How To Deal With Health Anxiety and Hypochondria

The persistence of health anxiety, despite reassurance from medical professionals, can be partly explained through a psychological mechanism similar to classical conditioning. For example, an individual might experience a benign physical sensation, like a heartbeat.

If they associate that sensation with the fear of a heart attack, over time, just feeling their heartbeat can trigger significant anxiety about having a heart condition. This conditioning process means that the physical sensation becomes a conditioned stimulus, triggering a conditioned response (health anxiety).

Individuals with health anxiety often engage in excessive research about health symptoms, a process that can exacerbate their fears. This is due to confirmation bias, where people tend to seek out information that confirms their beliefs, and ignore information that contradicts them.

This selective information gathering reinforces their belief that their symptoms are indicative of serious illnesses, perpetuating the cycle of anxiety.

The internet and social media can have a profound impact on health anxiety. Easy access to a vast amount of health information can lead to "cyberchondria" where individuals interpret any information they find as confirmation of having a serious disease. This can worsen health anxiety, as the abundance of information can overwhelm and lead to misinterpretation.

Managing health anxiety involves several strategies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps individuals identify and challenge their anxiety-inducing thoughts and behaviors.

Understanding the triggers of health anxiety, such as specific sensations or situations, and learning practical steps to manage anxiety, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques, are also crucial. Reducing the time spent on researching symptoms online and setting boundaries around health-related information can also help manage health anxiety.