Health Anxiety

Health Anxiety

Health anxiety is when your mind wanders from one health crisis to the next.  Constantly checking or scanning your body for something wrong can be quite stressful.  Searching on line for symptoms makes you feel worse and the more anxious you are the more anxious you become.  Some signs and symptoms of health anxiety include:

You think you are going to die or have a disease the doctor missed.

You had your bloods checked but believe you have an undiagnosed illness.

You go to the doctor hoping to be given an explanation for your symptoms.  Your GP can’t find anything wrong and suggests that what you are experiencing may be as a result of stress.  You leave the surgery feeling happy that the GP knows best but after a day or two niggling doubts return and the cycle of uncertainty begins again and you are convinced you are very unwell.

You have a dull headache which you try to ignore.  You tell your doctor who reassures you that you are well.  You begin to think the headache is a brain tumour.  You check on line and find evidence that you have the symptoms of a tumour and think your GP must have missed something.  You return to your GP who says your headache is because you have been working/training hard and are dehydrated.  You are reassured and leave the GP’s surgery feeling happy. Later that night you question why your GP didn’t refer you for a scan – you cannot be certain you don’t have a brain tumour without a scan and decide you need a second opinion.

What Caroline Crotty can do for you

I can help you to identify whether you have health anxiety.  If you do, together we can devise a plan to help you relax and regain control over your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.  I can help you to learn how to reassure yourself that you are well, safe and healthy so that you no longer experience fear of death/illness.  Through therapy you gain perspective and learn how to successfully overcome unwanted thoughts and you also gain insight – why do you think the way you think.

www.carolinecrotty.ie