Managing health anxiety
It’s not surprising professionals are seeing a huge rise in the number of people suffering from health anxiety. For 18 months we’ve been reminded constantly to monitor our health and look for symptoms of potential illness. Even now we’re bombarded daily with new signs and symptoms, and warned of an increase in other diseases as well. Under these conditions, anyone who was anxious before will be at risk of developing health anxiety.
This distressing condition was formerly diagnosed as “hypochondriasis”, and is characterised by extreme anxiety about one’s health that involves a disproportionate focus on symptoms or potential symptoms, so much so that the sufferer becomes unable to carry out normal activities such as enjoying healthy relationships, holding down a job, or maintaining focus.
Prevalence rates are similar for both – around 3 to 8 per cent of people – although I suspect the current rate is much higher. Sufferers of both disorders check their health status extremely frequently. They may also seek continual reassurance from others and/or ask repeatedly to have medical tests. There are signs the pandemic has led to an uptick in health anxiety among children, too.
Some with health anxiety are experiencing genuine distressing symptoms that are uncomfortable but don’t generally signify serious disease: often in fact no cause for the symptom(s) can be found. Others have no symptoms, or if they do they’re only of mild intensity. Either way, the problem can be debilitating, affecting relationships, social and professional life, and mental health.
If you or a loved one are suffering with health anxiety, what’s the best way to overcome your distress?
Be kind to yourself. Act as you would towards a good friend, with understanding and patience. Harsh self-criticism only leads to an escalating sense of helplessness.
Educate yourself about how diseases are diagnosed. Doctors almost never rely on the presence of one symptom to diagnose a disorder. Instead, they gather the patient’s history to determine relative health and risk via family background. Next, they ask about not one, but a constellation of symptoms. They then take all this data and look for the condition that most closely fits the picture that’s been created. This is known as “differential diagnosis”, and understanding this process can help you put your narrow focus into perspective.
Consider having cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You’ll learn to identify your disproportionately negative thoughts early, so you can choose to respond more adaptively. In some cases, particularly if you’re also depressed, you may wish to talk to your doctor about taking a short course of antidepressants, to make it easier to benefit from CBT.
Finally, be sure to prioritise the foundations of mental well-being: get adequate rest, take regular exercise, and spend time with people you love.