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Health/Illness Anxiety refers to the worry that one might have, or could get, a serious illness. This worry often focuses on how the body feels and what those sensations could mean, and it can cause a lot of stress and interfere with daily life.
Our team offers health anxiety treatment in Penrith at the Boyce & Dale Anxiety and Mood Disorders Clinic. We provide therapy that helps people manage and reduce these intense concerns. Our Clinical Psychologists work with you to find ways to better manage these feelings, making life more enjoyable and less overwhelming.
Characteristics
Health/Illness anxiety involves excessive worry about having or acquiring a serious illness. You might misinterpret normal bodily sensations or minor symptoms as signs of a severe illness, despite medical evidence to the contrary.
The core feature of Health Anxiety is a persistent preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious disease. If you have Health Anxiety, your concern is often disproportionate to the actual risk presented by the your health status.
You will likely be prone to misinterpreting bodily symptoms. You may interpret common physical sensations, such as a minor ache or a fleeting pain, as signs of serious illness.
Chances are, you engage in doctor shopping and reassurance seeking behaviour. You might find yourself researching via Google, repetitively but without satisfaction. On the other hand, you might avoid medical appointments altogether. for fear of receiving bad news.
Ultimately, your excessive worry and associated behaviour very likely will have a negative impact on daily functioning. Health anxiety can interfere with daily activities, causing distress and impacting social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning.
Signs that you may need therapy for Health Anxiety
If you're experiencing Health Anxiety, there may be several telling signs that suggest therapy could be beneficial. For example, a reasonably health-conscious person might notice a nagging headache, but feel unable to shake off worry that it might represent something sinister. Despite repeated reassurances from doctors and hours of online research, this person just can’t tolerate even the smallest possibility that the headache isn’t ‘just a headache’.
This nagging feeling could lead to avoiding social situations, losing sleep or having difficulty focusing. The persistent stress and anxiety not only disrupt your day-to-day life but can also strain your relationships and professional performance. Health anxiety therapy at our Penrith clinic can offer a way to break this cycle, helping you to regain control over your fears and improve your overall well-being.
Treatment for Health Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for Health Anxiety. This approach helps you to recognise and change the thought patterns and behaviours that are ultimately perpetuating your anxiety.
Our Penrith Clinical Psychologists will tailor your treatment plan to address your unique challenges when it comes to managing Health Anxiety.
Your plan will very likely include cognitive techniques, such as those that help you to identify unnecessarily catastrophic thought patterns. You may also be learn to differentiate between normal bodily sensations, anxiety sensations, and symptoms of serious illness.
Critically, treatment in our Penrith clinic will involve encouraging behavioural change. Together with your Clinical Psychologist, you will be encouraged to gradually reduce reliance on ultimately maladaptive behaviour, such as excessive checking, reassurance-seeking, research, and avoidance. This should help you to reduce your preoccupation with illness, and therefore your distress.