15 Unexpected Facts About Health Anxiety Symptoms That You Never Knew
What Are Health Anxiety Symptoms?
It's perfectly normal to be concerned about your health however, if your worries are out of proportion, you may have a condition called health anxiety or illness anxiety disorder (formerly known as hypochondria). The key symptoms include an excessive sweating, a stomach that is churning and the appearance or sensation of numbness.
People with anxiety disorders often mistake the sensations of bodily discomfort as signs of serious disease, including nausea or a headache. The resulting worries can cause them to avoid activities that are important or seek constant reassurance from friends and medical professionals.
1. You constantly examine your health
People with illness anxiety disorder (also known as hypochondriasis) spend a great deal of their time worried about their health. This can have a major impact on their daily life, as they are constantly concerned about the smallest of things such as a rash or a tickle on their throat, or a headache. People suffering from this condition typically seek medical advice and taking all sorts of tests that can be extremely expensive. The constant worry can be a burden for the family as well as at work.
It can be triggered from events in the past, like witnessing someone close die of an illness or health-related incident. It can also be triggered by stress that is extreme, like a divorce or a new baby. However, it could also be a result of genetics or a combination of factors. People with parents who were anxious about their health or who themselves were afflicted by anxiety might be more prone to developing this disorder.
The issue with illness anxiety is that the brain misinterprets any bodily sensations as potentially dangerous. It's like when you hear a car alarm, you assume there's a burglar breaking into the house, even though there's no evidence of it. Healthy bodies produce a variety of sensations that can be painful, uncomfortable or unwelcome however they aren't generally dangerous.
Patients suffering from this condition are more likely to turn to the internet to find answers to their health concerns. Many of the websites are not reliable, and can make a person feel worse. This cycle can be difficult to break as people will rely on this reassurance to ease their anxiety.
Anyone who is concerned about their health needs a diagnosis. A primary care physician can help. They can also refer the patient to a mental health professional for a further assessment and treatment options. A psychologist or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to soothe the body and mind depending on the degree of anxiety. Therapy can be beneficial as an alternative to medication. A therapist can show the patient to confront their negative thoughts and replace them with more realistic ones. They can also teach coping techniques like keeping a journal or drawing two columns with their issues in one and their more neutral thoughts in the other.
2. You're unable to relax
If you're not able to relax, it's important to consult your doctor and receive the right diagnosis. They may be able help you manage anxiety symptoms by using psychotherapy or medication.
Health anxiety sufferers are always alert. They interpret slight physical sensations, such as a tingling in the toe or a headache as a sign that they are sick and that something serious is going on. These anxieties can make it difficult to concentrate at work, maintain healthy relationships, or be productive at home. Some people may even avoid certain situations in order to protect themselves from being anxious. Avoiding a situation will not make the anxiety go away. It can even get worse as time passes.
It's normal to be concerned about your health, however it could be harmful when it starts to affect your life or your mood. Health anxiety is often accompanied by a fear of contracting a rare, fatal disease. They may constantly 'Google their symptoms' or seek excessive assurances from their doctors. Untreated health anxiety can lead a person to suffer from hypochondria. This is a condition that causes a person to become excessively concerned about their health.
Health anxiety can be triggered by a variety of factors. Certain people might have an ancestry of anxiety, depression or stress in their families. Others might have experienced stress-filled childhoods where they learned to take all bodily sensations seriously. Other reasons could be poor sleeping habits and addiction disorders which can alter the way your brain functions.
People who aren't able to calm their anxieties may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy. This method teaches people to overcome negative thoughts and frame their thoughts in a more realistic manner. It also teaches people to practice relaxation techniques, which can help them to relax their minds and bodies when they're in stressful situations. People suffering from anxiety disorders will also benefit from regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. These practices can help to increase the immune system and provide an effective stress relief.
3. You're worried about getting sick
Regular bodily sensations, such as nausea, dizziness or a tickle at the throat can be terrifying for those suffering from health anxiety. The mind is a powerful instrument and can interpret these symptoms to be evidence of a serious illness, even though they aren't. This can cause people to examine their health regularly, including frequent visits to a doctor or using devices at home such as a thermometer or blood pressure device. This may include searching on the internet (often inaccurate information) for a specific condition or asking family, friends or co-workers to assure you.
This can be a major issue, particularly if the fear of an illness leads people to avoid social or other interactions. People suffering from this type of anxiety may require help from a mental health professional.
Assistance is readily available and can be extremely effective. The most common treatments are cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants. It's important to remember that it isn't an indication of weakness to ask for assistance. Health anxiety can have a massive impact on relationships (no person would like to hear about your plethora of possible illnesses every time you hang out) and careers (you're always out of the office due to never-ending doctor visits) and your wellbeing.
While it's normal to worry about your health at times however, if your worry is not proportional to your symptoms or risk of illness then you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, such as somatic symptoms disorder or illness anxiety disorder (formerly known as hypochondria). These disorders aren't the same as malingering, or factitious disorder (Munchhausen Syndrome) as the person in these cases really believes that they are sick.
For most people it's easy to dismiss their health worries as unfounded - after all most of us have experienced serious illness at some point in our lives, so the concerns are an appropriate response to an actual threat. However, for some people, these irrational concerns can spiral out of control and take a impact on their health and quality of life.
4. You're afraid of being considered a failure
Anxiety sufferers often find social situations difficult. They may be afraid of being embarrassed or making a mistake in front of other people. They may also be afraid of being snubbed or criticized and try to avoid social situations as much as is possible. This can impact a person's ability to be successful in school or at work and can cause serious problems in their relationships. This is the reason it's so important to seek the advice of an expert in mental health If you suspect that your anxiety symptoms are becoming too extreme.
It's natural to be concerned about your own health. However, it's important to be aware of any changes you notice in your body. If you are constantly thinking that any sensation in your body could be a sign of an imminent illness, you could be suffering from an anxiety disorder. This is often referred to as illness anxiety or hypochondriasis.
Illness anxiety is an obsessive compulsive disorder that's characterized as an inability to accept uncertainty. They interpret symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or nausea as signs of a more serious disease. They may spend hours Googling symptoms and seek out constant assurance from their friends and medical professionals. They might even be afraid of visiting the doctor in fear that they'll receive an unintentional diagnosis.
social anxiety disorder symptoms can be triggered by a variety of triggers, including traumatizing events (such as the loss of a loved one being diagnosed with cancer) or stressful events in life, or media exposure to negative information about health. It can also be triggered by certain drugs or medications or even due to having a family history of anxiety or depression.
If you're worried that are suffering from an illness It's important to remember that not everyone has a medical degree and that many health concerns aren't anything to worry about. It's also important to master coping strategies and it's beneficial to have someone in your life who is able to provide some reassurance. A counselor or psychologist can help you learn healthy coping techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral and exposure therapy.