‘Anytime my children or husband had a temperature I thought it was cancer’
AFTER experiencing a traumatic misdiagnosis of bone cancer in her daughter, Kamelia Tencheva spent the last decade with crippling health anxiety.
The mother-of-two, who lives in Waterlooville, spent years experiencing panic attacks and headaches worrying over her two daughters and husband anytime they coughed or sneezed after doctors in Bulgaria said her youngest child had bone cancer.
The 39-year-old said: ‘It was such a horrific time having our baby go through scans and tests to then find out the doctors were wrong.
‘I suffered for years after because I was so worried that something bad was going to happen.
‘Anytime my children or husband had a temperature I would convince myself it was cancer and stay by their bed until they were better.
‘When we moved from Bulgaria five years ago, I really struggled. I had been a social worker but I found it hard to get a job and experienced even more anxiety.
‘With my job I can see when others are having issues but I think identifying it in yourself is so hard. It is like there is a veil in front of you.’
In January 2019, Kamelia, who now works at Portsmouth City Council, contacted Talking Change, a mental health service run by Solent NHS, and went along to a health anxiety support group.
She said: ‘I was a bit cynical at first about it all but I knew I needed to get help.
‘There was about seven or eight sessions and halfway through everything just seemed to click.
‘It was cognitive behavioural therapy which looks at changing your negative thought patterns by thinking about why you think that way and how to change it.
‘I think before, with my background as a social worker, I thought I could use the tips and tricks I knew but doing the sessions made me realise there was so much I did not know.
‘It has completely changed me as person and I am so grateful I got support before Covid-19 started. I think had not I would be in a terrible state.’
Kamelia is now training to lead the group sessions that helped her and wants to encourage people to seek help.
She added: ‘I am so blessed that I was able to get help and it has helped me live my life to the full.
‘Anyone experiencing anxiety for any reason should reach out to Talking Change for their group support and individual therapy sessions.
‘It is accessible to anyone and it has changed my life.’