Health anxiety, also referred to as hypochondria or hypochondriasis, is a long-term psychological condition where you constantly feel worried that you have a serious illness that hasn't been diagnosed, even if there is no previous medical evidence to support your worries. This causes anxiety, and can affect the way you relate to every aspect of your life, including work, romance and self-care. According to MayoClinic.com, severe health anxiety can completely disable you. Consult your psychologist if you feel your health anxiety is out of control to review treatment options that are right for you.
Step 1
Start your day with a relaxing series of yoga postures. Examples include child's pose where you kneel on the floor and sit on your heels as you lay your torso down between your thighs; downward-facing dog, where you come on to your hands and knees and push your hips up, forming a triangle with your body.
Step 2
Eat easy to digest food, such as steamed vegetables and rice, that will not overwhelm your digestive system and will support your efforts to lead a calm lifestyle.
Step 3
Engage in relaxing activities such as walking in nature and spending time with friends each day. Don't feel frustrated if your health anxiety is so high that you feel you are too ill to do these activities. Bring these concerns to your therapist, and if she evaluates you to be in good shape to do them, then trust her judgment.
Step 4
Take warm baths at night to help you relax and have a restful sleep, especially on days when your health anxiety feels overwhelming.
Tips and Warnings
- Learn as much as you can about the condition, suggests MayoClinic.com, since educating yourself empowers you to seek help and remain committed to your treatment. Ask your therapist to assign cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, sessions where you will learn to recognize any behavior linked to your health anxiety. Then you will be able to stop it before it affects your daily activities and emotions. Attend a yoga class if you feel unmotivated to practice yoga alone.
- Take antidepressant medications only as a last resort. Antidepressants can be effective, but can also be addictive. There are many alternatives to try, such shifting your diet and lifestyle, before committing to taking drugs. However, in some cases, antidepressants are the only way to prompt the psychological shift needed to prompt you out of your hypochondriac tendencies. Ask your doctor to explain all the side effects you can expect from taking such medications before you begin a treatment.
