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Article created by: Monika Pašukonytė

Have you ever gotten a diagnosis from a doctor, but felt that something was not quite right? Like, it didn't make sense that it's the thing that's burdening you, and that it could be something more serious than that.

Well, if you didn't -- consider yourself lucky. At least luckier than the netizens from today's list -- they were once told that their symptoms were "just" anxiety, and it took them a long time to find the real truth.

More info: Reddit

#1

Young woman clutching her stomach in pain on a couch, illustrating hidden issues often mistaken for anxiety symptoms. Coeliac disease. A decade of trying all kinds of meds and having counsellors telling me I must be anxious *about* something, panic attacks don’t just come out of nowhere.

Turns out untreated autoimmune disorders wreck your nervous system 👍.

Mmmurl Report

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    #2

    Woman experiencing stress and anxiety, holding her head with hands in a bright, calm indoor space ADHD

    meds took ALL the random anxiety away.

    Opposite_Ruin_3426 , stefamerpik Report

    #3

    Young girl sitting on the floor looking anxious, illustrating moments when people were told they were just anxious. Complex trauma due to neglect beginning in infancy and throughout my childhood. I also learned how common it is for neglected children to not recognise that the way they were treated was negligent. .

    ausgekugelt , freepik Report

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    #4

    Woman wearing headscarf consulting a doctor in an office, representing people told they were just anxious revealing true issue. Cancer.

    Neuroendocrine Tumor, specifically.

    Luckily slow growing and removed with one surgery.

    Took ten years to get a proper diagnosis. Shocking the Lexapro didn't fix it.

    so-so-it-goes , seventyfour Report

    #5

    Patient in a medical consultation with doctor, discussing symptoms often mistaken for anxiety but linked to other issues. Anemia due to internally hemorrhaging stomach ulcers and Endometriosis. I kept telling my Dr that I had an impending sense of doom I was going to die but he just sent me to a therapist instead. One day I fainted on the street and nearly bled out and needed 2 blood transfusions to stabilize. The ulcers were caused by taking NSAIDs for my Endo pain. It's actually really common for women to have hidden iron deficiency (you can have normal HGB but low ferritin) and a lot of the symptoms mimic anxiety (panic attacks, heart palpations, shortness of breath, insomnia, stomach pain, headaches, vertigo & dizziness, blurred vision, random muscle spasms etc.).

    howdoyoulikemeownow , gpointstudio Report

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    #6

    Doctor reassuring anxious man in green sweater during medical consultation about his actual health issue. Multiple sclerosis , my doctor made me feel like i was losing my mind before i got diagnosed at ER.

    Double_Assistant200 , pressfoto Report

    #7

    Young man lying in bed looking anxious while talking to a healthcare professional about actual health issues beyond anxiety. My wife was misdiagnosed with Panic Disorder for a long time. Turns out it was Epilepsy and she was having seizures, not panic attacks.

    musicman116 , freepik Report

    #8

    Man in denim jacket holding chest in pain while sitting on couch with a cup, illustrating anxiety misdiagnosis issues. I knew a guy who kept saying that he was having heart attacks. The doctors kept saying anxiety.

    He found out years later, he had had about 10 small heart attacks.

    zazvorniki , Drazen Zigic Report

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    #9

    Man sitting on floor holding laptop, appearing stressed and anxious while working in a casual home setting. Debilitating OCD.

    how-now-brown-me0w , freepik Report

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    #10

    Woman smiling and talking to a healthcare professional during a consultation about anxiety and related health issues HAHA I am female and have multiple autoimmune conditions so you're describing the last 2 decades of my life with 50% of my new doctors. 20 years ago "anxiety" turned out to be what I told them I had - but it took 6 specialists and a smart one to finally agree.

    Funny how my dad and grandma have the same condition (psoriatic arthritis) and I had most of the textbook symptoms, but hey, here's a Lexapro.

    thcitizgoalz , Holiak Report

    #11

    Doctor examining young woman's neck in clinic, highlighting times people were told they were just anxious health issues. Thyroid disease.

