Therapy for Health Anxiety
What is health anxiety?
Health anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis or illness anxiety, is characterised by the fear and preoccupation with the belief that one has, or is in danger of developing, a serious illness like cancer, multiple sclerosis, or a heart attack. It often involves the misinterpretation of normal bodily sensations as dangerous or symptoms of serious illness.
People of all ages can be affected by health anxiety, though it commonly begins later in adulthood. Despite being an anxiety-related condition, health anxiety can be linked to other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What are the symptoms of health anxiety?
Individuals with health anxiety will experience symptoms differently, however, common examples include:
- Constantly feeling worried about your health
- Regularly checking yourself for signs of illness
- Compulsively searching the internet for information about health-related topics
- Feeling concerned that medical tests have missed something
- Seeking regular reassurance from friends, family, and medical professionals that you are not ill
- Avoiding normal activities or situations due to concerns about your health
- Experiencing intrusive thoughts about being seriously unwell or at risk of dying
Health anxiety can also create physical symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. For an individual anxious about their health and well-being, these symptoms can further feed into their worries.
What causes health anxiety?
There are many possible causes of health anxiety, such as:
- Previous experiences with serious illness
- Past health scares
- Friends or family members going through serious illness
- Stressful life events
- Experiencing abuse in the past
- Access to inaccurate or unreliable information about health conditions
When to seek treatment for Health anxiety
Using relaxation techniques, journaling your thoughts and feelings, and actively challenging unhelpful thoughts are all methods you can implement into your everyday life to help you cope with your health anxiety.
Although self-help methods can help manage symptoms, it might be beneficial to also seek out professional help if you are struggling. Talking therapies are a common treatment for health anxiety.
You should consider treatment for your health anxiety when:
You are very preoccupied and worry about your health in such a way that it impairs day to day living.
You notice that the preoccupation regarding the potential of suffering from an illness varies over time (e.g., one month the focus may be cancer, but another it may be multiple sclerosis).
You notice others are commenting on how often you worry about your health.
You check your body often for small lumps/bumps/skin changes and may engage with medical professionals frequently to gain their opinions or reassurance.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for health anxiety
Onebright is the leading provider of private mental health services, supporting over 60,000 people a year with a range of mental health conditions.
We pride ourselves on offering expert, evidence-based therapy for adults. We offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for health anxiety as there is a good evidence base to suggest this is one of the most effective treatments available.
Learn more about our therapy optionsWe pride ourselves on offering expert, evidence-based therapy for adults. We offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for health anxiety as there is a good evidence base to suggest this is one of the most effective treatments available.
CBT for health anxiety
CBT is an evidence-based, goal-oriented and collaborative psychological therapy approach that focuses on understanding the past and present connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours (termed the ‘formulation’).
It offers powerful tools, strategies, and techniques to identify, challenge, and reframe unhelpful thought patterns, feelings, and behaviours. As a therapy for health anxiety, CBT can teach you ways of managing your worries and significantly improve your mental health and quality of life.
Find out more about CBTIt offers powerful tools, strategies, and techniques to identify, challenge, and reframe unhelpful thought patterns, feelings, and behaviours. As a therapy for health anxiety, CBT can teach you ways of managing your worries and significantly improve your mental health and quality of life.
Looking for support with your health anxiety? Contact Onebright today to get started with CBT by filling in the form below or calling our specialist team on 020 8175 4908.
Book CBT for health anxiety
Our client liaison team are available Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm (excluding bank holidays).
You must be aged 18 years or above to access our therapy services.
You must be aged 18 years or above to access our therapy services.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are various signs that someone is struggling with health anxiety. If you recognise any of the following feelings or behaviours in yourself or someone else, you might have health anxiety:
- You are constantly worrying about your health and wellbeing
- You frequently check for signs of serious illness, such as pains, aches, lumps, and tingling
- You often seek reassurance from others that you are not ill
- You feel concerned that medical tests have missed something if they come back clear
- You compulsively look up health-related information on the internet
- You avoid things to do with serious illnesses, such as TV shows and other forms of media
- You act as though you are ill, and this impacts on your everyday life
- You feel physical symptoms of anxiety, like shortness of breath, a racing heart, nausea, and dizziness
If you believe you are struggling with health anxiety to the extent that is preventing you from living a normal life, you should consider seeking out professional support.
- You are constantly worrying about your health and wellbeing
- You frequently check for signs of serious illness, such as pains, aches, lumps, and tingling
- You often seek reassurance from others that you are not ill
- You feel concerned that medical tests have missed something if they come back clear
- You compulsively look up health-related information on the internet
- You avoid things to do with serious illnesses, such as TV shows and other forms of media
- You act as though you are ill, and this impacts on your everyday life
- You feel physical symptoms of anxiety, like shortness of breath, a racing heart, nausea, and dizziness
If you believe you are struggling with health anxiety to the extent that is preventing you from living a normal life, you should consider seeking out professional support.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is considered one of the most effective ways of treating health anxiety. This is because it can teach you ways of identifying and correcting irrational thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and help you approach worrying situations with a different mindset.
However, what works for one person might not be as effective for someone else. Therefore, there is no single ‘best’ treatment option.
However, what works for one person might not be as effective for someone else. Therefore, there is no single ‘best’ treatment option.
There are many self-help techniques you can use to help calm your health anxiety, including:
- Keeping a diary: Writing down when you seek reassurance about your health, check for health-related information online, or examine yourself for signs of illness can help you track and reduce anxious behaviours.
- Challenging unhelpful thoughts: Note down your health concerns and respond to them with more balanced thoughts - this can help you rationalise your worries and reduce your anxiety.
- Keeping busy: Keeping yourself busy can help distract you from unhelpful thoughts and anxious behaviours. This can be anything from exercising, talking to friends and family, or consuming your favourite media.
- Continuing with normal activities: Trying to gradually continue with everyday activities can make you feel more in control and prevent health anxiety from taking over.
- Trying relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises can help you manage symptoms of anxiety and calm you down.
If anxieties about your health are impacting your everyday life and self-help techniques are not helping, you should consider getting professional help.
- Keeping a diary: Writing down when you seek reassurance about your health, check for health-related information online, or examine yourself for signs of illness can help you track and reduce anxious behaviours.
- Challenging unhelpful thoughts: Note down your health concerns and respond to them with more balanced thoughts - this can help you rationalise your worries and reduce your anxiety.
- Keeping busy: Keeping yourself busy can help distract you from unhelpful thoughts and anxious behaviours. This can be anything from exercising, talking to friends and family, or consuming your favourite media.
- Continuing with normal activities: Trying to gradually continue with everyday activities can make you feel more in control and prevent health anxiety from taking over.
- Trying relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises can help you manage symptoms of anxiety and calm you down.
If anxieties about your health are impacting your everyday life and self-help techniques are not helping, you should consider getting professional help.