You've Forgotten Health Anxiety Treatment: 10 Reasons Why You Don't Really Need It
Health Anxiety Treatment
Health anxiety is a condition characterized by excessive concern and anxiety about the possibility of being diagnosed with a serious medical issue. These feelings are often accompanied by an excessive amount of checking and constant requests to be reassured.
The condition, known as hypochondria, is triggered by a misconception and false perception of illness. Treatment options include psychotherapy (or talk therapy) and medication.
Medicines
Health anxiety is a serious mental illness that affects one's ability to work and socialize. There are a variety of treatments available to help people manage their symptoms and live an active life. These treatments may include medication, psychotherapy or a combination of both. Psychotherapy is typically the first step in dealing with this condition, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a typical treatment. This kind of therapy teaches you to recognize and address harmful thoughts, behaviors and beliefs that cause anxiety. It assists you in finding other ways to manage anxieties, such as relaxation techniques and exercises.
There are medications that can be used to treat severe anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines like Klonopin, Xanax, and Valium are fast-acting medicines that provide immediate relief. They decrease the activity of specific brain neurons that are hyperexcited because of anxiety by affecting the neurotransmitter GABA. These medications shouldn't be used for more than four weeks in a row in order to avoid becoming addictive.
Antidepressants are prescribed to treat anxiety and depression. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as SSRIs increase serotonin levels in the brain. This can reduce anxiety and depression. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, which inhibit the reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine are also effective.
People who suffer from health anxiety frequently have a strong belief that they are suffering from medical conditions and are unable to stop worrying about their symptoms, even when given reassurance by doctors. In some cases they may also suffer from delusions, such as somatic delusions. They believe that their symptoms are due to their mental or emotional state. They are unable to eat or sleeping, and are experiencing physical discomfort. They may also be frustrated or impatient and avoid family and friends. The best approach to deal with anxiety-related health issues is to seek a diagnosis and get help from a certified psychologist or psychiatrist. They can determine if the anxiety is being caused by a medical condition and help you establish limits on laboratory testing, imaging and referrals to specialists.
Cognitive therapy for behavior
It's normal to be concerned about your health, but if this becomes excessive, this can lead to a lot of anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective treatments for psychological issues for anxiety related to health.
The treatment involves developing new skills that aid you in dealing with anxiety in a more effective way. The treatment usually consists of several individual sessions lasting 45-60 minutes. A typical treatment plan will include 12 to 20 sessions however, it will vary based on your individual needs. In the course of CBT, you will learn to recognize your maladaptive behavior patterns, like checking and seeking reassurance. You will also learn to use a variety of mindfulness techniques that have been proven to reduce anxiety and aid in healing from illness.
People suffering from health anxiety typically fear developing or having serious medical conditions. This can lead to a number of maladaptive behavior such as frequent examinations, seeking out reassurance from doctors or other people as well as avoiding places and people that remind them of illnesses. As time passes, these habits can have a negative impact on life and relationships.
In some instances health anxiety can be caused by depression or delusional disorders (somatic). The majority of the time they are caused by the wrong interpretation and exaggerated fear of the medical condition.
Health anxiety can trigger a deal of distress and interference with your daily routine. It is essential to seek help when it becomes a problem so that you can be able to find relief and return to living life to the maximum.
There isn't a single reason for why people experience anxiety or health problems however, some of the most common causes are sudden deaths of close relatives, difficult illnesses experienced in the early years or later, and/or an underlying history of omitted diagnoses for physical problems. It is important to discuss these issues with your therapist to better know how they contributed to your anxiety. Then together you can develop a plan to break free of the cycle of anxiety and reassurance seeking and take advantage of the many benefits life has to offer.
Talk therapy
People suffering from health anxiety frequently make mistakes in interpreting bodily sensations or overestimate their chances of developing a specific disease. This constant preoccupation may create stress and affect the person's ability to function normally in their everyday lives.
A therapist can correct your misperception of threats and help find healthy ways to manage anxiety. You can develop the skills to stop avoiding, checking and seeking reassurance that only reinforce your anxiety-inducing thoughts and beliefs. You can also be taught to challenge unhelpful thoughts and to try to see the world from an unbiased point of view. Medicines can also help in managing symptoms and reducing the degree of discomfort. They are commonly used to treat depression but they can also be beneficial for anxiety-related health issues as well.
If your GP diagnoses an illness anxiety disorder, he or she might refer you to psychotherapy or prescribe medication to ease your symptoms. Many NHS talking therapies services offer cognitive behavioral therapy for this condition. You can also contact an accredited psychologist or counsellor privately to receive psychotherapy. You can find an accredited psychotherapist by looking through the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies register or The British Psychological Society directory.
Talk therapy is the most effective way to treat anxiety. It helps you recognize harmful or destructive behaviours and thoughts. Most often your therapist will utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is the most effective approach for treating anxiety disorders.
CBT teaches you to identify and challenge harmful or false beliefs about yourself, your body, and medical procedures. It also teaches you to practice more effective ways of dealing with your fears, like not undergoing too many medical tests or reassurance-seeking behavior. In certain instances your therapist might employ exposure therapy, which entails confronting your fears in a secure setting and retraining your brain to react differently.
For example, Harriet is 36 and has had no serious health problems. However, she is worried that she has arthritis in her hands due to pain in two of her knuckles. She has seen a doctor and received reassurance but the fear persists. She begins to avoid activities and limit her social life due to her anxiety. A therapist can assist her understand CBT and how to effectively deal with the discomfort she feels in her hands.
Family therapy
Health anxiety sufferers spend a lot of time worried about serious illnesses like HIV, dementia or cancer. Their fears about their health may be so intense that it impedes the daily routine and causes anxiety in their relationships. They may believe that any physical sensation could be a sign of illness. People with this condition may spend a lot of time looking for symptoms, seeking reassurance from friends and family members or visiting numerous doctors for unnecessary tests. This can lead to fatigue, financial stress and a lack of pleasure in life.
Psychotherapy is usually the mainstay for treating health anxiety disorders. This type of therapy is referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Psychotherapy and medications can be used together to enhance results. If medication is prescribed, it is usually be given in small doses to avoid adverse side effects.
The first step of the family therapy session is an initial meeting with the therapy therapist. This session will allow the therapist to get an understanding of how the anxiety affects the entire family and what the underlying issues are. It is essential for all family members to be involved in this process.
It's a good idea to set up an appointment with your primary health care provider when you are suffering from severe health anxiety. This will help you determine any medical issues that could cause anxiety.
People who are anxious about their health often misinterpret physical symptoms such as headache, nausea or muscle twitch as indications of a fatal disease. These individuals often visit many doctors and are told that their symptoms are caused by their imaginations. They can be unhappy and discouraged by this experience, leading to a lack of motivation to seek treatment for their anxiety. Patients with anxiety are not just financially and emotionally stressed, but they also have to miss social or work activities to go to doctor's appointments. They also have frequent disagreements with their spouses about their preoccupations with their health. In some cases, family members feel that they are being scapegoated by their loved ones and begin to act in unhealthy ways.