CBT for Health Anxiety

Health anxiety is more than just a worry. The fear that something is really wrong with your health, is relentless. A headache can consume your thoughts that you have a brain tumour, and take up your spare time, and sometime, work time, researching the symptoms of brain tumours. It’s exhausting. If you haven’t already done so, you can learn more about Health Anxiety in my guide.

I want to talk to you about things that can help and today it is a model of therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT for short ( you can learn more about CBT here)

Research consistently demonstrates the effectiveness of CBT for health anxiety and I am going to explain what happens if you decide to start this type of treatment. My video below gives a quick outline of how CBT works generally

How CBT Work for Health Anxiety

We take a good hard look at your health anxiety – in a more scientific way than perhaps you have been doing. In all my years of working with people with health anxiety, this first clinical look at what is happening can bring relief in itself as you are shown how to look at it without getting caught up in the emotion of it.

We look at your triggers, fear and worries and specifically start to examine the thought processes that fuel the fears and worries and inadvertently keep your health anxiety going. For example, you might find that you anxiety increases each time you see health information online, which causes you to worry about your own health and you start researching symptoms on the internet. This is a pattern; a cycle; and every important for CBT. We shall also take a lot at your past, trying to uncover any clues that lead you here. For example, you might have had a previous health scare, or a parent could have been ill when you are young which shaped your beliefs about health and vulnerability.

Challenging the ‘What Ifs’:

Health anxiety thrives on ‘what if’ thinking. “What if this headache is a sign of something serious?” “What if that pain in my chest means I’m having a heart attack?” These thoughts, while understandable, often lack a basis in reality. They are fuelled by fear, not facts. Learn more about What if’s and impact on how anxiety.

Through CBT, we’ll learn to gently challenge these anxious thoughts by examining the evidence. For example, if you’re worried about a headache, we might explore alternative explanations, such as stress, lack of sleep, or caffeine withdrawal. We’ll also look at the actual probability of your feared outcome, considering your age, health history, and lifestyle. We’ll learn to distinguish between real threats and perceived threats, empowering you to respond to your body’s signals with wisdom and discernment.

In my experience, clients often find it helpful to keep a thought diary, where they can record their anxious thoughts, challenge them with evidence, and develop more balanced perspectives. This process can be challenging at first, but with practice, it becomes easier to identify and challenge those unhelpful thought patterns. It’s like learning a new language – the language of self-compassion and rational thinking.

Avoidance is a natural response to anxiety, but it can inadvertently strengthen your fears. You might avoid medical check-ups, shy away from conversations about illness, or constantly scan your body for signs of disease. While avoidance provides temporary relief, it ultimately reinforces the belief that these situations are dangerous.

With CBT, we’ll gradually confront these fears through a process called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This involves carefully planned exposures to the situations you fear, helping you to learn that the catastrophic outcomes you dread are unlikely to happen. For instance, if you’re afraid of medical settings, we might start by looking at pictures of hospitals, then progress to visiting a clinic waiting room, and eventually accompany you to a check-up. By facing your fears in a safe and controlled environment, you can retrain your brain to associate these situations with safety rather than danger.

ERP can be a daunting prospect for many clients, but I’ve found that with careful planning and support, it can be incredibly empowering. Clients often report feeling a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence as they gradually confront their fears. It’s like reclaiming a part of yourself that fear had held captive.

CBT isn’t just about challenging thoughts; it’s also about developing coping mechanisms to manage anxiety in the moment. We’ll explore a range of techniques, including mindfulness practices, relaxation exercises, and strategies for managing stress.

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment, noticing your thoughts and feelings without getting carried away by them. It’s about learning to anchor yourself in the here and now, rather than getting lost in worries about the future or regrets about the past. Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, can help to calm your body and mind, creating a sense of physiological safety. We’ll also explore strategies for managing stress, such as time management, assertiveness training, and healthy lifestyle habits.