Imagine: You’re sitting at your desk at work when all of a sudden your right thumb and index finger go tingly. The sensation is confusing and bizarre. You try shaking your hand, but the pins-and-needles feeling won’t go away.
Your heart starts pounding as you pull up Google and look up “numbness in hands.” The results show a dizzying array of possible conditions, from carpal tunnel to multiple sclerosis to vitamin deficiency. You start panicking, wondering if this is a permanent condition like multiple sclerosis. Later that day, when you lose your balance putting your coffee cup back in the cupboard, you catastrophize even more. After all, poor balance is also a sign of multiple sclerosis!
When you go to the doctor, she examines your wrist and asks about your lifestyle. It’s carpal tunnel syndrome, she says. But great news: you caught it early. If you manage it well now, it’s not likely to progress–it may even resolve and go away in a matter of months.
And there are many adaptations you can make to your lifestyle that are easy and minimally disruptive. Your prescription is to sleep with your hand in a brace and use a special computer mouse. It’s not going to kill you, cause severe pain, or leave you with a terrible disability.
Now you feel both relieved…and embarrassed.
If you catastrophize every physical sensation, you might suffer from health anxiety. After the collective trauma of the pandemic, this condition is probably more prevalent than you think. Being anxious about your health and your body is understandable, and you are not alone. Here’s your complete guide to the symptoms, causes, and treatments of health anxiety.
What are the symptoms of health anxiety?
Health anxiety has the same symptoms as generalized anxiety disorder. These include:
- nervousness
- dizziness
- not being able to stop worrying
- poor sleep
- tense muscles and headaches
- trouble concentrating
Here are some symptoms unique to health anxiety:
- constantly worrying that something is wrong with you
- whenever you learn about a disease, you’ve immediately looking for signs that you also have it
- you can lose hours on Reddit or WebMD looking for proof that you are sick
- it can interfere with your ability to cope with daily life, including being social or taking reasonable physical risks like exercising or participating in public life
Why does health anxiety feel so real?
In short, health anxiety feels real because it is real. The sensations it creates in your body are real things that happen to you. And so if you struggle with health anxiety, it’s important to understand that it’s a sign that your body is trying to take care of you. It’s working to help you survive.
Anxiety is always trying to help. It just does a kind of terrible job. Think of a three year old kid who wants to help you fold the laundry. She’s going to do her best, but she might leave things in a mess and jumble up the pairs of socks. That’s okay. We all know that toddlers aren’t great at folding or organizing laundry. But they are very good at alerting us to a problem, with their tantrums and crying spells always communicating to us when their needs have gone unmet. Health anxiety is the same.
The “problem” the anxiety uncovers could be an ailment or illness, it’s true. But just as often, the anxiety ends up creating physical symptoms, in a relentless spiral. Is your stomach hurting because you’re anxious, or are you anxious because your stomach hurts? Who can tell!
This is why learning to relate to the anxious feelings with curiosity and warmth is key. The “problem” the anxiety wants you to notice could have nothing to do with your health. It could be a feeling about a relationship or life situation that your conscious mind isn’t ready to accept yet.
Here’s the other reason to learn to manage your anxiety: most of the ailments you experience in life are temporary and not serious. Putting them in perspective is key.
How is anxiety about health treated?
Lots of modalities exist for treating anxiety. Common choices include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Medication
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness practices
- Depth-approach therapies (Internal Family Systems Therapy or Psychoanalysis)
But you don’t have to rely on other people or medications in order to experience relief. In fact, you can actually do a lot to heal yourself from anxiety. In addition to any of the approaches listed above, you can learn the hidden psychological triggers behind diseases, including anxiety. Once you’ve learned and worked with the hidden cause of your anxiety, it will become much easier to manage, and can even go away altogether. Our proprietary method of somatic practices, psychology, and mind-body medicine is incredibly effective at helping people heal anxiety. Download our free anxiety workbook today for relief you can feel in minutes!
