Health Anxiety

What is health anxiety?

Health anxiety is when you spend so much time worrying about being ill that it takes over your daily life. You might constantly worry about getting sick or think you already have a serious illness, even when doctors have told you you're fine.

This type of worry is connected to a condition called obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), where certain thoughts keep coming back and are hard to control.

How do you know if you have health anxiety?

You might have health anxiety if you:

• Constantly worry about your health
• Keep checking your body for lumps, pain, or anything that feels different
• Always ask family and friends if they think you're ill
• Worry that your GP or hospital tests have missed something important
• Spend hours looking up symptoms on the internet or reading health stories
• Avoid watching medical programmes on TV or reading about illnesses
• Stop doing normal activities like exercise because you're worried about your health

Why does this happen?

Sometimes anxiety itself can make you feel unwell. When you're anxious, you might get headaches or feel your heart beating fast. This can make you think something is seriously wrong, which makes you more worried.

What can you do to help yourself?

Keep a diary Write down how often you check your body, ask people for reassurance, or look up health information online. Try to slowly reduce how often you do these things over a week.

Challenge your worried thoughts Draw a table with two columns. In the first column, write down your health worries. In the second column, write a more balanced thought. For example:

• Worried thought: "These headaches must be something serious"
• Balanced thought: "Headaches are often caused by stress or tiredness"

Keep busy When you feel the urge to check your body or look up symptoms, distract yourself. Go for a walk, call a friend, or do something you enjoy.

Get back to normal activities Slowly start doing things you've been avoiding because of health worries, like sports or meeting friends.

Try to relax Practice breathing exercises or try relaxation techniques. The charity Mind has helpful exercises on their website.

When should you speak to your GP?

You should speak to your GP if:

• Your health worries are stopping you from living normally
• The self-help tips aren't working
• You're feeling very distressed about your health most days

What treatments are available?

Your GP might suggest:

• Talking therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Medicine to help with anxiety

You can also refer yourself directly to NHS talking therapy services without seeing your GP first. Search online for "NHS talking therapies" in your area.

Remember

Having health anxiety doesn't mean your worries aren't real - they feel very frightening. But with the right support and techniques, you can learn to manage these worries and get back to enjoying life.

If you're concerned about your mental health, always speak to your GP. They're there to help and won't judge you for seeking support.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.