Health Anxiety Treatment
Health anxiety is a condition that is characterized by a high level of worry and anxiety over having or being diagnosed with a serious medical issue. The anxiety is accompanied by excessive checking behaviors and constant requests for assurance.
Illness anxiety, or hypochondria is caused by misinterpretation and false beliefs about the illness. Psychotherapy (or talk-therapy) and medication are two options for treatment.
Medicines
Health anxiety is a serious mental disorder that affects one's ability to work and interact socially. There are a variety of ways to treat symptoms and help people live a fuller and happier life. The treatments can consist of medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both. Psychotherapy is typically the first step in dealing with this condition and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a common treatment. This type of therapy teaches you to identify and confront harmful thoughts, behaviors and beliefs that cause anxiety. It helps you find alternative ways to cope with anxieties, such as relaxation techniques and exercises.
Medications can be used as a short-term remedy for severe anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines, such as Klonopin (clonazepam), Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam) are rapid-acting medicines that provide immediate relief. They affect the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutryic acid (GABA), and reduce the activity of specific neurons in the brain that are overexcited by anxiety. The use of these drugs should not be for more than four weeks at a time in order to avoid becoming addictive.
Antidepressants are prescribed to treat anxiety and depression. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors like SSRIs, boost serotonin levels in the brain. This may reduce anxiety and depression. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, which inhibit the reabsorption of both norepinephrine and serotonin are also effective.
People who suffer from health anxiety frequently have a strong conviction that they suffer from medical issues and cannot forget about their symptoms, despite being provided with reassurance from doctors. They may also suffer from mental illusions, such as somatic ones, where they think the symptoms are due to their psychological or mental state. They may have trouble sleeping, have trouble eating and experience physical discomfort. They may also be irritable, impatient, and avoid their family and friends. The best approach to deal with anxiety-related health issues is to find a diagnosis and help from a trained psychologist or psychiatrist. They can assist you in determining if the anxiety is caused by an illness or medical condition and establish limitations on tests in the lab imaging, referrals, and more.
Cognitive therapy for behavior
A little worry about your health is normal, but if this becomes excessive it can be a major cause of distress. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective treatments for psychological issues for anxiety related to health.
This treatment focuses on learning new skills to aid you in dealing with anxiety in a more efficient way. It is typically a series of individual sessions lasting between 45 and 60 minutes. anxiety treatment therapy will comprise 12 to 20 sessions, but it will vary depending on your individual needs. During CBT, you'll learn to recognize your faulty behaviors such as checking and reassurance seeking. You will be taught various mindfulness techniques that are known to decrease anxiety and aid in recovery after illness.
People with health anxiety often fear developing or having serious medical conditions. This can trigger various unhealthy behavior patterns, including frequent checkups reassurance seeking from others or doctors as well as avoiding people and places that remind them of illness. These actions can have a negative effect on relationships and life over time.
In some cases the health concerns anxiety can be accompanied by other disorders like depression or delusional disorder (somatic type). But, most of the time, they are centered on confusion about bodily sensations and exaggerated fears regarding the possibility of suffering from a medical malady.
Health anxiety can cause a amount of stress and interfere with daily functioning. If you experience health anxiety as an issue, it's crucial to seek assistance to be relieved and resume living life to the fullest.
There is no one reason for anxiety-related health issues. However, common causes are the sudden loss of a close family member, a difficult illness during adulthood or in childhood, and/or a past of missed diagnoses of physical problems. It is crucial to discuss these issues with your therapist to understand what has contributed to the development of your health anxiety. Then together you can develop strategies to break free from the cycle of anxiety and reassurance seeking and experience more of what life offers.
Talk therapy
Most people suffering from health anxiety experience a misinterpretation of bodily sensations or an exaggerated belief about the likelihood of developing a disease. The constant worry can cause anxiety and hinder the ability of a person to live a normal daily lives.
A therapist can help you understand your perception of dangers and help you discover healthy ways to manage anxiety. You can learn to stop avoiding situations, looking for answers, and seeking out reassurance. These actions only reinforce your anxiety-inducing beliefs and thoughts. In addition, you can develop the ability to challenge your negative beliefs and look at things from a more balanced perspective. The use of medications can help to manage symptoms and ease discomfort. They are commonly used to treat depression but can also be beneficial to those suffering from anxiety-related health issues.
If your GP diagnoses illness anxiety disorder, he or she might recommend psychotherapy or prescribe medication in order to alleviate your symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is offered by numerous NHS talking therapies services to treat this condition. Alternately, you can speak with an accredited psychologist or counsellor privately to receive psychotherapy. You can look up the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies Register or The British Psychological Society Directory to locate a psychologist who is registered.
Talk therapy is the most effective method to treat health anxiety. It helps you identify negative or unhelpful behavior and thoughts. In general your therapist will employ cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is the most effective strategy for treating anxiety disorders.
CBT helps you recognize and challenge unhelpful and unreasonable beliefs about your body and self. It also helps you understand the medical procedures and challenges any harmful or unreasonable beliefs. It teaches you how to deal with anxiety in a healthier manner, such as by avoiding excessive medical testing or reassurance-seeking behavior. In certain instances your therapist might use exposure therapy, which is confronting your fears in a secure setting and retraining your brain to respond in a different way.
For example, Harriet is 36 and has never had any serious health issues. However, she is worried that she has arthritis in her hands due to pain in two of her knuckles. She has visited the doctor and has received assurance, but her anxiety is persistent. She is avoiding activities and limiting her social life due to her anxiety. A therapist can help her understand CBT and how to deal effectively with the discomfort she feels in her hands.
Family therapy
Health anxiety patients spend a lot of their time worrying about serious diseases like HIV, dementia or cancer. Their anxiety about health can be so intense that it can interfere with their daily routine and cause anxiety in their relationships. They frequently feel that any physical symptom is a sign of a serious health issue. They may be able to spend time looking up symptoms or seeking out reassurance from family and friends. They may also visit numerous doctors for unnecessary tests. This can lead you to feel exhausted and financially stressed, leading to a reduced quality of life.
Psychotherapy is typically the most effective treatment for health anxiety disorders. This type of therapy is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Psychotherapy and medications can be used together to enhance results. If prescribed medication is used in small doses, they are typically given to avoid side effects.
The first step in an individual therapy session for families involves a brief intake meeting with the therapist. This session will allow the therapist to get a better understanding of how anxiety affects the entire family and what the underlying issues are. Everyone in the family should be involved in the process.
If you're struggling with extreme anxiety, it's a good idea to arrange an appointment with your primary healthcare provider. This will help you to rule out any medical issues that might be the cause of your anxiety.
People with health anxieties are prone to misinterpret physical sensations like nausea, headache or muscle twitch as indications of a fatal illness. They visit a variety of doctors, only to be informed that the symptoms are caused by their imagination. They can become frustrated and discouraged due to this experience, which leads to a lack of desire to seek treatment for their anxiety. In addition to causing financial and emotional anxiety, these patients typically have to miss work or social events to attend appointments with their doctors. They also often have disputes with their loved ones regarding their worries about their health. In some cases, family members may feel they are being blamed by their loved ones and act in unhealthy ways.