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Do you worry about your health all the time, even when there aren’t any evident symptoms? Do you frequently scan your body for symptoms of illness? If so, you might be suffering from health anxiety, a condition that many people nowadays experience. While worrying about your health is acceptable, for some people the dread and worry can overpower them and negatively affect their daily lives. There are strategies to handle health anxiety, but doing so can be draining and burdensome. By being proactive, you can develop coping mechanisms for your concerns and reclaim control over your life.
Key signs of health anxiety and helpful coping mechanisms include:
You worry that you have a major illness It’s essential to refrain from continuously seeking confirmation from doctors if you experience health anxiety and have already had multiple medical tests that indicate you’re in good health. Going for tests frequently and seeing more doctors may ultimately make your anxiety worse. It’s crucial to remember that while the need for reassurance is normal, an excessive demand for it can feed the cycle of worry and anxiety.
Constantly monitoring your body for new symptoms and signs of illness: Individuals with health anxiety have a habit of checking their bodies regularly for symptoms and indicators of illness, even to the point of mistaking typical sensations for abnormal ones. Recognize how frequently you indulge in this behavior and progressively cut back on it to break the loop. For instance, if you check your physique 10 times a day, try cutting that number down to 9 and then gradually lowering it over time. You can keep cutting down on the behavior as you become more comfortable with it until you feel more in control and less driven to constantly check your body.
Continually Google your symptoms: This may provide you some short-term relief, but it can ultimately make your anxiety worse. If you find yourself constantly looking up information about your symptoms online or joining forums and organizations about them, stop. It’s imperative to cut back on how often you participate in online research or other activities to address this.
Accessively worrying about a certain health condition: If you frequently worry about a certain ailment, it can be good to pay attention to when such ideas come up and recognize them as just that—thoughts. Saying to yourself, “I am having the thought that I have (insert sickness)” will help you do this. This expression aids in reassuring you that anxiety is only a thought and may not actually be the case. Once you’ve identified the notion, you might try to divert your focus elsewhere.
Fear of your health interferes with daily life: If your fear of your health is affecting your daily life and making it difficult for you to focus at work, leading to frequent doctor visits, and causing you to constantly research your symptoms, it may be helpful to gradually cut back on the frequency of these health-focused behaviors. Additionally, employing cognitive defusion approaches like practicing self-soothing and examining your thoughts and anxieties might be beneficial. Managing these worries can also be helped by seeing a therapist.
