Sadly, many people are diagnosed with serious illness or illnesses during their lifetimes. Feelings of shock, fear, denial and grief are only some of the emotions a person or their family and loved ones have to manage and cope with – emotions which can be too challenging and horrendous to carry by one’s self.
Indeed some individuals experience health anxiety – in other words when one may have a long-term excessive concern about their own health. Perhaps you may be convinced that a serious illness is impending and maybe you have become fixated on potential symptoms. Or do you misjudge physical symptoms (eg. from anxiety – nausea, sweating, heart palpitations etc.) as signs of an impending illness.
Talking to your GP is necessary for medical advice and a possible diagnosis. However worrying excessively our health can lead to significant distress, and consequently, one can feel bound to lessen this distress by chatting to loved ones, or for example, health care workers, or even a consult with Dr. Google! Although it can seem tempting to attain reassurance from such sources, for people with health anxiety, reassurance seeking can be persistent and not offer actual relief from symptoms.
