good health. It is amazing that there are so many things to try you’re right and I need to remember that. Am trying to cut down on sugar. If you don’t mind me asking what exactly was wrong that you had fixed? Did you pray before the procedure and bring anything sacramental with you? I want to have faith in the doctors to be blessed and guided by God in how they treat myself and others x
 
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