Hey Google, are you a friend or foe?

Hey Google, why do I have chest pain? Hey Google, what does shakey hands a sweaty palms mean? Hey Google, what do heart palpitations feel like and why do I have them?

We’re all guilty of it, I’ve done it more times than I can count. We have weird things happening and weird sensations along with e relentless sense of dread and we want some reassurance so, we Google it. We know everyone says not to and that Dr Google is only going tell us that we’re dying of some rare disease but how else are we going to get some reassurance that it’s not something life ending? I mean, it feels that way so how do they know it’s not?!

The thing is, they’re right. Unless we are very careful with our search, it will say that it’s something awful because it doesn’t have the full picture and it doesn’t actually have any medical qualifications. So, what do we do? How do we get that reassurance without being convinced that we have somehow picked up a plague from 300 years ago that no longer exists?

We choose our words carefully and pay attention to how we feel. If you really can’t resist the urge to Google, make sure you put, ‘and anxiety’ or ‘with panic attacks’ etc at the end of each search. The question, ‘ why do I have chest pain with anxiety’ will give you much better results than just asking about chest pain. This search will give you information about why chest pain is common with anxiety and panic attacks and less about heart attacks and defects. It’s going to be much more reassuring which will calm down your anxiety and symptoms instead of making you worry more.

So, Google if you must but pick your words wisely, it’s much more calming!

Love, Lisa x