Highlights:
- Health anxiety is a long-term disorder in which the person is worried about being unwell or getting any disease.
- People with health anxiety exaggerate minor bodily sensations.
- Illness anxiety affects a person in a way that the person inspects the body for any signs and symptoms of illness.
- The root cause of hypochondria is still unknown. It can be due to any past traumatic event, inherited or biological-based.
Health anxiety is a type of anxiety in which the person is always worried about getting unwell or being unwell. It is also known as Illness Anxiety or Hypochondria. It is a condition which do not have any physical symptoms but any body sensation or minor things feel severe signs of illness.
Health anxiety is also related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It is characterized by having obsession and compulsions in the behaviors and thoughts. Illness anxiety is a long-term condition. Its severity can fluctuate depending on the stress, age, or any traumatic event. However, getting psychological counseling from a top physiatrist can help you ease your condition.
This blog post will cover all the signs and symptoms that are related to health anxiety. If you have these symptoms, then you should take preventive measures to overcome the condition.
Signs for Health Anxiety
1. Exaggerating Minor Symptoms
People who have health anxiety usually exaggerate normal symptoms and minor body sensations. They immediately search for their symptoms and get worried about them.
On top of this, illness anxiety can cause physical symptoms including, stomach discomfort, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, etc.
2. Constantly Worried About Health
People suffering from health anxiety are constantly worried about their health. They always look around their body and overstate normal body functioning.
In some cases, when a person thinks about a certain condition for longer periods, he or she might develop it. Sometimes people think of anxiety symptoms as the signs of other illnesses.
3. Inspection Body for Signs of Illness
Some people always inspect their bodies for any signs of illness. They constantly reassure their physical attributes. They check hands, feet, nails, arms, hair, face, and many other parts of their body to find any signs of illness or underlying problems.
If they find any mark, rash, or protruding on any body part, they start to worry about it and try to find the cause behind it.
4. Seeking Reassurance from Others
They frequently ask for reassurance from their friends, family, or healthcare providers of any illness. Such people usually ask their surrounding people whether they are fine or not. They also show some signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
5. Searching the Internet for Disease Symptoms
They always search for minor symptoms on the internet. They read many health blogs and websites to ensure that they don’t have any symptoms.
In some cases, people read online health-based articles and think that these online symptoms match their illness. They always implement different symptoms and signs on themselves.
6. Avoiding Social Activities Out of Concern for Health
Some people overstress normal things and avoid going out to any event. In some cases, people avoid doing any physical activity at all.
People think that their situation might worsen if they go out or engage in any physical activity. Some people also feel that if they go out then they may catch any disease or symptom. Others may have social anxiety that can cause OCD or social anxiety symptoms, which are later overstressed.
7. Worrying that the Doctor or Test May Have Missed Something
If such people have inspected any symptoms, they immediately visit a doctor. If the doctor assures them that they are fine, then still they go back and search for the symptoms.
They think that either the doctor has missed something or the healthcare provider is not well-educated enough to understand and diagnose the illness.
In cases, where the lab reports of the people come negative, they do not simply accept it. Instead, they think that there might be some technical issue with the equipment or handling issue, that has given false results.
How To Beat Illness Anxiety?
If you have seen the above-mentioned signs in yourself, then you might have health anxiety. Now, if you want to overcome your condition, then follow these tips:
- Practice Mindfulness
- Exercise or Practice Yoga
- Read Books on Self Help
- One-to-One Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Distract Yourself by Staying Busy
- Call a Friend or Talk to Any Close One
- Engage Yourself in Any Physical Activity or Hobby
- Consult a Professional Physiatrist
- Write your thoughts in a diary. In a diary, make 2 columns. Write issues in column 1 and balanced thoughts in column 2. E.g., you can write “I am feeling dizzy and low” in column 1. And in column 2, you can write a balanced thought like “This feeling is due to lack of sleep or I might haven’t eaten a meal”
It is not impossible to overcome any mental health disorder. You just need a little focus and control over your brain and voila!
Final Words
Health Anxiety (Illness Anxiety) is a mental disorder that can affect any age group. It is a treatable and curable condition. If you have the above signs in your personality, then you do not have to worry. You just have to take appropriate measures to overcome the condition.
You can also self-meditate and also seek help from a professional medical advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Can I Stop My Health Anxiety?
It is okay to have any kind of anxiety. But it is not good to keep going on with it. If you have a health anxiety issue, then you should limit the things that worsen your anxiety. You should practice mindfulness or yoga. You can also consult a psychologist or psychiatrist if you’re facing severe illness anxiety issues.
2. How Can I Stop Compulsive Thoughts About My Health?
You can go for Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). It is a process in which you confront your fears about your health or condition with a professional healthcare provider. You can also go for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
3. What is the Root Cause of Health Anxiety?
The root cause of illness anxiety is still unknown. However, it is said that it might be an inherited or biological-based condition. It can also be due to any trauma that you’ve faced in the past.
4. Is Health Anxiety OCD?
OCD is listed in its own category. Whereas, health anxiety comes under the heading of Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders or somatic symptom disorder. But somehow they are interrelated.