Health Anxiety
At Kindly Psychology, we view health anxiety as a heightened state of bodily hypervigilance where natural physical sensations or normal bodily changes are interpreted as signs of a serious underlying illness.
What is Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety, historically referred to as hypochondriasis or Illness Anxiety Disorder, involves excessive preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious medical condition. This concern persists despite normal medical evaluations, reassurance from doctors, or negative test results.
Health anxiety relies on a misinterpretation of harmless bodily symptoms, such as heart palpitations, muscle twitches, subtle headaches, or digestive shifts, as dangerous threats. To relieve this distress, individuals often engage in repetitive safety behaviours, such as frequent body-checking, researching symptoms online (often termed "cyberchondria"), or seeking repeated medical reassurance. Research demonstrates that while these checking habits provide brief temporary relief, they ultimately fuel the anxiety cycle by keeping the nervous system hyper-focused on body monitoring (Abramowitz et al., 2007).
How We Treat Health Anxiety at Kindly Psychology
At Kindly Psychology, we deliver structured, research-led interventions designed to break the cycle of health-related hypervigilance and restore trust in your body. Systematic reviews confirm that cognitive and behavioural therapies are exceptionally effective in reducing health anxiety and checking behaviours (Hedman et al., 2011). We draw upon evidence-based therapeutic approaches tailored to your needs:
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the gold-standard treatment for health anxiety.
ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps you cultivate psychological flexibility.
Mindfulness & Somatic
We integrate somatic grounding techniques to help calm an overactive nervous system.
Schema Therapy
For health anxiety rooted in past medical trauma, early family experiences of illness, or deep-seated fears of vulnerability, we explore underlying emotional patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions About Health Anxiety
Your physical sensations are completely real. Anxiety triggers an automatic physiological response, releasing stress hormones that cause genuine physical symptoms such as muscle tightness, chest discomfort, dizziness, or digestive changes. Health anxiety is not about making up symptoms; it is about how the brain interprets those real sensations as immediate medical threats.
No. Maintaining a healthy, open relationship with your general practitioner is an important part of balanced healthcare. Therapy at Kindly Psychology works alongside standard medical care to help you establish a clear, reasonable framework for medical consultations, reducing the urge for compulsive doctor-visiting or excessive testing.
The duration of therapy varies depending on how long you have experienced health anxiety and your personal goals. Many clients begin experiencing significant relief from intrusive health worries and checking habits within 6 to 12 structured sessions as they develop healthier responses to bodily sensations.
We believe in finding the right psychologist for your journey. Book a complimentary call with us to ask your questions or to schedule your initial appointment.