How to Handle Health‐Related Anxiety
Define health-related anxiety., Recognize the symptoms related to hypochondria., Admit that you need help., Get a physical examination., Consult with a mental health provider., Learn about cognitive-behavioral therapy., Join an anxiety support group.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Define health-related anxiety.
If you have overwhelming and frequent irrational fear of getting sick, chances are you are experiencing hypochondriasis.
People who have hypochondria are frequent visitors at the doctor's office or community hospital emergency rooms.
They believe or are convinced that they have some kind of undiagnosed illness or disease. , Hypochondria is a somatoform disorder that is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual with an array of identifiable symptoms.
These list of symptoms help psychiatric and other mental health professionals make a proper diagnosis to help align the client with the appropriate treatment.
Some of the symptoms to take note of include the following:
Uncontrollable preoccupation and irrational fear that you have a serious illness or disease despite diagnostic care and medical clearance from a provider.
The person’s preoccupation is not otherwise complicated by a delusional disorder body dysmorphic disorder.
Preoccupations and irrational health related fear is affecting your normal daily functioning, and these symptoms have been going on for at least 6 months or longer.
There is not any other diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder. , If your life is severely affected by health-related fears or concerns, you need to seek professional help.
Health anxiety can prevent you from leading a satisfying life because you may frequently check your body for signs of illness or spend all of your time seeking reassurance that you are not dying from a serious medical condition.If you are truly committed to getting help for your health anxiety, you will have to follow some steps that go against your natural tendencies to check or get reassurance. , Those who suffer from health anxiety are no stranger to their doctor’s offices.
If your imagination is filled with the picture of you dying from a rare disease, see your medical doctor once to rule out a physical cause to your symptoms.
More than likely, if you have been suffering from health anxiety for a while, your physician is already familiar with your persistent fears.
Explain that you truly want to get to the bottom of your condition, so you need a comprehensive examination.
Do not ask your doctor to conduct special diagnostic tests.
Get a thorough physical exam and blood testing only. , If your doctor sends you off with a clean bill of health, there’s a chance your health concerns are of a psychological nature.
You may have an anxiety condition such as hypochondria, somatization disorder, and illness anxiety disorder or even suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Only an experienced mental health provider such as a psychologist can fully assess and diagnose your case.
If you have health anxiety, you might be tempted to ignore your doctor’s reassurances that you do not have a serious medical condition.
You may want to seek a second opinion.
Don’t.
The worries and fears that contribute to health anxiety are of an emotional sort.
You need to see a professional who can adequately address these fears.
Bring a list of symptoms you have experienced, your family history, your medical history, and any other pertinent information to your first appointment., Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most effect psychotherapeutic approaches to treating all types of anxiety, including the health-related kind.
This approach focuses on identifying problematic thought patterns that may influence your anxiety.For example, your mother may have died of cancer, so you have an ingrained fear of developing the disease.
This causes you to check your body for signs or visit your doctor for any minor issue.
Your CBT therapist will address the underlying cause of your fears (your mother’s death) in order to help you change these irrational thought patterns and behaviors.
Ask your psychologist about CBT.
If this professional does not practice this type of therapy, you can ask for a referral or find someone in your area who does on the Psychology Today online portal. , It can be gratifying to meet with others who suffer from health anxiety, too.
In these groups, participants share their individual battles with anxiety and may even offer forth some coping strategies you can incorporate into your own life.Ask your physician or mental health provider about an anxiety support group that may help you. -
Step 2: Recognize the symptoms related to hypochondria.
-
Step 3: Admit that you need help.
-
Step 4: Get a physical examination.
-
Step 5: Consult with a mental health provider.
-
Step 6: Learn about cognitive-behavioral therapy.
-
Step 7: Join an anxiety support group.
Detailed Guide
If you have overwhelming and frequent irrational fear of getting sick, chances are you are experiencing hypochondriasis.
People who have hypochondria are frequent visitors at the doctor's office or community hospital emergency rooms.
They believe or are convinced that they have some kind of undiagnosed illness or disease. , Hypochondria is a somatoform disorder that is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual with an array of identifiable symptoms.
These list of symptoms help psychiatric and other mental health professionals make a proper diagnosis to help align the client with the appropriate treatment.
Some of the symptoms to take note of include the following:
Uncontrollable preoccupation and irrational fear that you have a serious illness or disease despite diagnostic care and medical clearance from a provider.
The person’s preoccupation is not otherwise complicated by a delusional disorder body dysmorphic disorder.
Preoccupations and irrational health related fear is affecting your normal daily functioning, and these symptoms have been going on for at least 6 months or longer.
There is not any other diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder. , If your life is severely affected by health-related fears or concerns, you need to seek professional help.
Health anxiety can prevent you from leading a satisfying life because you may frequently check your body for signs of illness or spend all of your time seeking reassurance that you are not dying from a serious medical condition.If you are truly committed to getting help for your health anxiety, you will have to follow some steps that go against your natural tendencies to check or get reassurance. , Those who suffer from health anxiety are no stranger to their doctor’s offices.
If your imagination is filled with the picture of you dying from a rare disease, see your medical doctor once to rule out a physical cause to your symptoms.
More than likely, if you have been suffering from health anxiety for a while, your physician is already familiar with your persistent fears.
Explain that you truly want to get to the bottom of your condition, so you need a comprehensive examination.
Do not ask your doctor to conduct special diagnostic tests.
Get a thorough physical exam and blood testing only. , If your doctor sends you off with a clean bill of health, there’s a chance your health concerns are of a psychological nature.
You may have an anxiety condition such as hypochondria, somatization disorder, and illness anxiety disorder or even suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Only an experienced mental health provider such as a psychologist can fully assess and diagnose your case.
If you have health anxiety, you might be tempted to ignore your doctor’s reassurances that you do not have a serious medical condition.
You may want to seek a second opinion.
Don’t.
The worries and fears that contribute to health anxiety are of an emotional sort.
You need to see a professional who can adequately address these fears.
Bring a list of symptoms you have experienced, your family history, your medical history, and any other pertinent information to your first appointment., Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most effect psychotherapeutic approaches to treating all types of anxiety, including the health-related kind.
This approach focuses on identifying problematic thought patterns that may influence your anxiety.For example, your mother may have died of cancer, so you have an ingrained fear of developing the disease.
This causes you to check your body for signs or visit your doctor for any minor issue.
Your CBT therapist will address the underlying cause of your fears (your mother’s death) in order to help you change these irrational thought patterns and behaviors.
Ask your psychologist about CBT.
If this professional does not practice this type of therapy, you can ask for a referral or find someone in your area who does on the Psychology Today online portal. , It can be gratifying to meet with others who suffer from health anxiety, too.
In these groups, participants share their individual battles with anxiety and may even offer forth some coping strategies you can incorporate into your own life.Ask your physician or mental health provider about an anxiety support group that may help you.
About the Author
Cheryl Thompson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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