Managing Health Anxiety

How to stop feeling consumed by health worries.

People with health anxiety may misinterpret normal or minor physical symptoms as being serious.

Skills such as neutralizing a sense of threat decrease health anxiety so you can focus on living your life.

Health anxietyis excessive worry about having or developing a serious medical condition even if you are healthy and have no symptoms of a serious condition. It is also possible to have health anxiety about a diagnosed and existing medical condition. Health anxiety is not about whether or not you have physical symptoms, but whether you are responding to, and coping with, physical symptoms in a helpful way.

It is natural to be worried about your health from time to time, which is different from experiencing health anxiety. Health anxiety is excessive and interferes with daily functioning. For example, perhaps you spend a lot of time looking up medical symptoms on the internet instead of engaging in important tasks. Or, you tend to think you have a serious illness at the first sign of minor physical symptoms such as a headache or upset stomach, which leads to being caught up in anxious thoughts instead of focusing on what is in front of you. And health anxiety may persist despite being told by a medical professional that you have a clean bill of health.

People with health anxiety misinterpret normal, or minor, physical symptoms as being serious. For example, instead of thinking your headache means you are stressedor have sinus congestion, you may worry you have a brain tumor. Also, symptoms that are related to anxiety, such as dizziness, increased heart rate, and chest pain, can increase health anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.

Name the story your mind is telling you. When you experience a physical sensation, a specific story is often attached to it that leads you to misinterpret what is happening. For example, you feel heart palpitations, and the story you tell yourself is, “I’m having a heart attack!” This story fuels anxiety. Or, a muscle twitches in your arm, and the story you tell yourself is, “I have ALS!”

Instead of getting hooked by these anxious stories, pause and name the story. Tell yourself, “That is my anxious story” or “That is my anxiety talking,” and remember that just because a story is playing in your mind, that doesn’t mean it’s true. If you recognize the story as a story, you can be less invested in it and better able to let it come and go.

Neutralize the sense of threatby nonjudgmentally noticing and naming your symptoms. Practice observing and describing what you are experiencing without judging it as bad or harmful. For example, say, “I’m feeling dizzy,” “A muscle is twitching in my hand,” or “I feel a sense of pressure in my head” without adding phrases such as “This is so horrible!” or “This must mean something serious is happening!” Aim to use and repeat nonjudgmental and neutral language.

Just because you feel anxious, that doesn’t mean you are under threat or in danger.Anxiety can “misfire” and signal to you that there is a threat or danger present in the moment even when there is not. It is also possible that a situation, or physical symptom, may feel uncomfortable or unpleasant, yet it is not harmful. You can feel anxious and be safe at the same time. It is helpful to remind your brain that you are safe and you can use coping statements such as “This symptom feels uncomfortable, and I’m safe.” Or, “It feels like I am under threat, but there is no threat here right now. I am OK.”

Reduce resistance.It is natural to want to resist or fix whatever feels unpleasant. Yet, the more you resist or fight with your symptoms and anxiety, the stronger they become. So, while it may initially feel unnatural, practice allowing and making room for your symptoms and anxiety. You don’t have to like them. Just let them be there.

Stop monitoring your symptoms and engaging in reassurance-seeking behavior.It is easy to become hyper-focused on your physical symptoms and constantly scan your body, searching for worrisome signs and symptoms. As tempting as this may be, it fuels and maintains health anxiety. So, practice shifting your attentionaway from your body/physical sensations to something else in your environment. Perhaps you can name all the blue objects in the room you are in, refocus on a work task, or focus on a conversation with a friend. Also, limit reassurance-seeking behavior, which is repeatedly gathering information to lessen anxiety. For example, stop looking up symptoms online, constantly contacting medical professionals, or asking loved ones if they think your physical sensations are serious. Again, these behaviors are tempting, as they temporarily decrease anxiety, yet they maintain and strengthen anxiety over time.

MANAGING HEALTH ANXIETY