Managing Health Anxiety

Anxiety

Do You Avoid the Doctor Because of Health Anxiety?

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on November 7, 2024

If you fear going to the doctor because you are anxious about your health, this behavioral strategy can help you face your fear with baby steps.

If you fear going to the doctor because you are anxious about your health, this behavioral strategy can help you face your fear with baby steps.

Anxiety

Excessive Checking: A Safety Behavior With Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on September 12, 2024

Excessive body checking is a common behavior used to cope with health anxiety. Learn how this becomes a vicious cycle and the first step to getting better.

Excessive body checking is a common behavior used to cope with health anxiety. Learn how this becomes a vicious cycle and the first step to getting better.

Hypochondria

Changing This Belief Can Improve Your Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on June 27, 2024

Health anxiety is maintained by a range of problematic beliefs. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you rewire your brain to process information in a new way.

Health anxiety is maintained by a range of problematic beliefs. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you rewire your brain to process information in a new way.

Anxiety

Your Life Experiences May Have Contributed to Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on April 9, 2024

If you have health anxiety, you may have experienced significant events in life that led to the development of dysfunctional/unhelpful core beliefs. These beliefs can be changed.

If you have health anxiety, you may have experienced significant events in life that led to the development of dysfunctional/unhelpful core beliefs. These beliefs can be changed.

Anxiety

Health Anxiety and Dysfunctional Core Beliefs

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on February 7, 2024

People with health anxiety have dysfunctional beliefs about health. These unhelpful core beliefs can be modified with cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.

People with health anxiety have dysfunctional beliefs about health. These unhelpful core beliefs can be modified with cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Health Anxiety and the Black-or-White Thinking Error

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on December 1, 2023

People with health anxiety tend to see health as a dichotomy in which one is either perfectly healthy or deathly ill. It can be helpful to learn to see health on a spectrum.

People with health anxiety tend to see health as a dichotomy in which one is either perfectly healthy or deathly ill. It can be helpful to learn to see health on a spectrum.

Anxiety

How Cognitive Biases Can Intensify Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on October 6, 2023

Do you tend to recall times when you were right about a symptom you had while ignoring all of the times you were wrong? This memory bias is increasing your health anxiety.

Do you tend to recall times when you were right about a symptom you had while ignoring all of the times you were wrong? This memory bias is increasing your health anxiety.

Anxiety

The Pie Chart Method for Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on August 29, 2023

When you have a new symptom or bodily sensation, do you assume catastrophic health outcomes? This technique might help you reconsider the likelihood of serious disease.

When you have a new symptom or bodily sensation, do you assume catastrophic health outcomes? This technique might help you reconsider the likelihood of serious disease.

Anxiety

The Vicious Cycle of Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on August 11, 2023

Those with health anxiety tend to engage in a lot of problematic thoughts and behaviors. These thoughts and behaviors can be improved with proven CBT techniques.

Those with health anxiety tend to engage in a lot of problematic thoughts and behaviors. These thoughts and behaviors can be improved with proven CBT techniques.

Anxiety

CBT for Health Anxiety: Facing Your Fears With Exposure

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on June 25, 2023

Do you get scared every time a new bodily sensation or symptom emerges? Do you engage in certain behaviors because of this fear? Exposure therapy can help.

Do you get scared every time a new bodily sensation or symptom emerges? Do you engage in certain behaviors because of this fear? Exposure therapy can help.

Anxiety

Health Anxiety: Inflating the Likelihood of Serious Disease

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on May 24, 2023

Do you find yourself assuming that every bodily symptom and sensation is due to a serious disease? This strategy can help you see bodily sensations and symptoms more accurately.

Do you find yourself assuming that every bodily symptom and sensation is due to a serious disease? This strategy can help you see bodily sensations and symptoms more accurately.

Anxiety

A Proven Strategy to Reduce Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on April 29, 2023

Do you believe you are weak and vulnerable to disease? You don't have to believe this forever. This cognitive restructuring technique can change your beliefs.

Do you believe you are weak and vulnerable to disease? You don't have to believe this forever. This cognitive restructuring technique can change your beliefs.

Anxiety

Try the “No Help” Experiment to Improve Your Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on April 21, 2023

Do you run to loved ones or the doctor any time you have a new symptom or bodily sensation? This technique can help you.

Do you run to loved ones or the doctor any time you have a new symptom or bodily sensation? This technique can help you.

Anxiety

Health Anxiety and Beliefs About Being Weak and Vulnerable

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on April 8, 2023

Do you believe your survival is "barely hanging on by a thread"? You can improve health anxiety by reshaping dysfunctional beliefs.

Do you believe your survival is "barely hanging on by a thread"? You can improve health anxiety by reshaping dysfunctional beliefs.

Genetics

How Beliefs Developed Early in Life Lead to Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on March 24, 2023

Did you have significant experiences early in life that led you to see health and illness in a certain way? Identifying these beliefs is the first step toward changing them.

Did you have significant experiences early in life that led you to see health and illness in a certain way? Identifying these beliefs is the first step toward changing them.

Anxiety

What You Do to Cope With Health Anxiety Makes It Worse

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on March 20, 2023

Do you spend an exorbitant amount of time, energy, and money on medical visits due to health anxiety? This likely makes your anxiety (and life) much worse.

Do you spend an exorbitant amount of time, energy, and money on medical visits due to health anxiety? This likely makes your anxiety (and life) much worse.

Anxiety

Are You Watching Videos on TikTok About Health Tragedies?

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on March 15, 2023

Health anxiety makes us pay special attention to stories of illness and death. To combat the effects of this, we need to retrain our brains.

Health anxiety makes us pay special attention to stories of illness and death. To combat the effects of this, we need to retrain our brains.

Anxiety

The 'Emotional Reasoning' Thinking Error and Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on February 23, 2023

Do you rely on your feelings to make conclusions regarding your health? Addressing these types of thinking errors can improve health anxiety.

Do you rely on your feelings to make conclusions regarding your health? Addressing these types of thinking errors can improve health anxiety.

Cognition

How Black-and-White Thinking Increases Health Anxiety

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on January 14, 2023

You do not have to feel threatened by every new symptom or bodily sensation. Improve your health anxiety by making small adjustments in your daily thinking.

You do not have to feel threatened by every new symptom or bodily sensation. Improve your health anxiety by making small adjustments in your daily thinking.

Fear

Do You Fear the Dying Process?

Brittney Chesworth Ph.D., LCSW on December 14, 2022

Do you fear death because you dread the dying process? Learning to critically evaluate your assumptions about the dying process can reduce your fear of death.

Do you fear death because you dread the dying process? Learning to critically evaluate your assumptions about the dying process can reduce your fear of death.