What is Health Anxiety?
It’s natural to worry about your health from time to time. However, health anxiety – sometimes called illness anxiety disorder or hypochondria – goes beyond everyday concern. Health anxiety involves excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness, even when medical tests show no underlying condition.
This anxiety triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, making physical sensations feel more intense and worrying. For some, the fear is about being vulnerable to illness; for others, it is a preoccupation with existing or unexplained symptoms.
Importantly, the issue isn’t whether the symptoms are “real” – they often are. The challenge lies in how your mind interprets and responds to these symptoms, leading to distress and unhelpful coping behaviours. Left untreated, health anxiety can have a serious impact on your quality of life.
Common Symptoms of Health Anxiety
Health anxiety can look different for everyone, but typical signs include:
- Persistent fear of illness, disease, or vulnerability to health conditions
- Frequent visits to GPs or health specialists despite reassurance or negative test results
- Constant worry about developing recurring or life-threatening illness
- Hypervigilance to bodily sensations such as heart rate, vision changes, breathing patterns, or muscle tension
- Catastrophic misinterpretation of normal physical symptoms (e.g., “My headache must mean I have a brain tumour”)
- Excessive checking behaviours, such as:
- Googling symptoms or self-diagnosing using “Dr Google”
- Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness
- Seeking reassurance from multiple health professionals or undergoing unnecessary medical tests
- Avoiding anything medical due to fear—such as doctor’s appointments, medical tests, or even medical TV shows
If these behaviours sound familiar, you may be experiencing health anxiety.
Causes and Risk Factors
There isn’t a single cause of health anxiety – it often develops through a combination of experiences and vulnerabilities. Factors that may contribute include:
- A history of illness in yourself or loved ones
- Exposure to health-related trauma or loss
- Overuse of online health information and symptom checkers
- High levels of general anxiety or stress
- Family history of anxiety disorders
How Health Anxiety Affects Daily Life
Health anxiety can significantly interfere with everyday living. It may:
- Strain relationships due to constant reassurance-seeking
- Disrupt work or study through repeated absences or difficulty concentrating
- Increase unnecessary healthcare costs through frequent appointments or procedures
- Lead to social withdrawal and avoidance of enjoyable activities
- Cause distressing cycles of panic, fear, and checking
The good news is that health anxiety is treatable, and many people experience significant improvements with psychological support.
Evidence-Based Treatments for Health Anxiety
Once a GP has ruled out serious medical conditions, a psychologist can help manage health-related distress. At MyLife Psychologists in Sydney, we use evidence-based treatments tailored to your needs.
The most effective treatment for health anxiety is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT helps you:
- Understand how your health anxiety develops, is triggered, and maintained by unhelpful cycles
- Reduce focus on symptoms through attentional training and mindfulness-based strategies
- Challenge unhelpful health-related thoughts and catastrophic thinking
- Gradually reduce avoidance and reassurance-seeking behaviours
- Build healthier coping strategies and resilience to prevent relapse
In some cases, other therapeutic approaches – such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or Schema Therapy – may also be integrated into your treatment plan, depending on your unique situation.
How MyLife Psychologists Can Help
Our compassionate team of clinical psychologists in Sydney are highly experienced in treating anxiety disorders, including health anxiety. We provide a safe, supportive environment where you’ll feel understood and guided toward lasting change.
We offer in-person appointments at our practice in Alexandria during business hours and after hours, as well as telehealth video sessions.
Take the First Step
If health anxiety is impacting your daily life, know that you don’t have to manage it alone. Effective, evidence-based treatments are available, and seeking help can be the first step toward freedom from constant health worries.
Contact us today to book a free 15-minute consultation with our Care Coordinator to discuss your needs and be matched with the right psychologist for you.
