7 Ways To Combat Health Anxiety

Health Anxiety: A Closer Look

Do you constantly worry about having or developing a serious illness? Have frequent visits to the doctor or emergency room? Excessively check your body for signs of illness?  Have difficulty accepting reassurance from doctors or loved ones? Or, have difficulty concentrating or completing tasks due to worry about your health?

If so, health anxiety may be to blame.

Health anxiety, also known as hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by excessive worry about one’s own health or the health of loved ones. This worry is often disproportionate to the actual risk of illness and can cause significant distress and impairment in daily functioning.

The threat to our health has been very palpable in recent years.  Chicagoans have all experienced the Covid -19 Pandemic.  Gay men in Chicago have also faced Monkeypox and Hepititus C outbreaks.  These threats of illness increase our natural tendency to worry about our health.  While some concern about your health is natural and even important, it can tip over into pathological anxiety.

Health anxiety can be a vicious cycle. The more you worry about your health, the more your body’s alarm system is activated, leading to physical symptoms of anxiety (racing heart, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, etc). These symptoms can be very real and can further fuel your worries about your health.

The origin of health anxiety is not fully understood, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Some people may be more prone to developing health anxiety due to a family history of anxiety or other mental health conditions, while others may develop it as a result of a traumatic or stressful event.

Health anxiety can cause problems in a number of ways. It can lead to missed work or school, financial strain from medical bills, and strained relationships with loved ones. It can also lead to unnecessary medical procedures or treatments, which can be both physically and emotionally taxing.

Because health anxiety can be difficult to differentiate from a serious medical condition, it’s important to a doctor to rule out any potential medical issues.  Once you have received a clean bill of health, you can begin working on managing your health anxiety.

Consider these 7 tips to better address health anxiety:

1. Experience discomfort. While this may seem counterintuitive, it is often when we try to avoid or push away uncomfortable feelings that they persist. By learning to tolerate and sit with discomfort, we can often find that it begins to dissipate on its own, much like a wave in the ocean. Remember that intense experiences, including discomfort, often build, peak, and then diminish. It can be helpful to remind yourself that your discomfort will not last forever, even though it may feel like it will at the time. As you learn to shift your response to your physical sensations and thoughts, it can also help to reduce your anxiety.
2. Practice relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness can all help to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
3. Get accurate information. It can be helpful to gather accurate information about your health concerns from reliable sources, such as your doctor.
4. Engage in regular physical activity. Exercise can help to reduce anxiety and improve overall physical and mental well-being.
5. Calibrate your thinking. It can be helpful to ask yourself how much mental effort, time, and energy your worries and thoughts deserve. Are they worthy of your time and attention, or could you be focusing on something more meaningful and fulfilling? Clarifying your values and taking steps to do what brings you purpose and joy can help to reduce emotional distress.
6. Seek support. It can be helpful to talk to a trusted friend, a loved one, or an anxiety therapist about your worries and seek support from others who understand what you are going through.
7. Check the facts. Remember that your thoughts are not always based on fact. Anxiety is a natural response that is meant to protect us from harm, but sometimes our worries are not warranted. It can be helpful to challenge the thinking that promotes an excessive focus on your health and consider the evidence for and against your fears.

If health worries are disrupting your daily life and impacting your relationships, work, or finances, it’s time to seek the help of an anxiety therapist.  Therapy can be an effective way to address the underlying causes and learn coping skills to manage your anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be particularly effective in treating health anxiety.  A CBT therapist can help you to challenge your distorted thinking patterns, such as overestimating the likelihood of having a serious illness or excessive worry about minor symptoms. CBT can also address any underlying issues, such as past trauma or stress, that may have contributed to your development of anxiety.  Through CBT, you can learn to view your health concerns in a more realistic and balanced way, rather than becoming excessively focused on them.

Don’t let your fears around health burden you.  It’s treatable and we’re here to help.