Would A Health Anxiety Forum Cure Me?
Health anxiety is a condition that can cause anxiety regarding health conditions, even when there are no symptoms present or symptoms are mild (such as a minor headache). Often, people with health anxiety worry that they have severe illnesses, such as cancer, and seek out excessive medical testing even after tests by appropriate diagnostic clinics demonstrate that illnesses are not present. Ignoring anxiety or discrediting your feelings can make them worse over time, and the best way to address them may be with psychotherapy and medical treatment. Some people find that health anxiety forums can provide a helpful platform to connect with others and receive encouragement. Another way to find help with health anxiety online may be through an online therapy platform, where you may work with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your home.
About anxiety and looking up symptoms online
Anxiety can turn even the most mundane point of worry into something that feels overwhelming, sometimes even leading to panic attacks. Exaggerated and negative thinking can feed into a vicious circle exacerbated by real physical signs like chest pain to fluctuating blood pressure, leading to a state of seemingly ever-present anxiety.
Googling symptoms and spending time on health and anxiety forums has the potential to become a compulsion. This can possibly be a mistake that only all your negative thoughts about possible illnesses and other things that could be “wrong with you.”
Often, this leads to a state of feeling constantly aware of imagined possibilities, leading you to fear the most horrendous outcomes. Your mind might feel bombarded, personal friends might hear all about your fears that something is radically “wrong” with you. As you read stories online from health and anxiety forums, you might begin to fear everything from venereal diseases to brain tumors. Other symptoms might seem to manifest to the point of worrying about a range of imagined consequences all the time.
How health and anxiety forums tie into this story
The fictional story described above is just one path that researching your anxiety online can lead to, but it’s more common than you might think. While they’re created to help, health anxiety forums can paradoxically exacerbate anxiety by amplifying fears and providing a platform for individuals to discuss exaggerated and negative thoughts about their health concerns.
These stories are often told before an individual has a definite diagnosis of what they’re experiencing.
Often, if you’re experiencing symptoms of a panic attack, it will do you more good to engage in relaxation exercises or even visit a local hospital to rule out physical causes of your feelings than researching symptoms online. Even if your trip to the hospital ends in the news that you are okay and just experiencing anxiety, it may prove beneficial if the doctor arranges further investigation into your symptoms and experiences.
If your doctor doesn’t offer to help, you might request further help. Doctors are obliged to take action to ensure the health and safety of their patients.
Potential benefits of a health anxiety forum
In general, health anxiety forums are not the same as professional treatment, and the people you talk to on forums are not usually certified mental health professionals. However, there can be many benefits to using health anxiety forums, potentially including the following:
Discover you’re not alone
It is estimated that 12-24% of people may have health anxiety. Connecting with others who have had similar experiences can help you gain a new perspective on your health anxiety. You’ll likely find that many others have similar fears and experiences, and understanding that you’re not alone in your feelings can be encouraging.
Self-reflection
Taking the time to write about your anxiety can provide you with a better perspective on your feelings and improve your mental health. According to the social psychologist James Pennebaker, who conducted a study on the therapeutic impact of writing, it can be stressful to keep your feelings secret and internalize them. By just writing about how you feel in a forum, you may find that you feel better.
Open up about your fears
A health anxiety forum can be a good place to open up about the underlying reasons why you may be anxious about your health without having to worry about being judged. You might want to discuss the diseases you’re afraid of, and if you’re worried your doctor didn’t evaluate you thoroughly enough. You might discover that other people have similar fears.
Turn to someone besides your doctor
If you are worried that something is wrong, but you do not have any serious symptoms, it can be helpful to discuss them on a forum. For example, some people may be worried that they are having a heart attack when they experience heart palpitations. If this happens frequently and your doctor has determined the heart palpitations are benign, you may save money and time by discussing your palpitations on a forum instead of at the doctor’s office.
Learn about your anxiety
Health anxiety can be caused by an anxiety disorder called hypochondriasis, or it can be a somatic symptom disorder (SSD). SSD typically occurs when you experience prolonged physical symptoms (such as general pain or fatigue) that are worsened by anxiety. People with hypochondriasis often have underlying disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. A forum may provide you with insight into the type of health anxiety you have and therapy options that might work best for your needs.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Find the right doctor
Your primary care provider should take the time to talk with you and understand your concerns. Depending on where you live, other users of anxiety forums may be able to recommend physicians that can provide informed care for patients with health anxiety.
