Afraid skull's coming apart or growing tumors around temporalis. dr says i'm just anxious/noticing asymmetrical bumps/cracks/dents. always tender. cracks are small, but feel deep. bump's above ear.

Well, James: Your skull is not coming apart but you may be having a lot of discomfort then become preoccupied. Do you sleep well at night? Do you clinch your teeth at night when u do sleep? To the degree that anxiety is contributing, sleep-wake dysfunction is usually the first thing to go, then pain filter lowers, then it all goes into a feedback loop. If no diagnosis, see doc about treatment for anxiety.

Not cracks: Your are likely feeling the muscle fibers of a tender temporalis muscle, not skull cracks. Consider getting deep tissue massage or acupuncture if it hurts. Temporal arteritis can present this way but your age and lack of other symptoms detract from that diagnosis.

Therapist: Make sure you have physical exam with your primary care once medically cleared . If problem exist than see psychiatrist also therapist with experience in cbt.

Seek Diagnostic Eval: It sounds like you are being tormented by intrusive thoughts that are really scaring you. I'd recommend seeing a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist for some careful diagnostic detective work. These thoughts are certainly anxiety provoking but they may be best characterized as symptomatic of something other than an anxiety disorder, per se - like obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd).