Do you worry too much about your health?

If you find that you’re preoccupied with your health and frequently thinking that you have an illness, then you may have something called health anxiety.

If so, you might recognise some of the common experiences described below:

How your body might feel

• “Strange” sensations in your body
• Fast or shallow breathing
• More aware of how your body feels in certain places
• Tension or tightness in your muscles
• Headaches
• Increased pain
• Restless, unable to relax
• Tingling, dizziness
• Feeling exhausted or unwell

Thoughts you might have

• “If I don’t get this checked, I’ll regret it/something bad will happen”
• “I think I have a serious illness”
• “My friend has an illness – I’m likely to get it too”
• “I’m worried that the doctor has missed something”

Feelings you might have

• Upset and sadness
• Feeling keyed up or on edge
• Overwhelmed
• Anticipation and dread
• Irritable

Things you might do

• Ask people around you for reassurance
• Google symptoms and research different conditions
• Repeatedly check different parts of your body to detect symptoms
• Make frequent visits to see your GP
• Behave as you would do if you were ill e.g. avoid exercise, stay in bed

If these look very familiar to you, then you might find it useful to learn more about health anxiety in the ‘Learn’ section of this website. You’ll also find some helpful tips and advice on how to manage your anxieties in the ‘Manage’ section.