Health anxiety

Overview

Health anxiety is when you spend so much time worrying you're ill, or about getting ill, that it starts to take over your life. It's related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Check if you have health anxiety

You may have health anxiety if you:

constantly worry about your health
frequently check your body for signs of illness, such as lumps, tingling or pain
are always asking people for reassurance that you're not ill
worry that your doctor or medical tests may have missed something
obsessively look at health information on the internet or in the media
avoid anything to do with serious illness, such as medical TV programmes
act as if you were ill (for example, avoiding physical activities)

Anxiety itself can cause symptoms like headaches or a racing heartbeat, and you may mistake these for signs of illness.

Self-help for health anxiety

Keep a diary

note how often you check your body, ask people for reassurance, or look at health information
try to gradually reduce how often you do these things over a week

Challenge your thoughts

draw a table with 2 columns
write your health worries in the 1st column, then more balanced thoughts in the 2nd. For example, in the 1st column you may write, "I'm worried about these headaches" and in the 2nd, "Headaches can often be a sign of stress"

Keep busy with other things

when you get the urge to check your body, for example, distract yourself by going for a walk or calling a friend

Get back to normal activities

try to gradually start doing things you've been avoiding because of your health worries, such as sports or socialising

Try to relax

Visit the Mind website for some relaxation exercises

See a GP if:

your worries about your health are preventing you leading a normal life
self-help is not working

If a GP diagnoses you with health anxiety, they may refer you for a psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or offer you a medicine for anxiety.

Other ways to access CBT

If you can afford it, you can choose to pay for your therapy privately. The cost of private therapy sessions varies, but it's usually £40 to £100 per session.

The British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) has a register of all accredited therapists in the UK and The British Psychological Society has a directory of chartered psychologists, some of whom specialise in CBT.