Reduce your health worry and feel free again
Everyone, at some point or another, will notice sensations or changes in their bodies, will wonder whether they could have a serious medical problem. To worry about your health is a normal human experience. However, there is a difference between general health concerns, and more problematic health anxiety.
Health anxiety refers to the excessive health worry that triggers your anxiety (fight/flight) response. It is problematic when it is excessive, unrealistic, and persists despite negative tests and reassurance from health professionals.
Health anxiety can lead to excessive unhelpful body-checking, “Dr Googling” and medical test-seeking, and causes significant distress.
Health anxiety can exist in people who are “healthy”, in people who are experiencing real yet unexplained medical symptoms, and in people who have an existing and diagnosed medical condition.
Common health related fears
In health anxiety the issue is not whether your physical symptoms are real, but whether you are responding to and coping with your symptoms in a helpful or unhelpful way. If you respond to health issues or symptoms with excessive and persistent worrying, checking, reassurance seeking or avoidance, then health anxiety may be a problem.
Some of the more common health related fears include:
Having or developing cancer
Alzheimer’s Disease
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
A mental illness such as schizophrenia
A thyroid disorder
A heart attack
Sometimes fears are more general about something being “not quite right” and people can experience anxiety for the health of a loved one.
Our Health Anxiety therapists
Looking for a psychologist with experience in health anxiety therapy? Our team can help you.
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Employee Assistance Program
Our experienced team are the perfect match for small to medium sized businesses looking to care for the wellbeing of their staff. We offer a convenient city location, quick response times, and effective therapy with no retainers.
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Affordably priced therapy with experienced Clinical Psychologists. Easy, transparent, flat pricing across all members of our team with Medicare and health fund rebates available at the highest levels.
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