Most of us do worry about our health from time to time but, for some people, health worries become overwhelming and a problem in itself.

Health anxiety is excessive worrying about your health, to the point where it affects your everyday life and makes you feel very distressed.

Some people with health anxiety have a medical or long-term condition, which they are managing, but may also worry about their health excessively. Others have medically unexplained symptoms, which they are concerned may be a sign of a serious illness, despite the doctor’s reassurance. Others may be highly anxious and preoccupied about their future health, for example, getting cancer or heart disease.

What is it?

When we have health anxiety we may frequently seek information and reassurance about our health.

Alternatively, we may avoid our doctor and medical information, or any activity that might make us feel physically changed, for example, exercise. Neither of these are helpful and can lead to a vicious circle which increases our anxiety.

Constantly seeking reassurance gives short-term relief, but increases the problem in your mind, and usually makes you feel worse. If you keep checking and scanning your body for signs of illness, you will increase your anxiety and this will make you self-check and seek reassurance even more.

When physical symptoms are triggered or made worse by worrying, it causes even more anxiety, which just worsens the symptoms. Excessive worrying can also lead to panic attacks, social avoidance or even depression.

Common Symptoms

In order to know if you have health anxiety you may find it helpful to answer the following questions:

• Have you been preoccupied with having a serious illness because of body symptoms, which has lasted at least six months?
• Have you felt distressed due to this preoccupation?
• Have you found that this preoccupation impacts negatively on all areas of life, including family life, social life and work?
• Have you needed to carry out constant self-examination and self-diagnosis?
• Have you experienced disbelief over a diagnosis from a doctor, or felt you are unconvinced by your doctor’s reassurances that you are fine?
• Do you constantly need reassurance from doctors, family and friends that you are fine, even if you don’t really believe what you are being told?

If you have answered yes to the above questions, you may have health anxiety.