What is Health Anxiety?

First, let me start by saying that anxiety is normal. All people have some anxiety. It helps to motivate us to stay safe or to do well at something, but when it becomes something that controls our life, it impacts our mental health in a negative way. Health anxiety usually begins as a healthy concern that turns into an unhealthy preoccupation with the continual need for reassurance that everything is OK.

Two Types of Health Anxiety

There are two forms of health anxiety: Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) and Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD). Those who have SSD usually present with a physical symptom (that they’ve had for at least 6 months) along with excessive thoughts, fears, and worries. This person usually seeks multiple opinions to deal with their symptoms, many times without getting relief.

Those who have Illness Anxiety Disorder tend to misinterpret normal symptoms and everyday aches and pains. They have no symptoms or minimal symptoms, and fear that normal symptoms are actually serious health conditions and become so inwardly focused that they are constantly scanning their bodies for “proof” that something is wrong. They live in constant fear of becoming sick. Many tend to scour the internet about symptoms and sometimes convince themselves that they have a serious disease.

In both cases of health anxiety, anxiety levels rise to the point that it controls the person’s life. Why does this happen? Well, anxiety can affect all kinds of people, but there are some things that can make someone more prone to it.

What Makes Someone More Prone to It?

Research shows that anxiety has a tendency to run in families. If you have a family member who struggles with anxiety, it’s possible that it’s a part of your DNA. And those who struggle with perfectionistic tendencies can be more sensitive to anxiety in general and may be more self-aware of bodily sensations.

Trauma can also make someone more prone to anxiety and mood disorders. Typically, those who have a higher Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) score tend to have higher levels of anxiety and depression. (You can learn more about ACEs here.) When someone has experienced trauma, they can become hypervigilant, and their amygdala can become stuck in that state as a way that has been learned to keep themselves safe. When the amygdala has been activated over and over, it tends to be more easily activated in adulthood.

We are seeing so many impacts of Covid-19 too. As a nation, we did not know what we were dealing with, and we saw many people who lost their lives at the beginning of the pandemic. And some are still experiencing the effects of “long covid”. The world changed in an instant and this change has understandably led to fears about what could happen.

Things You Can Do

So, what can you do if these words resonate with you?

First, if you think that you are struggling with SSD, IAD, depression, or anxiety, seek the help of a mental health professional because there is no one-size-fits-all approach. A mental health counselor can help you by creating a non-judgmental space and giving you tools that you can use for a lifetime to get anxiety levels down so that they do not control your life. Perhaps, your counselor may suggest a specific therapy that has been proven to help with anxiety, like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Second, ignoring the problem doesn’t work. If you’ve tried this, you know this to be true. What else can you do? Think about what you are feeling and then look at what happened that led to that feeling. What thoughts are you having about that situation? What evidence do you have that your thoughts are true? Is there another way to look at the situation? Most of us have experienced catastrophes and that can lead us to become catastrophizers. For example, when we feel something in our bodies, we worry that it is something that is catastrophic. If you’ve had it checked out by your doctor, use the questions above and talk about it with someone you trust.

Third, using drugs and alcohol will not solve the problem. In many ways, they exacerbate it. However, daily moderately intense exercise for about 30 minutes (always check with your doctor first) can help to lower feelings of anxiety. What is something that you enjoy that you could begin doing today? Maybe you can start with a ten-minute walk or swim and build up to a 30-minute routine 6 out of 7 days a week. Start wherever you are. Don’t judge yourself for what you can’t do, praise yourself for what you do, no matter how small. It’s small improvements that add up to big results.

Fourth, try some mindfulness exercises that focus your mind externally instead of internally. For example, when you are washing the dishes, notice the temperature of the water, the texture of the plate, the smell of the soap. Use your senses to engage in whatever moment you are in.

Hope and Help Are Available

Health anxiety can be a lonely experience that leads people to wonder, “What’s wrong with me?”. It can leave people feeling abandoned, afraid, and betrayed by their closest relationships when they feel dismissed, or someone doesn’t want to talk about what the person is experiencing. Friend, being human means that we have all kinds of experiences, and some of them are not pleasant. However, hope and help are available. There are things you can do to decrease your anxiety and live a life of freedom! If you are in NC, feel to reach out here; hope is waiting!

Arnáez, S., García‐Soriano, G., López‐Santiago, J., & Belloch, A. (2021). Illness‐related intrusive thoughts and illness anxiety disorder. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 94(1), 63-80.

Ham, T. (2021). The health anxiety workbook: Practical exercises to overcome your health worries. Callisto Publishing.