Help with Health Anxiety

Hi all!! I’m newly diagnosed with health anxiety and am receiving some therapy. Also on meds as I couldn’t cope anymore. I do have a health condition (although it’s not life threatening at the moment) and I find it hard to think everything will be ok as I do have something wrong. My thoughts are always what if I’m the 1 in 100,000! Any advice or anyone else who experiences this? X

[designguy]

I had anxiety on and off for years and it occasionally turns into health anxiety. One of the primary issues with health anxiety is distress intolerance. Our anxious brain starts working overtime thinking of all of the scenarios including the worst case ones and that just feeds and fuels the anxiety. Those with health anxiety hate not knowing and ambiguity and want certainty and control. The reality is that there is no real certainty in life and control is an illusion and the sooner you understand, accept and deal with it the sooner you will start to recover. You're worrying about your health is just a false means of trying to stay in control instead of getting on with your life.

I suggest checking out the website and youtube videos of Paige Pradko, she is a therapist who has an affordable health anxiety program. I also recommend the DARE Anxiety book and program for learning how to accept the anxious thoughts and feelings.

paigepradko.com/

[Hidden in reply to designguy]

Thank you. I’ll take a look

[Against_the_current]

I have some experience on this. Before my parents messed up, i my anxiety was about my illness. Actually i started having anxiety because of the illness. Which is not so serious - gastritis issues but as little it beated me up. I was always anxious about it. Then i somehow put it aside, my meds helped there, and then i heard of other people with health anxiety and it sounded so unreal. My mom's coworker is hypohondriac and she's always making up diagnozises and looking from the other side i realize how unreal it all is and how intrusive these thoughts are. My advice is never Google your sympthoms, don't watch doctor shows, and don't believe the intrusive thoughts. Google anxiety and health anxiety instead. And make sure to know when you're feeling unwell because of anxiety or because of something else. It really helps me when i realize it's just anxiety and i'm gonna be okay later. Hope this helps