See a path forward
When to seek help
Anxiety and serious medical problems can coexist, so it can be important to first visit your doctor and rule out any possible medical conditions. Typically, after a medical examination and physical evaluation, your doctor may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist who can screen you for health anxiety to make a definite diagnosis and determine a treatment plan.
Your psychiatrist or psychologist may recommend a mixture of medications, deep breathing and relaxation techniques, healthy lifestyle habits (such as eating a healthy diet and exercising), connecting with others who have health anxiety, and psychotherapy. Do not start or stop any form of medication without the guidance of a licensed medical professional.
A specific type of psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in addressing the symptoms of health anxiety. During CBT sessions, therapists typically help you reconfigure negative thoughts and behaviors to cope with your anxiety in a healthier way. For example, if you experience chest tightening sensations, you may be worried about a serious medical condition. CBT therapists can help you interrupt a harmful thought pattern by asking you to think about the possible reasons why you’re experiencing this symptom, such as excessive stress or caffeine consumption.
If you prefer the convenience that an online health anxiety forum provides, you may wish to seek out online cognitive-behavioral therapy. One study of 1,500 people found that online CBT can be as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health concerns, including anxiety disorders. Additionally, some people prefer online CBT, which is frequently offered through online therapy platforms, because it typically allows you to message your therapist whenever you experience symptoms that cause anxiety.
Takeaway
What are the symptoms of severe health anxiety?
Previously known as hypochondria, severe health anxiety is one of several anxiety-based mental health issues. A person experiencing health anxiety may continually worry that they have a specific illness, or a series of health issues, without any evidence. Some symptoms of health anxiety include:
- A hypervigilance about health
- Either a complete avoidance of healthcare, or frequently seeking medical care due to anxiety about health
- Preoccupied about having an illness, or worried about getting an illness
- Anxiety disproportionate to risk of illness, or to symptoms
- Mild physical symptoms or no symptoms, coupled with chronic worry
How do I overcome crippling health anxiety?
There is treatment available for health anxiety. The most common treatment is psychotherapy, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In severe cases, therapy may be coupled with an antidepressant like an SSRI.
How do you break the cycle of health anxiety?
The most effective way to break the cycle of health anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy with a licensed therapist. They can help to identify your specific worries and beliefs taking up head space, shift responses to certain thoughts, look for symptoms of mood disorders or other issues, and teach healthy coping strategies to help change negative thought and behavior patterns.
How rare is health anxiety?
Anxiety disorders are among the most common to be found in the US population. Health anxiety in particular is comparatively common, affecting 4-5% of people. However, some experts believe that these numbers are incorrect, due to underreporting, and that they may be more like 12%.
What is the root cause of health anxiety?
Experts believe that there are several factors that may contribute to developing health anxiety. These include:
- Having a parent or close family member who demonstrated excessive worry over your health or their own health during childhood.
- Having a poor understanding of body sensations, disease pathology, or both
- Past experience of serious illness (especially during childhood years)
- Risk factors like childhood trauma, current stress, or a history of other types of anxiety
Why is health anxiety so crippling?
Health anxiety can be especially difficult to experience because it can impact your day to day life, cause you to avoid doing things you enjoy, and interfere with personal relationships. Loading worry over health into your life can even cause physical symptoms, which in turn exacerbate the worry over health.
What is the best medication for health anxiety?
Replies to this may differ depending on the specific patient and what factors are involved. Typically, a medical professional will prescribe an antidepressant (commonly an SSRI) to manage symptoms. In cases where other mood disorders are present, they may choose to treat with medications for those conditions. The prescribing physician may also have to try a few different options to determine which has the least disruptive side effects.
Can health anxiety give you physical symptoms?
Yes, in fact anxiety in general can cause certain physical symptoms. In cases of health anxiety, these symptoms may cause increased worry, leading to a cycle of mental and physical symptoms reinforcing each other. Some physical symptoms of anxiety include:
- Headaches or body aches
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
Is health anxiety a form of OCD?
These two mental health disorders can have similar symptoms, but are two different conditions. The diagnostic criteria are very different for each.
Is health anxiety lifelong?
Health anxiety most often shows up in middle to later years in life. It may be lifelong if not treated, but there is treatment available.
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