Are you someone who keeps on checking the internet for information on new diseases? Or do you fear getting a disease about which you read in a newspaper? And, is it normal to always worry about your health? Did you take a health anxiety test? If yes, then you suffer from an illness where you are excessively worried about your health. You stay in anxiety and stress when you do not undergo a physical examination. When you get the reports of your tests then you feel relieved. But your relief is for a limited period. You hear about a disease and you again start to worry about your health.

For instance, your neighbor’s wife is diagnosed with cancer. You feel that because she had stomach cancer you may also have it. You spend money on unnecessary tests to find out if you have cancer or not. Also, you spend a number of hours of your day worrying and studying about diseases. You keep reading about the symptoms of various diseases. Your anxiety may make you overwhelmed and you visit the hospital to check yourself up. If you feel that your anxiety is getting in way of your work, then you can take the help of mental health professionals.

 

Is it normal to always worry about your health? Did you take a healthy anxiety test?

• First of all, people normally worry about their health. And not all health anxiety is considered health anxiety. You need to meet certain criteria to be considered a patient suffering from health anxiety. Moreover, you can take a health anxiety test and check for yourself. If your test for health anxiety showed a high score then you can try to reduce your nervousness about the disease. Likewise, if you are unable to help yourself in reducing the anxiety then you can visit a doctor.
• Secondly, if you truly suffer from health anxiety then you misinterpret mild symptoms for a disease. For instance, simple nose blood during the dry season is common in many people. But you feel that you will have a stroke or heart attack. So, you undergo numerous physical tests such as scans and X-rays, and so forth. Moreover, you are spending a lot of your income on tests and hospital bills. And, you are somewhat aware that you have an issue and you want to deal with it.
• Thirdly, when you go for tests too often then people at hospitals or clinics recognize you and they perceive that you have some issue. Because your physical results turn out to be normal all the time. And more than often your normal results do not satisfy you and you want to do more tests on yourself to be completely sure.
• Next, you perceive a mild symptom of chest pain as a sign of a heart attack and undergo tests. Therefore, your time and money are put to reduce your health anxiety.
• Moreover, you are unable to control your behavior. But you want to change.

Is it normal to always worry about your health? Did you take a health anxiety test? Then you can check various symptoms of health anxiety. You should check out the symptoms of health anxiety.

• First of all, there is no sign of disease present but only the worry to have the disease is there. But there is a constant fear that you will get sick. Moreover, if your doctor says that you are fine you do not completely believe him and try to undergo more tests. Also, you repeatedly do the tests which you did earlier.
• Secondly, you are always looking for health or disease-related information online. You read newspaper stories related to diseases. Moreover, you feel that you have the same disease as other people when you hear from them. Furthermore, you have a particular interest in disease-related information.
• Thirdly, your worries interfere with your life. Your family feels that you have a problem and need help. Next of all, you try to avoid situations and people to prevent getting a disease. You turn down handshakes, never hug people and stay away from sick people. Therefore, you try to socially isolate yourself from others.
• Finally, you have frequent doctor appointments that you are constantly outside a clinic. And hospital staff knows about your issues of obsession with disease and illness.

Is it normal to always worry about your health? Did you take a health anxiety test? Find the causes of health anxiety. First reason is biology. You may have a family member who has anxiety or any other mental health illness. For instance, your sister had anxiety and so you can say that your genes are responsible for your disease. Secondly, you have been faced with psychological trauma. For instance, the death of a loved one due to long-term illness. A friend of mine suffered from health anxiety. She had seen her grandmother go through cancer. This incident has made a deep impact on her and she started to anxious about sickness and diseases. Next of all, you are overly sensitive to body sensations. You perceive a minor change in your body as something drastic. So, you keep getting false alarms about a disease from your understanding of your body’s symptoms.

Is it normal to always worry about your health? Did you take a health anxiety test? If yes, then you can learn about managing health anxiety.

• You can learn to relax when you witness excessive anxiety. But this will come with a lot of practice on your behalf. You should be willing to change your behavior then only a change is possible. If you are not taking your issue seriously then it is not possible to find a cure. You should be very much aware that you have a problem. Also, you are ready to face the problem without resistance. You should follow the instructions of your therapist. You can take one step at a time. And no need to pressurize yourself. Be calm and patient then you will see a change in your behavior.
• Secondly, you can take the help of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Here you can change your thought structure and become more positive. Then you can see a positive change in yourself. The therapy will help you relieve stress by reducing the negative thoughts associated with your belief system. You can start writing in a journal about your thoughts. And you can show it to the therapist. But, you should never hide your issues with your doctor then your treatment will be successful.
• Thirdly, if you have an extreme level of anxiety that you that are unable to reduce with the help of therapy then you can take medicine prescribed by your doctor. But never take any medicine which is not given by your doctor.

For more information, please click “Courses” on the navigation bar and check out our online self-paced courses on mental health and wellbeing. The course titled “DBT for Social Anxiety” will help you to understand the topic in greater detail.