I often think I have all the diseases and can't stop ruminating about what's going on in my body. How can I keep health anxiety from ruining my life?
The term "health anxiety" isn't a diagnosis, but it can be a symptom of mental health conditions. It's a broad term that means you have "excessive or inappropriate anxiety" about being sick, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
People with health anxiety are hyperaware of bodily sensations or symptoms, says health anxiety coach and licensed therapist Britney Chesworth, PhD, LCSW. And they tend to interpret those sensations or symptoms—a lot of which are relatively normal—as serious and life-threatening. So, for someone with health anxiety, a strange-looking freckle is for sure melanoma, a headache is definitely a tumor, and forgetting something is probably early-onset dementia. You get the idea.
"It really just sucks the joy out of life entirely," says Dr. Chesworth, author of Help, I'm Dying Again: Overcoming Health Anxiety with CBT. "If every day is potentially the last day of your life or the beginning of the end, how can you enjoy yourself?"
When those thoughts strike, health-anxious folks often try to feel better by googling their symptoms, checking their bodies for anything weird, and/or getting opinions from other people (family, doctors, etc.), says licensed psychologist Josh Spitalnick, PhD, ABPP. But since you can never be 100% certain about your health, that relief doesn't last, explains licensed clinical psychologist Danielle Cooper, PhD. Thus, the health anxiety spiral persists.
Of course, everyone gets anxious about their health sometimes—whether you or loved ones are dealing with health scares or there's a virus going around that you really don't want to catch. That's a reasonable response that helps keep you safe, says Dr. Chesworth. But if anxiety about your health consistently messes with your life (see: spending hours googling symptoms or ruminating about a mole you already got checked), this could be a sign of a mental health condition.
While it would be nice to never feel anxious about your body ever again, that's not the goal. Anxiety is bound to happen. Instead, the best way to manage is by getting into a more realistic headspace about your health. Here's how to do exactly that.
1. Scroll responsibly.
Sure, the internet and social media can be great for staying informed about health news and connecting with other people navigating similar health struggles. But they can also be particularly triggering if you have health anxiety.
It's hard to disengage from that kind of content when it feels proactive (better safe than sorry!). And it's tough to look away when someone's talking about your biggest fear, says Dr. Chesworth. For these reasons, it's better to disengage as much as possible.
However, the internet is pretty much inescapable. So here's how to be more mindful when using Google and social media, notes Dr. Chesworth:
• Don't ask Google leading questions, like, "Is sore throat cancer?" Instead, try, "Common reasons for a sore throat."
• Use trustworthy, reputable sites such as the National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, and the CDC.
• When you see content that makes you anxious, mute or block the account or post. You can also click that you're "not interested" in certain content when offered that option.
Keep reading for 7 more ways to keep your health anxiety in check.
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