Health Anxiety Specialist

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What is Health anxiety?

Health anxiety (sometimes called hypochondria) is when you spend so much time worrying you're ill, or about getting ill, that it starts to take over your life. Health anxiety can interfere with your life, but it's highly treatable.

 

How would I know if I have health anxiety?

You may have health anxiety if you:

• constantly worry about your health
• frequently check your body for signs of illness, such as lumps, tingling or pain
• are always asking people for reassurance that you're not ill
• worry that a doctor or medical tests may have missed something
• obsessively look at health information on the internet or in the media
• avoid anything to do with serious illness, such as medical TV shows
• act as if you were ill (for example, avoiding physical activities)

WCWCW can help. Call our office or request an appointment online today.

 Anxiety itself can cause symptoms like headaches or a racing heartbeat, and you may mistake these for signs of illness.

Self-help for health anxiety

Keep a diary

• note how often you check your body, ask people for reassurance, or look at health information
• try to gradually reduce how often you do these things over a week

Challenge your thoughts

• draw a table with 2 columns
• write your health worries in the 1st column, then more balanced thoughts in the 2nd
• for example, in the 1st column you may write, "I'm worried about these headaches" and in the 2nd, "Headaches can often be a sign of stress"

Keep busy with other things

• when you get the urge to check your body, for example, distract yourself by going for a walk or calling a friend

Get back to normal activities

• try to gradually start doing things you've been avoiding because of your health worries, such as sports or socializing

 

When should I seek psychiatric help for health anxiety?

 

If your body is sending you signs that you’re ill, it’s normal to be concerned. Health anxiety is marked by the constant belief that you have a symptom or symptoms of a severe illness. You may become so consumed by worry that the distress becomes disabling.

If you’re concerned about your health, the rational thing to do is see your primary care doctor. With health anxiety, you’ll feel extreme distress about your real or imagined symptoms even after medical test results come back negative and doctors reassure you that you’re healthy. At this point, your doctor may recommend seeking psychiatric help. 

Seek psychiatric help for health anxiety if it’s affecting your quality of life, including your ability to:

• work in a professional or academic setting
• function on a daily basis
• create and maintain meaningful relationships

How is health anxiety treated?

Treatment for health anxiety focuses on improving your symptoms and ability to function in daily life. Typically, treatment involves psychotherapy, with medications sometimes added.

Psychotherapy

The most common treatment for health anxiety is psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can be very effective in treating health anxiety because it teaches you skills that can help you manage your disorder. You can participate in CBT individually or in a group. Some of the benefits of CBT include:

• identifying your health anxiety worries and beliefs
• learning other ways to look at your body sensations by changing unhelpful thoughts
• raising your awareness of how your worries affect you and your behavior
• responding to your body sensations and symptoms differently
• learning to better cope with your anxiety and stress
• learning to stop avoiding situations and activities because of physical sensations
• avoiding examining your body for signs of illness and repeatedly looking for reassurance that you’re healthy
• boosting your functioning at home, work, or school, in social settings, and in relationships with others
• checking whether or not you’re suffering from other mental health disorders, like depression or bipolar disorder

Other forms of psychotherapy are also sometimes used to treat health anxiety. This may include behavioral stress management and exposure therapy. If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may recommend medication in addition to your other treatments.

Medication

If your health anxiety is improving with psychotherapy alone, that is generally all that will be used to treat your condition. Some people don’t respond to psychotherapy, however. If this applies to you, your doctor may recommend medications.

Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are frequently used for this condition. If you have a mood or anxiety disorder in addition to your anxiety, medications used to treat those conditions may also help.

Our specialists at WCWCW in Bethesda, Maryland, offer the supportive care you need to overcome the challenges of health anxiety. We provide the same high-quality service via telehealth for patients living in Maryland, DC, Virginia, Michigan, and Florida. Call our office or request an appointment online today.