Understanding Health Anxiety

In my clinic, I see people with health anxiety every day, and it seems to be a condition that is becoming more prevalent in the past decade as people are accessing the internet on their phones to Google health concerns. Patients come to me very distressed but the good news is that with treatment, people can see their distress and worries reduce fairly quickly.

If health anxiety is impacting your daily life and you are looking for support, please get in touch. You can book an appointment through the contact page. https://www.drsheenakumar.com/contact 

Today I have a guest blog from a colleague Dr Patapia Tzotzoli to discuss health anxiety.

We all worry about our health from time to time. It's natural - and even helpful - to

pay attention to symptoms and take care of our bodies. But when health concerns

become persistent, overwhelming, and interfere with everyday life, it may be more

than just a concern. It may be health anxiety.

What is health anxiety?

Health anxiety (sometimes referred to as hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder)

is a condition where someone spends a lot of time worrying they may be seriously

ill, even when medical tests and evaluations show otherwise. These worries aren’t

simply passing concerns - they can dominate your thoughts, make it hard to focus

on anything else, and often lead to repeated doctor visits, online symptom

searches, or constant reassurance-seeking.

Common signs of health anxiety

Health anxiety doesn’t look the same for everyone, but some common

experiences include:

• Constantly checking your body for signs of illness (e.g., lumps, pain, changes in

sensation)

• Frequently typing your symptoms on search engines and feeling more anxious

afterwards

• Repeated visits to healthcare professionals for reassurance

• Avoiding doctors or medical tests out of fear of bad news

• Difficulty trusting medical advice or needing reassurance from multiple sources

• Feeling anxious or panicked over minor physical sensations

These patterns can create a vicious cycle: the more you worry, the more anxious

you feel - and the more you feel the need to check, ask, or avoid.

What causes health anxiety?

Health anxiety can develop for many reasons. Sometimes it’s linked to past

experiences, like witnessing a loved one’s serious illness or going through a

health scare yourself. For others, it may be connected to general anxiety,

perfectionism, or difficulty tolerating uncertainty. Our modern, digital world also

plays a role: when information (and misinformation) is just a click away, it’s easy to

spiral from a headache to a serious diagnosis in seconds.

How does it affect your life?

Left unchecked, health anxiety can take a toll on your emotional well-being,

relationships, work, and overall quality of life. You may find yourself constantly

distracted, irritable, or overwhelmed. It can also increase physical symptoms like

fatigue, muscle tension, or stomach problems - ironically, reinforcing your health

fears even more.

But here’s the good news: health anxiety is treatable. You are not alone, and

support is available.

What can help?

Effective support starts with recognising what’s going on and seeking the right

help. Psychological therapies are proven to help people manage health anxiety. Psychology can help you:

• Understand how your thoughts and behaviours are maintaining the anxiety

• Learn strategies to respond differently to physical symptoms

• Break the cycle of checking, reassurance-seeking, or avoidance

• Build tolerance to uncertainty

• Reconnect with daily life in a healthier, calmer way

In some cases, other therapeutic approaches (such as mindfulness-based

therapies or compassion-focused therapy) may also support recovery. What

matters most is finding an approach - and a professional - that fits your needs.

If health anxiety is impacting your daily life and you are looking for support, please get in touch. You can book an appointment through the contact page. https://www.drsheenakumar.com/contact 

——

Dr. Patapia Tzotzoli is a UK-trained, HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist with

over 20 years of experience. She is the Director of My Psychology Clinic,

where she offers one-to-one online therapy tailored to a select clientele and the

Founder of My Triage Network, where she provides free consultations and

personalised introductions to trusted UK-based mental health professionals for

anyone seeking assessments or therapy.