Taking care of ourselves

Some of the most common signs of health anxiety include worrying about your health so much it affects you on a day to day basis, checking your body for lumps and bumps and making frequent doctor’s appointments. Sufferers may constantly seek reassurance from those around them that they are indeed healthy. A cycle can be created where a person’s mind is flooded with intrusive thoughts and worries, which can be emotionally draining for both the sufferer and those around them. 

Another aspect to health anxiety may be an effort to stay as “healthy” or “fit” as possible, with many well intentioned behaviours around diet and exercise becoming obsessive and life-limiting. Feeling like you can’t meet up with friends because there wont be time to do your evening run or that there wont be any food options that you feel are suitable can really affect your quality of life. 

For sufferers of health anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the internet can pose a particular challenge. Whether it’s information about diet and exercise or physical symptoms we may be observing, we are able to find out information within a few clicks. It’s so easy to type into Google “why does my leg muscle keep aching?” or “what are the best stomach toning exercises?”. Like all modern conveniences, this might be helpful for some, but for many people this easily available information can lead to increased levels of worry. 

Only you can know when these things are becoming a problem for you, but if you are feeling more unhappy than happy in relation to your own ability to feel well in your body, it might be time to think about opening up a new conversation about some of these habits. Understanding how the cycle of anxiety is fuelled and maintained, can begin to help reduce focus on health symptoms and worries. It is also important to remind yourself just how common health anxiety is, and how some initial and very straightforward steps can help to alleviate symptoms.