What is Health Anxiety?

Health Anxiety, sometimes called Hypochondria, is extreme anxiety and preoccupation about having a severe illness despite having no physical symptoms. Health anxiety is an anxiety condition often categorised within the spectrum of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD).

Individuals with health anxiety often misinterpret normal bodily sensations or minor symptoms as signs of severe medical conditions, leading to extremely high levels of stress. Approximately 20% of the population suffer from Health Anxiety, making it a more common anxiety to suffer from.

 

Symptoms of Health Anxiety:

• Constantly examining your body for symptoms of illness.

• Compulsively search for health information online or in the media.

• Having no physical symptoms or only very mild symptoms.

• Fear that a doctor or medical tests might have overlooked something.

• Interpreting minor, often regular, bodily sensations as signs of severe illness. 

• Excessively worrying about a particular medical condition or your risk of developing one due to family history. 

 

What causes Health Anxiety?

• Childhood experiences, such as parental overprotectiveness or witnessing a family member's illness, can contribute to health anxiety in adulthood.

• People with perfectionistic tendencies may be more likely to worry excessively about their health and bodily sensations.

 

An overprotective parent may play a contributing factor in why an individual develops Health Anxiety:

• Overprotective parents often closely monitor their children’s health, which may teach their children to do the same

• Children often learn by observing their parents. For example, if a parent is excessively worried about health, a child may mimic this behaviour.

• Overprotective parents may prevent their children from engaging in certain activities perceived as ‘risky’, leading the child to develop avoidance behaviours related to health.

 

How is Health Anxiety treated?

The NHS recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for individuals who have been diagnosed with Health anxiety by their GP. CBT is a highly effective way to treat Health Anxiety as therapists assist clients in challenging and replacing irrational or catastrophic health-related thoughts with more realistic and balanced ones. 

 

How can I help someone I know with Health Anxiety?

• Limit discussions about anything health- or illness-related if it can be avoided. 

• Encourage them to seek reassurance from healthcare professionals.

• Offer to accompany them to doctor's appointments if they feel anxious or overwhelmed.

​​