Overcome Health Anxiety with Online Therapy

Category: Health Anxiety Online Therapy | Last updated: February 1st, 2022 | Reviewed and approved by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD

Are You Health Conscious or Health Anxious?

Almost every one of us gets concerned about our health and well-being. And that concern can motivate us to try to optimize our eating, sleep and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Being health conscious can be great. It helps a lot in leading a healthy, happy, successful and meaningful life.

However, problems arise when this health consciousness gets transformed into “health anxiousness”. If you become too obsessed about your health and if you get too apprehensive that you are suffering from a severe illness (without the presence of such medical symptoms), then you may be experiencing health anxiety. In the past, psychologists referred to this as “hypochondria”. However, it is now called Illness Anxiety Disorder.

Illness Anxiety Disorder is a somatic symptom disorder in which the person suffering from it gets overly anxious or obsessed over his/her physical conditions. They see even a minor problem as an exaggerated severe illness. People suffering from Illness Anxiety Disorder often require continuous care, support and assurance from health service providers, family and acquaintances.

See if you recognize yourself in the symptoms of health anxiety:

Being preoccupied with having or developing a serious disease or health condition
Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
Being easily alarmed about your health status
Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it's hard for you to function
Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance — or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses

What’s more, people with Illness Anxiety Disorder can also experience additional mental health issues, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Clinical Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Treatment Procedures

The good news is that Illness Anxiety Disorder can be treated. Effective methods of treatment include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy and support. You can receive these types of treatment here at Online Therapy.

Reviews

Our online therapy services have received 3527 reviews and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"My therapist is supportive, responsive and attuned to my needs and healing process. I would recommend her to anyone searching for an empathetic therapist with a wide array of skills and practical tools to bring healing and strength to your mental well-being."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I think this platform is very helpful for people who are afraid of going in person to therapy, it is their first time trying therapy, or it is hard to work with their current schedule."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Easy to start and different options for those who can’t afford live sessions is a relief."

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"Thing are going well. I feel that I am heard vs judged."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Marie has been excellent for me so far. I am feeling much more resilient and mindful of my actions/feelings/thoughts. I would highly recommend everyone consider doing therapy on this site. It is always convenient and I have had very few issues."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I feel that going through this programme is helpful as the notifications are on point and very attentive to updating you on new messages."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Great"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I believe the foundling is helping me to overcome rejection and harassment type situations in my family and work place.
I am realizing that through the counseling, I can control how I respond to the negativity that others bring against me."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I have found things got a lot better once I started talking about stuff. Shawn is a very empathic and caring therapist who helped pull me out of quite a hole a few months back. I have been feeling a lot better."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Helping me sort out my issues and getting my life oriented."

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