Health anxiety: when worry about your health takes over
You notice a twinge, a headache or a slight change in your heartbeat. Before you know it, you are checking your body relentlessly, searching online and imagining the worst.
You see your GP, who reassures you…but that little voice won’t shut up. “But what if they have missed something”?
Health anxiety can be exhausting, and being told to stop worrying about it is not likely to help. If that was easy to do, you would probably have done it already.
What is health anxiety?
Most of us worry about our health sometimes. We notice something amiss and either it goes away or we seek medical attention. Health anxiety is when those worries become persistent and start taking up more of your time, attention and energy.
You might repeatedly check for symptoms, ask other people whether something looks normal, or struggle to trust reassuring test results. Other people avoid appointments altogether because they’re frightened of what they might hear.
The important thing to remember is that even when the feared illness has not be found, the fear can remain and it is real. You deserve to have that fear taken seriously.
Why does health anxiety feel so convincing?
Anxiety in and of itself can (and does) produce physical symptoms, including a racing heart, headaches and dizziness. When you’re already worried about illness, those sensations can feel like evidence that something is wrong. Once you start giving a lot of attention to what is happening in your body, you start looking for something, and then start to notice something else.
If you have had experience of having your concerns dismissed or had a missed diagnosis, or perhaps having to go through medical treatments at one time or another, this can it more difficult to feel safe.
Understanding your background and your specific issues is much more useful than simply crriticising yourself for being anxious.
Why checking and reassurance don’t always help
Looking up symptoms online or asking someone for reassurance often brings relief. Unfortunately, this is often temporary, and the uncertainty quickly returns.
You check again, feel better briefly, then ask another question….and so it continues.
Over time, checking becomes something you feel you just have to do before you can get on with your day. The aim of counselling is to gradually feel more able to cope with uncertainty, while getting and following appropriate medical advice.
What can help with health anxiety?
Start with small steps first. Begin to notice that you are reaching for your phone and checking the same thing over and over again. How would it feel to pause briefly before you respond to that urge to search?
Could you try giving your attention to something outside your body: a conversation, a manageable task or a walk. You may not feel completely calm when you start and that’s OK, you will often feel calmer doing something else that focusing on a particular bodily sensation.
New, persistent or worsening symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare professional rather than automatically put down to anxiety. Once your GP has made an assessment, you can work together to form a plan of care that can help you understand your symptoms, what they really mean, and help you decide what further care you need.
Counselling for Health Anxiety in-person or online
Counselling offers space to explore what your health worries mean to you, where they began and how they affect everyday life. Many forms of counselling help with health anxiety, including rewind therapy, solution-focused therapy and CBT.
As a counsellor and registered nurse, I bring an understanding of both emotional distress and healthcare experiences.
I offer counselling in Glastonbury and online, with a free 15-minute introductory call. Get in touch through my website to talk about what you need.