Health Anxiety Is Ruining My Life
Can you overcome health anxiety if it feels like its ruining your life?
“Health anxiety is ruining my life.” Worrying about your health is a common problem, but for some people it can become a full-blown health anxiety. This type of anxiety can be crippling and make everyday tasks very difficult. If you are struggling with health anxiety, there are things you can do to overcome it. In this post, we will discuss the symptoms of health anxiety, how to get help, and what steps you can take to start feeling better. Keep reading for more information about overcoming health anxiety.
Therapy for Health Anxiety
Now Scheduling Online and In-Person Therapy Sessions
Behavioral Health Direct provides individual therapy for anxiety and OCD in Baltimore, MD and is now scheduling online and in-person therapy sessions. The Baltimore office is easily accessible from Owings Mills, Pikesville, Towson, and surrounding areas. Additionally, we offer online therapy sessions in Maryland and Florida.
What is health anxiety?
Health anxiety is an excessive fear of having a serious illness. People with health anxiety may worry excessively about physical symptoms or minor irregularities in their body, even when there is no evidence for any medical problem. They may become preoccupied with the idea that they have a serious illness and may spend hours researching their symptoms online or repeatedly visiting doctors. Health anxiety can have a significant impact on quality of life, leading to difficulty concentrating, disruption of sleep and impaired daily functioning.
Where does health anxiety come from?
Health anxiety can be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, life transitions and traumatic events. It can also occur in response to physical health problems or chronic illnesses. Sometimes, health anxiety can seem to appear out of nowhere, and it can be difficult to identify the source. The good news is that health anxiety is treatable, with or without specific triggers.
When health anxiety takes over:
A person’s thoughts are likely to become distorted and exaggerated. He or she may focus on the worst possible outcome and interpret any physical symptom as a sign of serious illness, no matter how unlikely that may be. In some cases, the person may believe that he or she is having a heart attack, even when all medical tests show there is nothing wrong. Research suggests that panic attacks and anxiety are responsible for a significant amount of emergency room visits.
Can health anxiety be overcome? Treatments for health anxiety:
Yes, health anxiety can be overcome with the right treatment. Many people find relief from psychotherapy, which can help to identify the underlying cause of their worry and challenge any irrational or exaggerated thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a popular form of therapy that can help people manage their health anxiety by changing their thinking patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another effective treatment for health anxiety, as it focuses on learning to accept and live with uncertainty. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is also used to treat health anxiety, as it helps people gradually face their fears and learn not to avoid them. Avoidance only reinforces the fear, so it is important to confront the worry and learn to cope with it.
Why do I feel like health anxiety is ruining my life?
Worrying about something makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else. When health anxiety feels really intense it can take a person over completely. They might even feel like they are dying or close to death. Additionally, health anxiety can make a person feel compelled to take steps for their health they wouldn’t otherwise have considered. This can feel exhausting and can lead to feeling as if health anxiety is ruining your life.
Health anxiety as a parent:
Health anxiety isn’t only worrying about your own health. It is possible to experience health anxiety for a loved one as well. For parents, this could mean worrying about the health and safety of their children. Whether your health anxiety is about yourself, or children, or a loved one it is possible to address your worry and stop yourself from feeling that health anxiety is ruining your life.
OCD and health anxiety:
It is difficult to differentiate between OCD and health anxiety, as both have similar characteristics. For instance, someone with OCD may worry excessively about germs and might compulsively wash their hands, while someone with health anxiety would be overly worried about having a serious medical condition. Furthermore, those with OCD may be fixated on the need for things to be done in a certain way or in a certain order, while those with health anxiety may be overly concerned about their physical symptoms.
The main difference between OCD and health anxiety is that those with OCD often have irrational thoughts due to the obsessions they experience, while people with health anxiety believe that their physical symptoms are indicative of a serious medical problem even though there is no real evidence to support this. OCD is an anxiety disorder that involves intrusive, repetitive thoughts and behaviors that the person feels they must carry out in order to “avoid a disaster” or “prevent something bad from happening.” Health anxiety, on the other hand, is an over-concern about one’s own health status that results in excessive worrying in the absence of any real physical or mental illness.
It is important to note that OCD and health anxiety can co-occur, meaning that a person may suffer from both simultaneously. If you feel like you may be experiencing either OCD or health anxiety, it is important to seek professional help in order to get the right diagnosis and treatment plan. Knowing the difference between OCD and health anxiety can help you manage your symptoms and lead a healthier, more fulfilling life.
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