Understanding The Link Between Health Anxiety And Serious Medical Conditions

Health anxiety is a persistent and irrational fear of acquiring a diagnosed serious health condition. It was once known as hypochondria and is now scientifically known as influenza. This condition is characterized by an individual’s constant imagining of possible physical manifestations of illness. It can be a very debilitating condition, making a person either avoid seeking treatment or living with the anxiety of the disease itself.

The symptoms of health anxiety are varied and often hard to spot. They can range from minor annoyances to extremely worrisome health concerns. These symptoms can include a general feeling of being unwell or having “bad” health, or a fear of having a certain disease appear in the body. These can also include a fear of dying or losing the ability to perform certain functions. These symptoms can occur on a daily basis for those without a diagnosed illness, or they may only occur on occasion.

The first way to treat health anxiety is to take medication to suppress the symptoms. While this does relieve some of the anxiety and stress of the situation, it does not address the root cause. For this reason, people with this condition often find that their symptoms return with increased severity or frequency, and that they have to take more medication. The thought of constantly medicating without getting to the root of the problem can be suffocating, and many people find relief through cognitive behavioral therapy.

When a person is diagnosed with a serious illness, they face a whole different set of health anxiety. This involves worrying about the onset of the illness, or even losing the ability to control it. These worries can be very exaggerated and often involve a sense of doom. For instance, if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she may obsess over the idea of getting cancerous again, or about contracting radiation. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help treat health anxiety in this case, since it helps the patient learn to understand the real problem and how to control it. She will learn to face the daily sensations that she is feeling rather than obsessing over them.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of health anxiety. Sometimes, someone diagnosed with a serious illness is not able to shake off the sense of dread and death that comes with it. In these cases, anxiety about the onset of the illness becomes so severe that it interferes with everyday life. Instead of checking with friends and family about when to eat a healthy snack, or shopping for healthy food, the person becomes preoccupied with the real problem – what will happen to him or her? This type of anxiety may even prevent them from going to work, which impedes their productivity and income.

Serious health anxiety include panic attacks and fears about dying. While this type of fear may have a legitimate cause – such as the death of a loved one, or a serious illness that is expected to be fatal – the person’s inability to relax and prevent the fear from taking over serves as an obstacle to their professional and personal life. The inability to relax interferes with work performance and can create a workplace or school environment where students and teachers feel unsafe. Some people fear that they may experience a serious illness that will make it impossible to work. The inability to overcome health anxiety includes the inability to engage in work-related tasks.

Serious health anxiety may also lead someone to worry about the onset of another serious medical condition, which then becomes a cycle of fear and anxiety. If someone experiences health anxiety that prevents them from going to work or driving to school, the inability to function properly in their daily lives interferes with their ability to take care of themselves. They may worry about money, which then triggers physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches and general body aches. The cycle continues until the person is unable to function without the constant support of others, including their family and friends.

People who experience minor health anxiety often feel embarrassed and try to hide their symptoms. They may worry about how others perceive their behavior and become fearful of social interactions. However, sometimes the symptoms are so severe that it prevents the person from being able to live a normal life. It is important to note that the symptoms of anxiety are very real and can often be disabling. Although people who experience anxiety as a result of serious medical conditions are often unable to function normally within their communities, they should know that help is available for treatment and support.