How does the health anxiety circle work?
The underlying error is interpretation: a neutral bodily sensation is taken as a sign of a dangerous illness. Anxiety arises, which itself intensifies bodily manifestations - heartbeat, lump in the throat, dizziness. To reduce tension, a person checks his pulse, searches for symptoms on the Internet, and signs up for an examination. The short-term relief reinforces the behavior, and the next time the anxiety comes back faster and stronger. This creates a vicious circle in which surveys become part of the problem rather than a solution.
- A normal sensation is perceived as a threat
- Anxiety increases bodily symptoms
- Checking and searching for information provides short-term relief
- Relief reinforces the habit of checking.
- Anxiety comes back faster
- Reassurance from tests lasts less and less
Signs
The main sign is a persistent concern about health, which takes up a significant part of the day and does not correspond to real data. A person constantly listens to the body, feels the lymph nodes, measures blood pressure and pulse, looks for symptoms in a search engine, and turns to different doctors for a second opinion. Another behavior option is avoidance: refusing visits and tests for fear of hearing something bad. Talking about illnesses causes severe anxiety, and information from the news and stories from friends easily triggers a new episode.
- Constant concern about health
- Frequent body, pulse, blood pressure checks
- Hours of searching for symptoms on the Internet
- Seeing different doctors for a second opinion
- Distrust of good test results
- Sometimes - complete avoidance of doctors
- Anxiety interferes with work and communication
Why does it occur
Usually several factors coincide. Many patients are initially anxious and tend to notice bodily sensations. There is often a triggering event: a serious illness or death of a loved one, one’s own serious illness, an unsuccessful phrase from a doctor. Childhood experience is also important: if the family talked a lot about illness or the child was often sick, attention to the body is reinforced. A modern factor is the availability of medical information and unverified sources, where any symptom is associated with a serious diagnosis.
- Increased anxiety as a character trait
- Serious illness or death of a loved one
- Previous serious illness
- Experience of illness in the family in childhood
- Poor formulation by the doctor
- Independent search for diagnoses on the Internet
- Co-occurring anxiety or depression
How to make a diagnosis
First, the doctor excludes a real disease: conducts an examination and prescribes an examination that corresponds to the complaints and age. This is an important step, but it must be one-time and reasonable - repeating the same tests is pointless and harmful. A disorder is said to occur if health concerns persist for at least several months, do not correspond to objective data, interfere with life, and do not calm down after an adequate examination. Additionally, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, which are often associated, are assessed.
- Inspection and examination according to indications, once
- Refusal to repeat the same tests
- Assessing duration and impact on life
- Anxiety and Depression Scales
- Detection of panic attacks
- Discussion of checking and avoidance behavior
Treatment
The first choice method is cognitive behavioral therapy. It teaches you to notice automatic thoughts about threat, check them, and gradually let go of the checking rituals that maintain anxiety. An agreement with one attending physician is useful: contact him on a schedule, and not at every sensation, and do not look for new examinations on your own. If anxiety or depression is severe, your doctor may prescribe medications. It is important to limit your reading of medical forums and avoid self-diagnosis.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Gradual abandonment of checks and palpating
- One attending physician and scheduled visits
- Limiting online searches for symptoms
- Techniques for working with anxiety and breathing
- Regular sleep, movement, avoidance of excess caffeine
- Medicines for severe anxiety as prescribed by a doctor