Health Anxiety & Emotional Wellbeing
Health Anxiety (or Hypochondria) means you are in regular or constant fear of being ill or developing an illness. Even with health anxiety, you can function day-to-day without it having a negative impact on your life. Many, however, can find that their thoughts are focused on whether they are unwell or will become unwell.
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Being paranoid of aches, pains, bumps and bodily marks
Thinking you are ill regularly
Trying new health trends or diets
Doing many tests and checks for illnesses
Taking regular preventative measures such as daily ibuprofen and paracetamol
Some of these can be harmless, but it is important to recognise and reassess habits. This is because they can potentially complicate and impact your physical health and lifestyle. You can, for example:
Cause real health issues from diets or preventive medication
Lose faith in doctors and other professionals’ advice due to your own paranoia
Become distant from friends and family due to them not believing you
Impact your work life balance from taking too many sick days or doctors appointments
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I will help you understand what hypochondria may be trying to fulfil in your life, so you can begin to change the habits that drive your health anxiety. Using evidence-based therapy approaches, we'll explore the thoughts and feelings you experience during anxious moments, as well as identify the triggers behind them and what you can do instead to create a happier life, away from that anxiety.
As your focus has been on fears that others aren’t experiencing, that can feel quite lonely. I offer a safe and validating space, where I can wholly listen to and fully understand everything you are feeling and thinking and experiencing.
Within that safe space, you'll have the opportunity to explore who you are beyond your anxieties. Not just by forgetting them, but by using them to your advantage. The goal is to be able to see a life away where those fears no longer control you, but instead have shaped you into someone stronger and more resilient.