This week Haylie and I talk about Health Anxiety and what it look and feels like!
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.
Check if you 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 your 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 programmes
act as if you were ill (for example, avoiding physical activities)
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 two columns
write your health worries in the first column, then more balanced thoughts in the second
for example, in the first column you may write, "I'm worried about these headaches" and in the second, "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 socialising
