What Is Health Anxiety?
You find yourself regularly scanning your body for possible symptoms. What kind of symptoms? The serious kind, of course. You become preoccupied with finding out what’s wrong with you even though there’s no clear-cut reason to believe you are not well. The concern turns into fear and soon, you’re obsessed.
In reality, there’s a very good chance you do have a condition — but it’s not the one you dread. The problem may be healthy anxiety, a.k.a. illness anxiety disorder, hypochondria, or hypochondriasis. The illness you are struggling with might be an uncontrollable fear about your health.
Health Anxiety: The Basics
Health anxiety is rare but can impact people of both sexes and all ages. Generally speaking, people with hypochondria fall into two categories:
Care-seeking: Those who visit doctors all the time to check perceived symptoms
Care-avoidant: Those who avoid and distrust doctors and medical care
Here are some of the most common telltale signs of health anxiety:
Repeatedly checking oneself for any signs of a health issue
Allocates a lot of time to researching diseases, symptoms, etc.
Talking about your health and health issues in general
Oversharing about your health
Seeking reassurance from others about their health
Fixating on typical body functions, such as heart rate, sweating, and gas
Avoiding people, places, and situations out of fear of catching something
Exaggerating symptoms
Even if tests show them to be fine, people with health anxiety still worry
Relentless stress about health interferes with their daily life, relationships, etc.
This is not to say that someone with health anxiety cannot have a serious medical condition. It is a nuanced, complex condition that is not always easy to recognize.
Possible Causes
A specific cause has not yet been identified but family history appears it may play a role. If you grew up in an environment of stress, abuse, and neglect, it can impact your ability to feel safe. Also, when you or a close relative have had an illness in the past, the fear sometimes does not subside.
Diagnosis
Most often, if you’ve displayed an extreme fear of getting sick for at least six months — despite tests showing you to be well — you may be diagnosed with illness anxiety disorder. From there, talk therapy is typically prescribed. Depending on the specifics, medication might be tried.
Self-Help Steps for Health Anxiety
With or without a diagnosis, if you feel persistently stressed about your health, there are self-help suggestions that can help ease those symptoms.
Acknowledge and Fact-Check
Accept the reality that you’re expending a lot of time and energy thinking about your health. Once you’ve acknowledged the thoughts, you can choose to view them as just that: thoughts. They are not facts. You have every right to question their validity and recognize that your inner monologue can often be wrong.
Work with Your Mind and Body
A daily practice of self-care can help you regulate your emotions and nervous system more effectively. Fortify yourself by safeguarding your habits as they relate to sleep, eating, and exercise. In addition, embrace some relaxation techniques, e.g.
Meditation
Mindfulness
Breathing exercises
Being in nature
Grounding
Shift Your Focus
No one in the world is worry-free. But everyone can choose how much effort they will allocate to this choice. Seek out activities, hobbies, and interests that bring your joy and dedicate more and more time to them.
Talk to a Therapist
When struggling with health anxiety, it can feel daunting to reach out to a medical professional. However, you and I can talk on the phone for a free and confidential consultation. No pressure or judgment — just open discussion about what you’re experiencing and how it makes you feel. Let’s connect for anxiety treatment.