Health Anxiety

Signs and symptoms of health anxiety

Some anxiety about health is normal and can be helpful as it prompts us to seek medical attention when needed or engage in healthy behaviours such as exercise, eating well or taking medication. However health anxiety can become a problem if it is out of proportion and persistent. People with health anxiety might do some of the following:

• Spend a lot of time worrying about their health
• Check their body for signs and symptoms of an illness
• Seek frequent consultations and reassurance from GP’s, medical professionals, family or friends
• Avoid health related information, medical appointments or other people who are unwell
• Feel very distressed and preoccupied with thoughts that they might already have, or will soon develop, an illness
• Spend significant amounts of time looking up information about illness or disease on the internet

If you are experiencing excessive and persistent worry about your health, are very vigilant or alert for signs of illness, check you body frequently for signs of illness, seek frequent reassurance about your health or avoid talking or thinking about your health because it is too distressing, then health anxiety might be a problem for you.