Health anxiety is a persistent and irrational fear of having an ailment diagnosed. This condition is often marked by an individual constant imagination of possible physical manifestations of disease. In other instances, it may be an individual or misinterpretation of common or minor body feelings as indications of more serious or fatal disease symptoms despite repeated affirmation by medical practitioners that they do not have an incurable ailment… The result is the endless search for the elusive security of total health.
Health anxiety is much like an exaggerated self-esteem, where the individual believes he or she is somehow less healthy than those who “should” be living a life full of health and energy. It is not uncommon to experience symptoms of health anxiety when you first begin to experience certain health problems. The fact that you are taking care of yourself physically makes you feel better. However, this relief from physical discomfort usually lasts only while your body is treating the perceived threat – at least for the moment. Once the physical symptoms abate, the worry and tension return and this become an ongoing state of anxiety. Eventually, if left untreated, health anxiety can become a chronic condition characterized by constant worry and apprehension regarding minor health complaints.
This can be a particularly difficult condition to treat because there are few early warning signs of a serious illness. Many health anxiety sufferers describe a feeling of impending doom or serious illness as a constant companion. If this condition is left untreated, the condition evolves into a more severe condition of worry and apprehension about future symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is constant worry and tension regarding being diagnosed with a specific illness that seems to have no apparent cause or cure in sight. In many cases, a sudden onset of serious illness can send the person into a state of shock and grief resulting in extreme health anxiety.
In order to reduce health anxiety, treatment options include both psychotherapy and medication. Although psychotherapy is often very effective in helping patients overcome physical symptoms and distress, it does not have a strong psychological component. For this reason, many patients turn to medication for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, medication used for the symptoms associated with this condition provides substantial relief.
When health anxiety becomes persistent and intense, the condition can interfere with the patient’s daily life. Some patients become preoccupied with the fear that they are about to suffer a serious illness or major accident. They worry that they are going crazy or are about to die. In these conditions, the physical sensations that make up this anxiety are usually alleviated as the patient relaxes.
Unfortunately, this anxiety is often short lived. In these cases, avoidance of physical sensations and mental stress usually enables the individual to prevent illness or injury. However, avoidance also keeps the individual safe from negative thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, being careful not to experience the unpleasant sensations leads to unhealthy dependency on avoidance and can actually increase the health risks of an illness or injury. This is why treatment options such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication should be considered to provide long term relief.
Health anxiety has a strong theory behind it. According to this theory, you are most likely to develop the condition if you repeatedly and unnecessarily worry about various types of “obvious” problems. If you have these worries about your health care, you are then more likely to be bothered by health-related issues. For instance, if you keep thinking that you might develop esophageal cancer, you are more likely to worry about it and more likely to develop a panic attack when the thought occurs.
In addition, some theories suggest that avoidance of certain health worries leads to more frequent exposure to anxiety disorders. This theory suggests that people avoid suffering from illnesses and injury because they become so aware of how worried they are about it. Thus, the feeling of anxiety and fear that is part of health concerns becomes a norm for the sufferer. Thus, avoiding health concerns, or at least keeping them at bay when possible, can help reduce the chances of developing an anxiety disorder. It can even help someone avoid needing to seek psychological assistance in the first place.
