Warning Signs Of Health Anxiety

1. You worry about your health constantly

image source: tumblr.com

Of course, all of us worry about our health sometimes. When we have a cough that won't disappear or a mysterious pain in our joints, it's natural to feel worried. However, if you have health anxiety you'll feel this worry almost all the time, even when you have no specific symptom to be worried about.

2. You always think you're going to die

image source: thefewgoodmen.com

Anxiety makes us go to the worst-case scenario all the time. This means that even minor symptoms - or no symptoms at all - can make someone with health anxiety think that they're actually going to die. And all this stress can induce classic anxiety symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and heart palpitations - which are taken as confirmation that death is near.

3. You obsess over small symptoms

image source: reddit.com

Usually, small aches and pains are nothing to worry about. Our bodies are weird, and things naturally come and go. But if you find you can't stop thinking about that pain in your side, or a cough, or a brief headache, then it means that you may actually have health anxiety.

4. You think normal things are actually a sign of something wrong

image source: reddit.com

Nobody knows everything about the human body - even doctors who study medicine for years. The average person won't have the same knowledge, so you may interpret something that's totally normal as something to worry about. If you find yourself doing this a lot - thinking something normal is a horrible sign of a disease - then it's probably health anxiety.

5. You don't believe doctors when they tell you you're fine

image source: tumblr.com

When you find something wrong with you (or something you *think* is wrong with you), the doctors is usually your first port of call. But do you believe them when they tell you you're fine? Even when they've done tests and you've got the all clear? This is a common reaction if you have health anxiety.

6. You're always Googling symptoms

image source: Digital Information World 

It's an action that most of us take quite often anyway, but if you have health anxiety this Googling is on another level. You might find yourself Googling anything the moment you feel it, immediately thinking that it's something bad. Or, you'll Google with the intention of confirming your thoughts - that you do have something life-threatening.

7. You act as if you're ill

image source: twitter.com

When we're ill, we definitely don't feel like doing anything. But this can be the case even if your symptoms are in your head, as they may be if you have health anxiety. Just thinking you have a disease can prevent you from doing things you enjoy - you might just want to 'rest up' as the saying goes.

8. You avoid doing things in case it makes your 'symptoms' worse

image source: refinery29.com

While you might not feel like doing your everyday activities because you feel 'ill', some people with health anxiety will avoid doing things that they think will make their illness worse. So, you might avoid meeting people, eating out at cafes, or exercising because of a misguided belief that it will make your life-threatening disease worse.

9. You ask friends and family for reassurances that you're fine

image source: twitter.com

Always catch yourself asking your partner, "I'm not sick, am I?" or "Do you think I'm fine?". Then you could have health anxiety. Needing reassurances is a common symptom of anxiety, and in people with health anxiety it can manifest as asking for reassurances of good health daily.

10. You're always checking your body

image source: reddit.com

Can't stop checking for lumps on your breasts? Or checking for tenderness in your stomach? That's a common health anxiety side effect. You might not be able to stop checking every day, simultaneously scared of finding something and unable to bear the thought of not finding anything, in case it proves you wrong.

11. You start to feel physically sick when thinking about your health

image source: reddit.com

Anxiety can manifest itself as physical symptoms, which can be really hard if you have health anxiety. It means that one thought can produce symptoms, which are then seen as confirmation of a disease anyway. So if you notice headaches, dizziness, stomach pain or shortness of breath, it may be anxiety.

12. You're always checking the internet for information

image source: reddit.com

Sometimes, obsessive Googling can take the form of just generally checking for information daily. You might not just be checking symptoms, but looking up everything you need to know about a specific disease that you think you have, including treatment options, to 'prepare yourself.'

13. After reading a news story about a health problem, you think you have it

image source: pinterest.com

This is probably something you haven't even realised you're doing, or thought that it was related to health anxiety. But do you find yourself immediately connecting with the experience of someone with a disease in an article? Your heart drops, and you immediately think that's the explanation for your weird symptoms? That's probably your health anxiety talking.

14. You think you're sick even when you don't have symptoms

image source: pinterest.com

Often, you don't even need symptoms to think that you've got something bad. Do you walk around every day thinking at some point, the shoe is going to drop and you'll be incredibly sick? Do you find yourself trying to prevent that by being ultra 'healthy'? It can often become a obsession, meaning you always believe you're unwell, and this can really affect your mental health.

15. You're always preoccupied with thinking you have a disease

image source: glamourmagazine.co.uk

Worrying about health is normal for a lot of people. However, if you have health anxiety, you might take it to another level but worrying almost constantly about something. Is fear of a disease always at the back of your mind? Do you find it difficult to concentrate on work or hobbies because you're worrying about it? That's a big red flag for health anxiety.

16. You self-diagnose a lot

image source: pinterest.com

For many people, getting a doctors appointment is easier said than done. Regardless, people with health anxiety are much more likely to self-diagnose themselves, usually based off those obsessive period of Googling. Self-diagnosing can even bring some relief - the feeling of knowing exactly what it is that's wrong (even though you're probably way off.)

