I am banned from Googling ;)

[AlwaysAMama 0]

I think google is set up so everything medical that you search for turns out to be worst case scenario. I could have pink eye and google the symptoms and it would lead to some thing about blindness and death. One time I googled some symptoms I had with swallowing and my throat and convinced myself I was developing a goiter. I freaked myself out enough to go the the doctor and discovered I actually had thyroid disease. So my paranoia was actually good in that case even though I was wrong about the diagnosis. Even worse than google was when I was taking A & P and other medical classes I convinced myself that I had like 10 disease over a year long period.

[char2011 1]

I think I need to stop diagnosing myself using google because the symptoms iend up finding make me feel worse and not want to go to the doctor ever more lol

[ellyc 0]

For the longest time I was positive I had a brain tumor thanks to good ol' Google. After several trips to the Doctor I know that I don't. I just have really bad migraines. But it left me anxious for months on end while they checked things out. At least something good came out of it. No more Googling symptoms for me!

[xfilme 2]

The biggest problem with Google is the future. When you finally decide you want to stop and want to concentrate on getting better, you realise its very difficult to 'un-learn' all the previous infomation youve looked up over the years. It sticks with you, but its like chinese wispers, where youre not sure if youve remembered the information, but you cant look it up without fuelling you HA again. Not Googling is the best way to go. Think of stopping GOOGLING early as making the recovery from HA easier in the longrun. The more you google, the longer your HA will stick around.

[Mrs. Rogers 2]

My Dr. banned me from Google too! HAHA! I diagnosed myself with an Aneurysm last year and also a brain tumor. Thank god it was just Cluster Headaches.

[BonnyC 1]

Yes, I have a bad habit when it comes to Googling symptoms. Fortunately, I take it pretty well once I've decided I have a terrible disease. Tons of stuff online really makes every illness sound life threatening and I guess it does that as a safety net. Better to give all of the facts instead of brushing it off as no big deal even though it usually isn't a big deal. Googling actually helped me find some relief to problems I've had even if it was just to encourage me to get seen by a doctor.

[SarahLizzie 2]

One thing I learned while studying psychology was that everyone exhibits several symptoms of many psychological disorders. My professors always told us that any disorder you read about you could apply to yourself. This sticks with me always, making moe skeptical to believe my doctors.

[BeautifulAngel 1]

I seem to do that too.. I had myself convinced that I had bipolar once.. I mean I do have depression but Bipolar is totally different. My doctor laughed and honestly asked me if I googled it and if that's why I thought I was bipolar. Apparently a lot of people do this, they go online and check out diseases and self-diagnose themself. From now on when I think there is something wrong with me I schedule an appointment with my doctor. No more self-diagnosing.

[kingusama92 0]

Sounds just like my sister.

She does the same thing when it comes to any illness. At times, you are left in shock at some of the diseases she pulls out of her googling adventures.

There are reasons why doctors despise Google and all it has done to ruin their lives. Patients come in with all sorts of diagnoses and assume they are correct when it is simply a minor affliction.

I like the idea of banning yourself!

[classy_ally 2]

You know, I understand EXACTLY what you are saying. Google is like a double-edged sword. On the one side, you have all of this great information at your fingertips. And on the other side, you can feel like you are dying because you are trying to self-doctor. LOL!! I can't give up Google, it's for the greater good!

[JJ325 0]

I am also banned from google! Last month my dog was ill, he was pooping blood for 3 days straight. Me at 3 A.M. decided to Google even though I spoke to the vet and they said not too worry much, I found horrible things and thought for sure my dog was not dying. As soon as the vet opened I phoned to bring him in. It was just a virus. They also told me stay off Google! lol

[tajnz 0]

I agree with all the previous posters. You're not alone in trying to self diagnose on the internet. My mother does so and has also been convinced she had Aneurysm for a few weeks along with a whole shopping list of other diseases and conditions. Luckily she's been wrong so far in all her diagnosis. Sometimes she worries me as she'll be glued to the computer screen wide eyed reading information about a disease and no one can get her to stop. Thankfully she does stop after seeing the doctor and they give her the all clear.

I'm the opposite way as in I refuse to look up conditions because some silly part of me thinks that I conscousily think about a disease I may actually form it. I know that sounds ridiculous!

In a way though though I think it is great that you can research conditions as doctors aren't always right and sometimes it's helpful to do a bit of your own research. I have known someone whose doctor failed to identity their illness while they did simply by researching and talking on forums before getting a second opinion from another doctor.

[melindacarter84 0]

I also play doctor with myself I google everything and I always have the symtoms of a heart attack.....why do we do this to ourselves

[anxietywomen 0]

I banned my self from googling along time ago. I hate having health anxiety it is the worst. Googling makes it worse.

[xavalonxxx 0]

I think Google has a place when you already know whats wrong with you. Other than that its like a panic attack on the web.

[leyash 4]

I wish I could ban myself, unfortunately, it wouldn't work. I have too many symptoms not to google. Ugh. It's driving me crazy!

[KathyC 88]

I also had to ban myself from Google because Everytime I felt something wrong I looked it up and got the worse results

Lupus

PGAD

Heart disease

Thyroid C

Neuropathy 

I can go on and on. It's so scary and then we end up with the symptoms. We can't erase in our minds what we read on Dr Google but the people here can help reassure us that we don't have it espically if our Dr has told us we are fine and it's anxiety. Easier said than done but I myself is going through thinking I have an illness. But, I have come here read other people's post and some members has made replies to my post to reassure me it's all anxiety. Hope you feel better and just try to breath in slowly and breath out slowly. The more we focus on it the worse it feels. 

[jonathan123 2367]

Hi Kathy. OH YES. My computer is set to self destruct if I punch up Google medical. . Why is it so important not to do it? Because when we have anxiety we are so open to suggestion. We are vulnerable because our minds are tired and unable to reason. It seems there are two parts to the brain The primitive caveman part, which acts from pure instinct, mainly the instinct for survival, and the more modern reasoning part that is normally able to reason things out. But we humans are always curious; we have to know.

When an anxious state the caveman takes over to the exclusion of the reasoning part. It says 'danger' and the brain begins the process of the fight/flight mechanism. Adrenaline is pumped into the body and off we go. IF and it's a big IF, we could allow the reasoning part to come back in then we would begin to feel better. When we can convince ourselves there is no Sabre Toothed Tiger about to get us then we are on the way to recovery. Dr. Google adds to the problem by presenting you with Tiger after Tiger. It's never a case of 'but it's only a mouse', oh no. Remember, Google gets most of it's profit from adverts. Look up an illness and adverts for cures or relief come up.

Remember in "Three men in a Boat". By Jerome. K. Jerome. Man went to docs. Doctor examines him and says, 'Hmmmm' and gives him a prescription. Man takes it to pharmacy. Pharmacist says, 'Sorry sir, can't fill this'. 'Why not', says man, very worried. 'Because', says the     Pharmacist, 'It says in Latin, get about your business and stop worrying your head about things you don't understand'. OK?      Jon.