Most people are occasionally guilty of Googling a concerning symptom and briefly assuming the worst. It’s normal, after all, to feel afraid of the prospect of a scary medical diagnosis.
But someone with health anxiety experiences extreme and irrational fears over their physical well-being. They may mistake ordinary symptoms for serious ones, and they’re quite literally at risk of “worrying themselves sick.” Let’s get into what you need to know.
What Is Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis or illness anxiety, refers to the obsessive and frequent worry about having a severe medical issue. In mild forms, it can make you overreact when you experience typical symptoms. But in extreme forms, health anxiety can erode your mental health and affect your relationships, job, and self-esteem.
Some of the common signs and symptoms of health anxiety include:
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Having intense fears about developing a serious medical condition.
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Fearing you are sick despite having no symptoms (or very mild ones).
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Feeling preoccupied with your family’s existing medical history and how that may impact you.
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Repeatedly checking symptoms online.
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Engaging in excessive medical screenings or tests.
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Seeking continuous reassurance from others (including doctors) about your well-being.
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Feeling convinced that a doctor may have missed something on a test.
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Acting as if you are already sick and avoiding certain activities as a result.
Keep in mind that these symptoms exist on a spectrum. They may intensify in stressful situations. For example, if a loved one gets cancer, someone with health anxiety might automatically assume it’s only a matter of time until they receive the same diagnosis.
How Can You Cope With Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety can be exhausting and frustrating for you and your loved ones. And while anxiety isn’t your fault, it is your responsibility to manage your symptoms and take care of yourself. Here are some tips.
Give Yourself ‘Checking’ Limits
People with health anxiety often spend hours reading into their symptoms. They might scroll through message boards, blog posts, or news articles to learn more about the sickness. However, this habit makes it easy to spiral into feeling convinced you have a specific condition.
If you struggle with this pattern, it’s time to focus on changing the behavior. If quitting cold turkey isn’t feasible, start by setting time limits into how often you “check” or “read up” on symptoms.
Some therapists consider having a designated ‘worry time’ as a reasonable harm reduction approach to managing anxiety. With this strategy, you plan a specific time and place to worry each day, and you do your best to limit your thoughts into that designated window.
Be Picky With Your Sources
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the information available in modern media. You can spend a lifetime traveling down certain medical rabbit holes.
That’s why it’s important to be selective with the sources you reference. For example, you might decide that you only look at 1-3 media outlets. Or, you may decide you don’t look up anything until you’ve consulted with your doctor.
In other words, it’s helpful to set these boundaries for yourself. Anyone can post anything online; if you look hard enough for evidence that matches your worldview, you’re bound to find it.
Get Busy
If your mind keeps wandering (or you keep looking at symptoms online), it may be time to redirect these anxious thoughts. Staying busy can help you focus your attention elsewhere.
You don’t need to overpack your schedule, but consider making a reference list of coping skills you can use when you feel anxious. Ideally, these skills should be easy, free (or affordable), and require little preparation.
Some simple activities include:
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Taking a walk or going for a run
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Reading a book
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Taking a nap
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Calling or texting a friend
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Completing household chores
Embrace Health Proactivity
You certainly can’t control everything regarding your health, but you may feel less anxious if you focus on what you can control.
You can take a proactive stance on your physical well-being by:
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Engaging in more physical activity
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Adopting an optimal sleep routine
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Eating more whole foods
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Wearing sunscreen every day
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Taking your medications as prescribed
These suggestions aren’t meant to be quick fixes or cures for your worries. However, they can boost your emotional wellness, which can help decrease your anxiety.
How Therapy Can Help With Health Anxiety
Despite your best efforts, health anxiety may still persist. If your symptoms remain the same, or if they continue worsening, professional support can make a difference.
Therapy for health anxiety often entails a combined approach of identifying your triggers, implementing new coping skills, and focusing on relapse prevention. At Elevate Counseling, we are here to support you during this process.