17. You think anxiety symptoms are a sign of something worse

image source: reddit.com

As we've mentioned, anxiety itself can produce some pretty serious symptoms. The worst of these - intense headaches, heart palpitations, and stomach pain - are often mistaken for something worse, like a brain tumour or cancer. However, for people with health anxiety, it can be really difficult to make the distinction between anxiety - which is almost constant - and a rare disease.

18. You avoid going to the doctor

image source: pinterest.com

It sounds odd, perhaps, but many people with health anxiety may avoid making a doctors appointment. This could be out of fear of actually finding something, or general healthcare anxiety. Either way, they may be too scared of actually getting their feared illness to go and get it checked out.

19. Or, you're constantly making doctors appointments

image source: pinterest.com

On the other hand, if you find yourself constantly making doctors appointments for even the tiniest symptom, this could also be health anxiety. Some people will ring up for everything as they're so scared that one of those symptoms will end up being the dreaded life-threatening illness that they're so afraid of.

20. You always think about worst-case scenarios

image source: statnews.com

For people with health anxiety, it's very hard to think rationally about things. A headache is a brain tumour, period. Stomach pain is cancer. If you tend to deal in worst-case scenarios, then it's very likely that you do have health anxiety, and you should get treatment in case your destructive thoughts get worse.

21. Your obsessive health checks are affecting your life

image source: reddit.com

In some cases, health anxiety is minor and won't affect your entire life. However for some people, it can morph into something that affects your relationships, day-to-day work, and general happiness. If you find yourself constantly worried, always checking things, and unable to think positively about your health, then it's probably health anxiety.

22. You're preoccupied with thinking about your family's medical history

image source: pinterest.com

Some people with health anxiety will also find themselves obsessing over family medical history. For example, if you know that your grandparents had a genetic illness, then you may be extra worried and preoccupied with checking your health because you're scared that you have it too.

23. You have mild symptoms but think they're something worse

image source: reddit.com

Have you ever experienced something really normal, like a sore throat, but exaggerated it in your mind until you're convinced it's something irreversible and deadly? That's another classic symptom of health anxiety. A minor, everyday symptom can easily become something to worry about - and that's a big problem.

24. You're easily alarmed about your health

image source: cbc.ca

You might be in the supermarket and see a newspaper front page about bowel cancer, and suddenly you think that's what you have. Or, a friend discusses a family member getting ill and you wonder if that's the same thing you have, too. Either way, getting easily alarmed is a classic symptom of health anxiety, and can be the trigger for the obsessing and Googling that comes after.

25. You're constantly talking about your health

image source: reddit.com

If you can't seem to discuss anything else but your recent health results and whether or not you're going to be okay, you're probably suffering from more than just hypochondria. For many people with health anxiety, thoughts about health consume your brain, so it makes sense that you would find yourself talking about it a lot to friends or family.

26. You don't find negative test results reassuring

image source: reddit.com

When a doctor tells you that you're fine and there's nothing to worry about, most people would take this as a sign of relief. But if you find yourself second-guessing their opinion, or still believing that there's something wrong with you, it's probably because of a bad case of health anxiety.

27. You avoid places because you're scared of health risks

image source: reddit.com

Some people with health anxiety will end up avoiding hospitals or large crowds for fear that they will get something off someone else who is sick, even when the risk of that happening is quite low. You know health anxiety is bad when it starts affecting how you actually live, so always seek help if this is the case.

28. You worry that you may have something undiagnosable

image source: reddit.com

This is another reason why some people with health anxiety don't end up seeing a doctor - because they believe they have something that is completely undiagnosable or untreatable. This hopelessness in people with health anxiety can sometimes stem from another mental health issue, such as anxiety or even depression, so always try to get help if you notice things like this.

29. You get hyper-fixated on one area of the body or one symptom

image source: reddit.com

If you have health anxiety, you're liable to become fixated on one area of your body, or one type of disease symptom. For example, you may be hyper-aware of headaches, of your breasts, or your throat. The area of awareness can change though. Generally, if you've found yourself worrying for more than 6 months about your health, it could be health anxiety.

30. The disease you're worried about changes regularly

image source: ashwoodrecovery.com

As we've mentioned, you may not always be fixated on the same symptom or the same area of your body. In people with health anxiety, the disease that you're worried about could also change, so one year you're worried about one thing and later you're worried about something else. If you feel yourself doing this, make an appointment with your doctor to get help.

31. If someone tells you they're sick, you cancel all plans with them

image source: reddit.com

There's absolutely no way you're going to risk getting sick if someone you know has straight out told you that they're sick with something contagious, like the flu. They may be being determined to still go out with you and say they're feeling fine, but you're not taking that risk.

32. Even if those plans were expensive!

image source: reddit.com

This also goes to the extreme of expensive and plans you've had for big events, like a two week vacation. Cancelling a coffee date isn't too bad if you're worried about sick, but you go the whole hog and say that you aren't going on vacation with someone if they've told you they have the flu!

