How I Cope with Health Anxiety

The term health anxiety or hypochondria refers to a condition where a person is overly worried about or obsessed with their health. One with health anxiety has a strong fear of having a serious health condition and associates symptoms they may be experiencing with a life-threatening illness. I am a great example of someone with health anxiety. If you’re interested in learning about how the mind of a hypochondriac works, read my unique post A Hypochondriac Story.

The severity of the anxiety I feel about my well-being ranges a great deal depending on life circumstances. But typically, when I am experiencing symptoms that I do not normally feel, I tend to jump to the worst conclusions. For example, recently I’ve been feeling a lot of abdominal pain. If you’re sensitive to TMI regarding pain or the abdomen, feel free to skip over the rest of this paragraph and start reading the next one. But I must share the dirty details because for some reason I thrive at being aggressively open about personal issues. Anyway, here are some known facts about me. I have irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux disease, degenerative disc disease in my lumbar spine, and I also use a copper IUD as birth control. The IUD was inserted just a few months ago, and MAN, it’s pretty painful at times. Ever since I switched from hormonal birth control to the copper IUD, I’ve been getting pretty large, painful cysts on my ovaries and moderate stabbing pains in my uterus before and during my period. Ow. So, now that you understand my lower abdomen is a dumpster fire always ready to ignite and explode let me reassure you that this past week my pelvic area has been in even more pain than normal. So I went to urgent care. And the white blood cells and ketones in my urine indicated I have a UTI that is likely heading towards my kidneys at this point. NEAT! So, days of antibiotics later, bummer, I’m still in pain. I’ve got an appointment with my gyno this week and a gastro doc in two weeks, don’t worry. I’m doing enough worrying for the both of us, I promise, so you don’t need to.

So naturally, the hypochondriac that I am, I spent an entire day in a state of panic that I have ovarian cancer. The fear I felt about this possibility was very real. The fear I feel anytime I express concern about my health is real. There are many circumstances where I struggle to truly celebrate something in my life during an anxious state because I’m actually thinking the words, “Well, me being able to celebrate this exciting thing is contingent on the fact that I don’t go to the doctor’s office later this week and receive a death sentence.” 

My language in this blog post has a satirical ring to it because that’s how I’m deciding to cope. Humor. Ha! But in addition to humor, there are many methods I use to help cope with the crippling health anxiety that consumes me at times, as mental illness tends to do. Here's how to cope with hypochondria and overcome health anxiety.

How to Deal with Health Anxiety

I use logic to remind me of what is realistic.

When I list out the physical symptoms I’ve been experiencing, I often quickly jump to the most life-threatening possibility. But there are many, many other less harmful reasons for experiencing a symptom in the body, like abdominal pain. Logic reminds me how very rare the worst case scenario is. For example, when I worried about having ovarian cancer, I read that 4% of women with ovarian cancer are around my age and the cause of my pain is much more likely to be benign. Logic tells me that my symptoms are likely due to something I’m already familiar with (hence my many other issues that already exist in that general area).

Instead of researching the horrible illness I probably don’t have, I research the one I know I have: health anxiety.

Researching my symptoms on the internet tends to heighten my panic more often than it gives me peace of mind. Therefore, I remind myself that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder with an emphasis on health anxiety, so researching how to cope with this condition is going to be more beneficial for me. My mental illness is the issue, not a deadly disease.

I turn away from the stigma of health anxiety.

I fight mental illness stigma by confidently sharing my experiences. Additionally, if I have health insurance and I am worried about my well-being, I go to the doctor. If someone tells me I worry too much about my health, look up symptoms or confide in doctors too often, I ignore them. Others might not understand how real the fear is for me, and so I trust myself to react to health anxiety in the way that is best for me. People with health anxiety do not need to suffer in silence.

I am gentle with myself and speak to myself kindly.

I do not blame myself for the trauma in my past that has resulted in health anxiety. I have many chronic conditions and have gone through multiple surgeries that have provided me with immense challenges. My brain is scarred from the damage of my past, and that is not my fault. I feed myself encouraging words rather than beat myself up for having to talk about health issues more often than the average person. 

I actively watch the negative thoughts float by.

By picturing the negative “what if” thoughts as statements floating in the air, I can imagine them being blown away in the wind. This is a way to visualize the toxicity leaving me. Goodbye, irrational worries!

I practice mindfulness to quell the panic.

In moments of intense panic or when I can feel those negative emotions bubbling and rising inside of me, I practice mindful meditation. I sit still and feel the chair underneath me and the wind blowing across my face. I notice sounds surrounding me. I take deep breaths; inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8, and repeat until my heart rate slows and a calm settles over me. I sometimes lie down in Shavasana and release all the tension in each muscle, starting at the crown of my head and slowly making my way down to my toes to overcome health anxiety.

Instead of forcing distraction, I allow myself to feel the negative emotions.

For me, it is better to feel it out than to run away from my dark emotions. I am better able to overcome the hard times when I embrace the pain. Though unpleasant, negative emotions are still normal human emotions. Bottling up my feelings tends to result in explosions later, so I let them out by writing or by talking with a loved one. Learning how to deal with health anxiety has led me to explore my negative emotions more deeply and understand what triggers them.

When I cannot overcome the fear, I allow myself to go to the most dark, “what if” scenario and find acceptance.

So, what if I do end up having ovarian cancer? Well, my incredible support system would lift me up during the dark times. I would see doctors who would provide me with the best treatment they can. I would talk to other women who have suffered from the same issue for comfort, reassurance, and relatability. I would take each day one step at a time and live my life to the fullest as I move forward through that big obstacle, wherever it takes me.

The more I practice forming these habits, the more natural each act becomes. The more time that goes by while actively practicing, the better I become at coping with health anxiety. 

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.