Health Anxiety
Health anxiety is a specific form of anxiety that revolves around excessive worry and fear about one’s health. Also known as illness anxiety disorder, the condition leads sufferers to interpret normal bodily sensations as signs of serious illness, even when there is little or no medical evidence to support these concerns.
Individuals experiencing health anxiety may exhibit various symptoms, including:
- Excessive Worry: Persistent and overwhelming thoughts about having a serious illness, even in the absence of medical evidence.
- Frequent Checking: Researching symptoms online, or checking the body for signs of abnormalities such as lumps, tingling or pain.
- Physical Symptoms: Manifesting physical symptoms due to heightened anxiety, such as raising heartbeat, headaches, muscle aches, or gastrointestinal distress.
- Behaviours: Seeking frequent appointments with one or more healthcare professionals, seeking reassurance from friends and family, or avoiding certain activities due to fear of illness.
- Catastrophic Thinking: Jumping to the worst-case scenario and believing that any minor symptom is a sign of a severe medical condition.
At Angsana Psychology, our chartered clinical psychologist Dr. Jinnie Ooi offers health anxiety therapy in Norwich, to address the unique challenges that individuals may be facing.
Health Anxiety Therapy
Within our safe and supportive environment, we work with individuals to identify specific triggers that contribute to health anxiety, exploring the underlying causes of these concerns. Through evidence-based techniques, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we manage negative thought patterns, helping individuals to develop a more balanced perspective on health concerns.
Health Anxiety Counselling Norwich
If you’re ready to break free from the grips of health anxiety, contact us to schedule your initial consultation today with our clinical psychologist. Whether through face-to-face or online sessions, our health anxiety counselling in Norwich starts with a thorough assessment of your symptoms, before helping you to identify and manage unhelpful thought patterns that are contributing to your anxiety.
