A Guide to Overcoming Health Anxiety

Sickness anxiety disorder, also known as health anxiety or hypochondriasis, is irrational worrying that you will become ill or even become very sick. Sometimes you might not have any physical manifestations to indicate that you have this illness. Or you might think that ordinary body sensations or even minor medical conditions are indications of worse illness, although a thorough health checkup does not reveal an actual medical condition. Instead, you may think that you’re suffering from some other psychological problem and ignore the fact that you do have a chronic anxiety problem.

A frequent symptom of health anxiety is depression or moodiness. A person suffering from a sick mind often thinks that everything is going wrong with his body and that he has no control over his emotions or mind. CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy can help in treating this depression, and many people find that this form of treatment offers the best results for them. CBT involves the use of several different treatments, which work on your thoughts and your feelings to help you change your behaviour and overcome your health anxiety.

The most common treatment used for hypochondria is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This form of treatment is based on the theory that persistent worrying about health anxiety often becomes a habitual behavior. Therefore, the therapist will teach you to reduce your worrying to manageable levels. You will be taught how to identify the exaggerated worry patterns and how to replace them with realistic alternatives. You will also learn how to replace your negative thinking with positive statements and actions.

Your health anxiety could be triggered by various events in your daily life. Therefore, CBT will involve examining your past as well as your present situation. The aim of the daily activities and events that trigger your symptoms should be examined and then utilised to distract you from your symptoms. Your therapist might suggest seeing a doctor just to make sure that your worries are not related to an underlying health condition.

A popular method of treating health anxiety is called “self-help for treating health worries”. This approach uses everyday activities as a way of distracting you from your symptoms. For example, if you tend to focus on negative aspects of your environment, a useful strategy is to start appreciating the good things in your surroundings. You could even consider writing about these aspects of your life, adding a journal to document your progress and view it as a form of therapy. Another popular self-help technique is to keep a diary or planner, which can be used to keep track of your progress as well as provide coping strategies when times get tough.

Many people find it very difficult to deal with their self-esteem issues and their health anxiety often adds to their problems. Therefore, a useful strategy for dealing with self-help for treating health worries is to gain a healthy, positive self-image. You could do this by changing the way you think about yourself, as well as attending self-help group sessions to discuss your issues with other sufferers. Once you have gained some reassurance about your own worth, you can then work on challenging negative thoughts and reframe them. This will not only provide you with greater confidence but also with greater ability to effectively manage your own feelings.

While health anxiety can make it very difficult to live a normal life, there is hope. If you suffer from a more serious physical illness such as cancer or heart disease, you should seek advice from your GP. They will be able to refer you to a clinical hypnotherapist who can use hypnosis and other alternative treatments to treat your physical symptoms and to distract you from your negative thoughts. They will also be able to provide you with some great support during your time of treatment.

Health anxiety and depression are serious illnesses that can have devastating effects on your quality of life. You should never try to treat yourself or cover up your symptoms. Seek professional help and don’t be afraid to challenge your symptoms and to challenge the way you perceive them. It’s not easy coping with a physical illness but it’s much easier than dealing with your emotions! With the right support and reassurance, you can get back to enjoying life again.