What is Health Anxiety?
Do you worry about your health all the time? Do you catch yourself worrying about becoming severely ill, even if you aren’t experiencing any physical symptoms?
You might be experiencing health anxiety.
A lot of people might experience quick blips of anxiety after an occasional Google or WebMD self-diagnosis — but health anxiety is not the same thing as that. If you have health anxiety, sometimes called Illness Anxiety Disorder or Hypochondriasis, the anxiety you’re feeling is actually more detrimental to your life and health than any physical symptom you might have.
This is not to say that your physical symptoms aren't real or valid if you have health anxiety. However, having Illness Anxiety Disorder means you may perceive minor symptoms or normal body sensations (such as tingling of the skin or a grumbling stomach) as signs of a serious illness. It means you may believe you’re seriously sick even after a thorough medical exam where you’re told your health is in good standing.
So, if you are only experiencing minor physical symptoms, what are your symptoms?
Here are a few more possible signs of health anxiety:
You become easily distressed over your health status.
You frequently make medical appointments for reassurance, but then do not feel very reassured from the positive doctor visits or negative test results that ensue.
You avoid medical appointments out of fear of being diagnosed with a severe illness.
You avoid activities, places, or people due to their health risks.
You have trouble living your life because you stress over possible illnesses.
You worry excessively about your risk for a medical condition that runs in your family.
You search the internet often for possible illnesses tied to your symptom(s).
You frequently scan your body for signs of illness.
If you have Illness Anxiety Disorder, it may help if you try to direct some of your focus on where the anxiety’s coming from, instead of searching how to explain an illness that’s not there.
Some risk factors or causes for health anxiety include:
Experience of serious illness in childhood
History of childhood abuse
Major life change and stress
Having parents who have worried excessively about their health or yours
Having a parent who has a serious illness
Frequent internet use for health-related research
Experiencing a threat of a serious illness that turned out not to be serious
Having a tendency to worry in general
Experiencing new or unusual body sensations can trigger anxiety for anyone. Not knowing if something’s wrong with you is scary, as is all uncertainty. But if you have health anxiety, you likely have a more difficult time tolerating that uncertainty, and coping with the anxiety that comes along with a random physical symptom or sensation.
Suppose you misinterpret a symptom you experience as something severe. In that case, it can further worsen your anxiety, which leads to a continuous need for reassurance — so you continue searching for signs that confirm your self-diagnosis. This is a typical cycle for someone with health anxiety, but it is a cycle that therapy can help break.
Talk therapy is the most common treatment for health anxiety, because you can learn tools for responding to your symptoms and body sensations differently. You can also learn to stop avoiding people and places. And, instead of performing excessive examinations of your body for confirmation of an illness, you can begin leading a fulfilling life, centered around reassurance that you are healthy.
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as legal, financial, or medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional advice of your own attorney, accountant, physician, or financial advisor. Always check with your own physician, attorney, financial advisor, accountant, or other business or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
