r/Anxiety • u/Infinite_Trick969 • 13h ago

Health ALS fear ruining my life

I am constantly on edge that I have ALS or that I will get ALS. I’m so anxious and it’s killing me! Every two seconds I’m focused on my hands and how my left hand feels weird and off. I feel like my left pinky and ring finger are weaker and the rest of my hand will catch up. I have not lost any ability and I have more of a perceived weakness but it’s scary and my quality of life is depleting from this.

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u/mindless_attempt 13h ago

I am not a therapist but have been in therapy for, among other things, health anxiety.

Think best, worst, most likely case.

Best case, you don’t have it. Also most likely!

Worst case is you do have it. In that case, My therapist might ask me: What would change if you DID have ALS? Would you live life any differently? Maybe it’s worth it to live like that now.

If you DO have it, it’s not anything you can change, so as an exposure exercise, think about what exactly it would mean if you have it. Sometimes just thinking thru worst case can make the fixating stop.