Anxiety About Your Health Isn’t Healthy

If your anxiety is beginning to interfere with your life, it’s time to seek help

Unfamiliar health symptoms may be worrisome, but overstressing isn’t healthy

At some point, we’ve all felt a twinge, cough or unfamiliar ache and wondered if it is serious. In most cases, the concern passes with the symptoms. But for some, physical sensations can trigger chronic and debilitating mental distress. Health anxiety, also referred to as hypochondria, is known to encompass a broad range of conditions, including panic and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

When to Seek Help For Hypochondria

Dr. Martin M. Antony, co-author of Overcoming Health Anxiety, says that when worry and obsessive research over symptoms begin to interfere with work, home life or relationships, it’s time to seek help.

How to Treat Health Anxiety

Treatments may include antidepressant medication or cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help you identify and challenge anxiety-causing beliefs and examine them in a more realistic light. Always remember to see a counsellor or your physician if you are concerned about health anxiety.

Originally published in Wellness Matters, Canada Wide Media’s quarterly newsletter on health and wellness.