    Lavenderchicken_ , freepik Report

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    #12

    Man clutching chest in pain, illustrating times people were told they were just anxious but had a different issue. A magnesium deficiency and an iron deficiency, causing weird extra heartbeats.  .

    Gman325 , garakta_studio Report

    #13

    Senior woman discussing her health concerns with a doctor, highlighting anxiety and actual medical issues revealed. Perimenopause. My first symptoms were heart palpitations. I thought I was having heart attacks. My doctor brushed it off as anxiety.

    Dr_Overundereducated , Drazen Zigic Report

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    #14

    Young woman at a laptop holding her head in stress, representing people told they were just anxious facing real issues. Chronic migraine with aura, pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic intermittant acid reflux, and sleep apnea.

    I kept being told that my aura symptoms were something that I was imagining due to anxiety for years until I finally saw a neurologist. It turned out that I wasn't imagining the vertigo, visual changes, sensory sensitivities, motor difficulties, tinnitus, or numbness, tingling, and weakness. This is all my migraine aura.

    'Anxiety' is a common assumption for any symptom for women.

    Little_SmallBlackDog , yanalya Report

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    #15

    Medical professional examining chest x-ray to identify underlying health issue beyond anxiety symptoms. Anxiety turned out to be a pulmonary embolism in my lower left lung.

    Steambunny , freepik Report

    #16

    Doctor using stethoscope to check patient’s chest symptoms initially mistaken for anxiety but revealing actual health issue A heart condition called premature ventricular contractions that causes a fluttering feeling in the heart.

    The tricky thing was that the heart condition triggered medical anxiety for me, so I *was* experiencing anxiety...but there was a root cause.

    AnaBanana84 , EyeEm Report

    #17

    Woman undergoing an eye exam by an optometrist, illustrating how anxiety symptoms can mask actual health issues. Optic neuritis. Doctor told me to go have a beer. In his defense I wasn't presenting with pain, just blindness(which should have sent me immediately to the hospital but wherever) I kinda enjoyed the beer, as much as you can when you are terrified you can't see anymore lol.

    wastedclit , pikisuperstar Report

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    #18

    Doctor examining woman’s neck during medical checkup, highlighting times people were told they were just anxious. Hyperthyroidism.

    Taylorcos22 , stefamerpik Report

    #19

    Hospital monitor showing EKG and brain activity while medical staff attends to patient, highlighting anxiety-related health issues. First time- some flavor of tachycardia. Something’s wrong, they’re not sure exactly what, but they’ve confirmed it’s not only anxiety.
    Second time- kidney stone.

    Kindaspia , DC Studio Report

    #20

    Man in green sweater holding forehead, appearing stressed and anxious while sitting indoors near windows. Chronic vestibular migraine.

    Mad-Hettie , DC Studio Report

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    #21

    Woman sitting on a couch clutching her chest in discomfort, illustrating symptoms often mistaken for anxiety issues. Cardio toxicity from the chemo I was on. The best bit is …. it’s a known side effect.

    LochNessMother , user25451090 Report

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    #22

    Doctor examining young woman experiencing pain, highlighting cases where anxiety was mistaken for the actual issue. A bad gallbladder. It was also anxiety but anxiety wasn't making me puke everyday, my gallbladder was. My anxiety does give me a tummy ache sometimes but not debilitating like my gallbladder was.

    Ok_Response_3484 , yesorno Report

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    #23

    Young woman wearing glasses and a colorful sweater sitting on a couch using a tablet, illustrating anxiety issues. Autism.

    Good-Smell-8167 , Holiak Report

    #24

    Woman lying on couch talking to therapist about anxiety concerns during a mental health session at a cozy office. Epilepsy.

    wobblerocket , Drazen Zigic Report

    #25

    Young man using an inhaler at home showing symptoms often mistaken for anxiety but related to respiratory issues. Asthma.

    cellophanestar Report

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