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Health anxiety | Symptoms, causes and treatments
Private treatment, therapy and support in London for health anxiety at Schoen Clinic Chelsea
Health anxiety, also known as illness anxiety disorder or hypochondria, is an obsessive or irrational worry about having or developing a serious medical condition. This preoccupation can interfere with daily tasks and cause extreme distress.
It often involves misinterpreting normal body sensations as signs of illness, leading to excessive anxiety. Health anxiety can be managed with psychological therapy and, in some cases, medication.
What's the difference between health anxiety and a general concern for your health?
The difference between health anxiety and a general concern for your health is important to recognise, especially in the context of the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
While it's normal to be concerned about our health, when this concern turns into overwhelming anxiety, it's essential to seek help. Individuals with health anxiety may find it challenging to shake off their genuine or imagined symptoms, even if test results come back normal and doctors reassure them that they're in good health.
This goes beyond typical health-related worries. Schoen Clinic Chelsea offers personalised treatment options to address health anxiety, aiming to change negative thought patterns and preoccupation with physical health.
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What are some of the common symptoms & causes of health anxiety?
Symptoms of health anxiety may include increased heart rate, upset stomach, sweating, shortness of breath, and muscle tension. Feeling overwhelmed, individuals with health anxiety often misinterpret these physical symptoms as signs of serious health concerns and may have a frequent need for medical information.
The causes of health anxiety disorder are not precisely known, but beliefs about physical symptoms, a family history of health anxiety, and past experiences with serious illness could contribute to its development.
What type of life experiences are at greater risk of developing health anxiety?
Risk factors for developing health anxiety include experiencing a stressful event, suffering abuse during childhood, coping with a serious illness or having a family member with a serious illness, fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness that turns out to be not serious, excessively checking health and symptoms online, and have a predisposition to worry.
Health anxiety tends to be more common in early or mid-adulthood but can worsen with age. In older individuals, it may manifest as concerns about developing memory loss.
How is health anxiety diagnosed?
Diagnosing health anxiety can be challenging as the person experiencing it may be unaware of their mental health needs.
Many people with health anxiety often make numerous visits to their doctor, seeking reassurance and validation of their feelings. Even when test results indicate there is nothing wrong, the fear of illness persists.
At Schoen Clinic Chelsea, our specialists provide a friendly and welcoming environment for diagnosis and treatment of health anxiety, including high-functioning anxiety. Our procedures focus on putting you at ease so you can focus on recovery.
The first step to recovery is obtaining a professional medical diagnosis for health anxiety from a mental health specialist. At Schoen Clinic Chelsea we don't use a 'one-size-fits-all' anxiety test. Our qualified team utilise specific questionnaires and physical examinations for a professional medical diagnosis.
Ongoing health anxiety should not be suffered in silence, and our clinic offers outcome-based treatments and specialist therapies to help manage and overcome health anxiety.
Private specialised health anxiety treatment and therapy at our leading London clinic
Seeking help for health anxiety? Our London clinic offers personalised treatment and therapy to address the underlying triggers and equip you with skills to reduce anxiety and increase self-confidence. Our holistic approach focuses on tailored treatment plans and a combination of therapies, including individual and group sessions.
We collaborate with you to determine targets for enhancing coping mechanisms and progressively learning techniques to manage health anxiety. Our treatment and therapy plans are based on the severity of your anxiety and your capacity for group and individual therapy.
Our supportive group sessions provide a space for individuals to relate and acquire new skills. In addition to psychotherapy, we offer medication for those who may not benefit from therapy alone.
We also provide relaxation tips and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which has shown great benefits for individuals with health anxiety. In reality, studies have demonstrated that people with health anxiety benefit greatly from the practice of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
Exposure as a central element: A health anxiety treatment technique that can reduce symptoms involves gradual exposure to a stimulus or environment that causes it, together with gradually constructing coping mechanisms to deal with the anxiety-inducing circumstance.
Some people may benefit from progressively increasing their group attendance. Others may choose to take advantage of our complete programme and small groups. While this exposure may initially be challenging, it can quickly become less so as you encounter acceptance and optimism from your peers at the clinic.
Does health anxiety therapy work?
CBT, either independent or in a group, can be quite successful in treating health anxiety as it provides you with the management skills to help cope with your condition. While some cases will be extreme and not respond to CBT, our team of health anxiety therapists may also recommend psychoeducation and medication, relaxation techniques, and exposure to stimuli. We ensure your treatment plan is personal to you, to lead to the best chance of a successful treatment of your health anxiety.
Our treatments are evidence-based and are founded on therapies which are the most likely to yield success.
Why choose Schoen Clinic Chelsea for your health anxiety treatment?
Schoen Clinic Chelsea is a top provider of health anxiety counselling in a contemporary and personalised care setting.
Our facility in Chelsea offers therapy rooms and communal day rooms designed to provide a calming environment. Patients can also join creative arts groups and express themselves artistically as part of their health anxiety treatment.
Meet our health anxiety specialists at Schoen Clinic Chelsea in London
Our team specialises in the treatment of health anxiety, meaning you know you're in the safest hands. Backed by years of experience in counselling, specialist therapy techniques, and tried and tested approaches to treatment, our compassionate team is dedicated to setting you on the road to recovery.
