Exposure Therapy Challenge List for Hypochondriacs

Hello there, fellow hypochondriac. Welcome to this safe space where we can vent about the possibility of our physical conditions turning lethal. How are you today? Probably about to keel over dead? Same. 

Actually, no. You’re not dying today, friend. And neither am I! The culprit of your headache, your inability to catch your breath, and all of your other not-so-deadly symptoms is simply your health anxiety. It’s a very fun disorder that tricks your brain into believing something dreadful is going to happen, when in fact, the worrisome symptom you’re experiencing will be short-lived and extremely unrelated to something serious or life-threatening.

Read these fun hypochondriac stories for a laugh and relatability.

Tell me. When, in all of your years, have the symptoms you’ve been so dreadfully worried about turned into a deadly condition? I’m going to assume *never* if you’re living, breathing, and reading this blog post. But since you are indeed skimming these words, I bet you’re struggling over there, you little worrywart, you. 

Instead of trying to figure out how to cure that headache a.k.a aneurysm a.k.a brain tumor a.k.a pulmonary embolism (wait, that doesn’t even make sense!), why don’t you pay close attention to the illness you most certainly do have? Health anxiety. Yes, I’m sorry to tell you, but you do indeed have a chronic condition. It is called anxiety. And the good news is: it’s not going to kill you. Heck no, you won’t let it.

It’s time to get really uncomfortable and expose yourself to your fears. I’m talking about your fear of getting into a tragic accident, of developing a chronic condition, of being diagnosed with a terminal illness. I’m especially talking about your fear of death. You’re going to confront those evil fears and come face-to-face with what holds you back in life. And you’re going to conquer the shit out of it. 

Before we go on, I must say that I am not a healthcare professional. I am not a therapist. My degree is, in fact, in engineering, and not medically related at all. So when I give you my advice, it should be taken lightly. Your therapist or doctor might be better to consult with.

But know that I am just like you. I live with a whole lot of anxiety, and it tends to center around my well-being. While I’m not a medical professional, I most certainly have put in my 10,000 hours. So, you could say that makes me a bit of an expert on the subject of anxiety. I’m using my experience and everything I’ve learned along my mental health journey to share a secret with you that has worked for me.

It’s called exposure therapy. This is a technique, often used in behavior therapy, that treats anxiety disorders. It is the act of exposing the anxiety-sufferer to the source of the anxiety. You must expose yourself to your fears. Heck yeah, that’s scary! But it can be effective and positively life-changing. 

If you’re interested in using exposure therapy to overcome your health anxiety, read on!

If you’re like me, your anxiety stems from bigger-picture fears. As I said earlier, you might fear getting diagnosed with a serious illness. Or you might fear death. You might fear the unknown. Or you might fear uncertainty. I certainly fear all of those things, and it’s because they are unfamiliar to me. There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to death. There is so much unknown when it comes to illnesses. I mean, it’s our lives we’re talking about here! And we don’t have a clue as to how much time we have on this planet. 

But worrying about our well-being and dreading the unknown is a waste of our precious time! Especially considering we don’t know how much we have. To increase our happiness and to live fuller lives, we must overcome our anxiety.

If you’re eager to beat the illness that holds you back (or slap hypochondria in the face with the back of your hand), then consider trying these exposure therapy challenges.

How to Cope with Hypochondria: Exposure Therapy Challenge List for Anxiety

Volunteer at a nursing home or hospital.

Surround yourself with people who are suffering from what you fear. It’s grounding to connect with humans. Plenty of humans suffer from health conditions that limit their life. So many that it’s actually not so uncommon to deal with an unforgiving illness that places you in the hospital. The more you become familiar with this fact, and the more you become familiar with the people who experience this regularly, the more your brain will accept the normality of it. After some time, it won’t feel so foreign and abnormal, and that will lessen your anxiety.

Additionally, a new perspective will be gained from this eye-opening experience. There you are, complaining about the what if. And there these people in the hospital are, experiencing the reality of a terminal illness or a chronic condition that leaves them struggling every single day. How lucky are you, really? Very lucky. You’re thriving. All you have is aNxiEtY. 

Travel to a place where you won’t have access to your doctor. 

Go on a trip or hike off the grid in the woods. Travel to a place where you won’t be able to visit your doctor. You’re either going to prove to yourself that you don’t need to rely on a physician or that you can find medical treatment anywhere in the world. There was a point in my life when I experienced a lot of travel anxiety directly related to the fear that I wouldn’t have good healthcare in case something happened. But I’ve been traveling A LOT recently. I went on eight separate trips this year, to be exact. And I’ve never died once. It gets easier the more you do it, I promise. Expose yourself to a new environment. Let the newness inspire you. Accept the anxiety that comes with it. Each time you travel, you’ll feel less and less anxious.

Mental Health Blog Disclaimer

I am not a medical professional, therapist, or mental healthcare professional. The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only, comes from my own personal experiences, and may be read, interpreted, and practiced at your own risk. Do not rely on this information as a substitute to medical advice or treatment from a healthcare professional.

Go on a risky adventure. 

The purpose of this escapade is to prove to yourself that you’re capable and resilient. Do something that both scares and excites you - travel, hike, skydive, ride a horse, ski, etc. When you repeatedly come out alive and unscathed, you will question your well-being much less. 

Have a conversation with someone who has the illness you fear.

When you can relate to someone with cancer or someone in the hospital for a scary diagnosis, you are getting to know that person on a relatable, human level. Illnesses aren’t as unfamiliar when you listen to the words spoken by someone who is actively surviving them. They still live their life even if they have cancer, you know?

Read a book about health anxiety. 

Health anxiety is the illness you have. Not anything else. Health anxiety is the only thing you should be worried about. Because it’s holding you back! It makes you believe something bigger is out there to get you. But it’s not. Read a book about the illness you know you have and absorb all the information you can. It will be uncomfortable, but you’ll come out so much more capable of coping with the fear.

Read an article about terminal illnesses or chronic conditions. 

An article is much shorter than a book, and that’s how you should keep it. You don’t want to fall into a downward spiral (like when you Google your symptoms). Gently exposing yourself to a scholarly or relatable article about the illness you fear could expose you to your fears without tipping you over the edge. Do this at a time when you are not worried about the specific illness you’re researching. Just let your brain absorb the information so that it’s not so shocked the next time it decides to dwell on that subject. 

Try to accept the worst-case scenario the next time you’re anxious about your health.

Just go there. Go all the way there. If you are diagnosed with the illness you’re so worried about, what happens? Will you have healthcare? Do you have a support system? Will you influence and inspire others through the pain? Will you perhaps be able to find acceptance? Are you a part of something greater? In the end, the suspense tends to be worse than the thing itself.

These experiences might feel painfully intolerable at first. That’s normal and expected. But stick through it. I mean, it can’t be much more painful than the anxiety you already put yourself through, can it? The benefit is long-term. Exposure Therapy for Anxiety is a journey. No Longer Being Held Back By Your Anxiety is the destination. Safe travels!