33. You take out the biggest insurance policies

image source: reddit.com

You know that health insurance is important if you need treatment for anything, and you're not going to wait until you're actually worried about a certain symptom. You're already prepared with the biggest and most expensive health insurance policies for every eventuality.

34. You make a plan for 'what if' every health situation happened

image source: reddit.com

You might spend time sat at home actually making a plan for what you would do or what would happen if you got sick, with every possible disease or illness you could think of. You make an action plan for how you'd cope with it, expenses, how you'd tell people etc - all before anything even happens, as a 'just in case'.

35. You've started thinking about making a will

image source: mint.com

Because you also think about what would happen if you got ill and died, it's likely you also spend days thinking about who would get what if you did pass away, what would happen to your belongings and what would happen to your property etc. You've gone so far as to think of making a will.

36. A runny nose sends you into a panic

image source: reddit.com

Runny noses can happen even if you're not ill, and when they're not accompanied by anything else - like obvious signs you're getting the flu - then they're usually nothing to worry about... just grab a tissue! But for you, a slight runny nose can send you into a panic of what it could be, and Google is probably your next port of call!

37. You might avoid the doctor altogether!

image source: reddit.com

It's a sure sign that you're anxious about your health if you're making doctor's appointments for every little thing - but the opposite can also be true. You might be so anxious about what the doctor might have to tell you about your results, that you avoid it altogether.

38. Even for your regular checkup appointments

image source: reddit.com

This can also apply to routine checkup appointments rather than appointments you might make for no symptoms. You might completely avoid attending routine health checkups because you'd rather not know if something is wrong and because you're so worried about it.

39. You might only focus on one health area

image source: reddit.com

You could also have major health anxiety over only one area of your body, instead of your overall health. You could be so fixated on problems or health in one area, like gut health or the health of your lungs. This could mean you're even more paranoid when things arise relating to that area of the body.

40. If it's flu season, you have the flu

image source: reddit.com

You're also very influenced by what's going on in society around you. If it's flu season, then you automatically think there's absolutely no way you don't have the flu, even if you have no symptoms whatsoever! If there's something going round, you're already convinced you've caught it.

41. If it's allergy season, you have allergies

image source: reddit.com

The same applies to allergy season. Even if you've never been diagnosed with an allergy in your life and you've never really struggled with it, if everyone around you is sneezing with red eyes and complaining of hayfever, then one random sneeze from you and you think you have allergies - the worst kind!

42. You cancel plans even if it leaves people in the lurch

image source: reddit.com

You're so anxious about your health that you put it above others you might let down, like friends and family. If you're worried about catching something or becoming ill, you'll happily leave loved ones in the lurch to cancel plans and stay at home in your bubble. Even if it means they lose money, lose reservations or have traveled for nothing.

43. You won't go into work if there's something going around

image source: reddit.com

If you work in a closed-in environment, like an office, and you hear that there's flu going around the office, or so-and-so in accounting has been sniffling a lot lately, then you bet your bottom dollar you're going to be phoning in sick. Not because you're actually sick, but because you refuse to expose yourself to anything.

44. You're always trying to diagnose people around you

image source: reddit.com

Because you spend so much time Googling your own symptoms - or Googling every possible health problem known to man - you think you're something of an expert on health issues, so you're more than ready to diagnose everyone around you. Someone complains about an ache or pain and you're already there with a million things it could be.

45. You worry about things never being found

image source: reddit.com

You could have 10 different tests from 10 different doctors, but you will always worry that there's just something wrong with you that no manner of test or qualified professional will ever be able to find. So you're never going to be happy with any sort of test, or any sort of result.

46. You have anxiety over other people's health

image source: reddit.com

It's not only that you have anxiety over your own health and worrying about yourself catching flu and all manner of other things - you also have serious anxiety of the health of those close to you, so you feel like you're always being vigilant to when they could be ill - for their own sake.

47. And you avoid them to protect them

image source: reddit.com

You might also cancel plans and avoid people not only to protect yourself from catching anything, but also because you're so worried that you have something contagious or undiagnosed that you just avoid friends and family so that you don't put them at risk of whatever you think you have.

48. You actually have physical symptoms of health anxiety

image source: reddit.com

Because you're getting so anxious about your health concerns and worrying about this and that, you might end up feeling stressed, sick, having headaches and being unable to sleep properly. Without proper sleep you may also then have even worse symptoms of stress.

49. Which you then think proves your point

image source: reddit.com

And when you're going through this, you might not think it's down to having anxiety in general, but you think these symptoms prove your point that there's something wrong with your health - so it makes you worry even more! It might be a vicious circle for you.

50. You're reading this!

image source: reddit.com

At the end of the day, you saw the words health and anxiety and deep down thought it pertained to you! You might be worrying so much that you either wanted proof that your worries are justified, or proof that you're worrying way too much and might have a problem. You should always visit your doctor if you think you're suffering with anxiety!