Are you struggling with health anxiety? Recognizing symptoms and tips for overcoming it
From seeking support to implementing healthy habits, let's take a closer look at the symptoms of health anxiety and effective ways to deal with it to live a happier, healthier life.
Do you find yourself constantly worrying about your health, even when there are no obvious symptoms? Are you constantly checking your body for signs of illness? If so, you may be experiencing health anxiety - a condition that affects many individuals today. While it's normal to be concerned about your health, for some, the fear and worry can become overwhelming, impacting their daily lives. Dealing with health anxiety can be exhausting and overwhelming, but there are ways to manage it. By taking a proactive approach, you can learn to cope with your fears and regain control over your life. So, let's take a closer look at the symptoms of health anxiety and effective ways to deal with it to live a happier, healthier life. (Also read: 5 quick exercises to cope with anxiety and depression )
Alison Seponara, licensed therapist and educator, shared important symptoms of health anxiety and effective ways to deal with it in her recent Instagram post.
1. You're preoccupied with having a serious illness: If you have health anxiety and have already undergone several medical tests that show you're in good health, it's best to avoid constantly seeking reassurance from doctors. Continuously going for assessments and seeing more doctors may only worsen your anxiety in the long run. Even though the desire for reassurance is understandable, it's important to recognize that the excessive need for it can perpetuate the cycle of anxiety and fear.
2. Repeatedly checking your body for new signs and symptoms: People with health anxiety have the habit of frequently checking their bodies for signs of illness or disease, even to the point of interpreting normal sensations as abnormal. To break this cycle, it's helpful to be aware of how often you engage in this behaviour and gradually reduce its frequency. For instance, if you currently check your body 10 times a day, aim to reduce it by one and gradually decrease it over time. As you get more comfortable with reducing the behaviour, you can continue to decrease it until you feel more in control and less consumed by the need to check your body.
3. Constantly googling your symptoms: If you find yourself frequently searching for information about your symptoms on the internet, or participating in online forums and groups about symptoms, it may provide temporary relief but can ultimately exacerbate your anxiety. To address this, it is essential to decrease the frequency of your research or online participation.
4. Worring accessively about a particular health condition: If you frequently worry about a particular illness, it's helpful to take notice of when those thoughts arise and acknowledge them as thoughts rather than facts. You can do this by saying to yourself, "I am having the thought that I have (insert illness)." This phrase helps to remind you that worry is just a thought and not necessarily the truth. Once you've recognized the thought, you can work on redirecting your attention away from it.
5. Fear about your health impacts your daily life: If you are experiencing an intense fear about your health that is interfering with your daily life and causing difficulties in concentrating at work, leading to excessive doctor visits and constant research of your symptoms, it may be helpful to gradually reduce the frequency of these health-focused behaviours. Additionally, using cognitive defusion techniques such as observing your thoughts and fears, and practising self-soothing can be helpful. Working with a therapist can also be beneficial in managing these anxieties.