Health Anxiety Therapy
Whether you have a diagnosis of a medical condition or not, health anxiety can be equally as debilitating. Referred to within the NHS as Medically Unexplained Symptoms, some of those with health anxiety can have a range of physical symptoms, for which doctors cannot find a diagnosable condition. Additionally, for people who have been diagnosed with a health condition, the process of coming to terms with this and its implications for your life can feel overwhelming.
Our team of psychologists in Guildford and Wimbledon offer therapy for health anxiety, helping you to explore your thoughts and beliefs, how they are affecting your life, and attempt to weaken the power of them.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of health anxiety include:
· Excessive worry about physical symptoms or health conditions
· Constantly checking for signs of illness (e.g., body checking)
· Frequent doctor visits or medical tests despite reassurances
· Preoccupation with health information online
· Misinterpreting normal bodily sensations as signs of a serious illness
· Avoidance of situations or activities that may trigger anxiety about health
· Catastrophic thinking about health outcomes
· Feeling distressed or anxious about minor illnesses or symptoms
· Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and digestive issues
· Seeking frequent reassurance from healthcare professionals or loved ones.
Health Anxiety Counselling Guildford & Wimbledon
Health anxiety often develops as a by-product of illness, leaving you constantly stuck on “What if I develop something else?”. Whether you have a diagnosed health condition or not, research tells us that psychological and emotional distress makes our experience of physical pain worse.
What science tells us is that the mind-body connection can be responsible for creating real physical symptoms in response to some really difficult emotions and experiences we go through. For some people, emotional distress can manifest itself physically in the body, and symptoms are feedback that something needs to change in your life.
Relieving some of the emotional distress around your symptoms can be an empowering process that reduces how your brain interprets and therefore experiences pain. Within our safe therapeutic space, we provide health anxiety counselling in Guildford and Wimbledon to help you to learn how to challenge distressing thoughts and behaviours in order to find a more rational or balanced perspective. Our integrative approach to health anxiety therapy draws together a number of theories, which include solution focused therapy (SFT), narrative therapy, person-centred therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Free 20 Minute Initial Consultations
Our psychologists in Guildford and Wimbledon believe that each individual experiencing health anxiety is unique - hence why finding the right therapist for your needs is important. We offer a free online 20-minute consultation with one of our therapists in Guildford and Wimbledon, which provides the opportunity to make sure that your therapist has the right expertise to help, and for you to experience what therapy would feel like with them.
Each of our health anxiety therapy sessions is held online, providing you with the convenience to receive counselling from the comfort of your own home, which can be particularly helpful for those experiencing health issues. If you’re ready to receive the help needed to overcome your anxiety, contact one of our team members; or book your free, no-obligation initial session online today.