Understandably, many of us want to ensure that we are healthy. To achieve this, we eat well, drink plenty of water, and work out to help us care for ourselves. When any health changes occur, we become cautious about the cause behind these developments. For many, these changes often do not raise any alarms.
However, some individuals will still worry significantly about their health. Health anxiety is real and affects at least 4% of the US population. It is when an individual spends a significant amount of time worrying about whether they are ill or not or if they are showing signs of falling ill. Living with health anxiety can be challenging, as it can quickly take over a person’s life and affect those they love. Trying to find a healthy balance in life can seem like an almost impossible task.
If you are looking for ways to find a healthy balance in life living with health, keep reading to find a few helpful tips to try.
Aim To Stop Self-Diagnosing
Searching online for any new symptoms or changes in our bodies is a common trend many of us are guilty of following. Self-diagnosis can be done from the results our searches show. Some search results could offer some alarming answers, which could spark fear, especially for those dealing with health anxiety. However, self-diagnosis can be risky and is not always accurate.
Keep in mind that online searches for medical issues only consider the symptoms you have provided. Unlike your doctors or medical professionals, they do not have your personal health history. Online searches will also have not considered your family’s health history. Both of these factors are essential in identifying the reason for a change in your health. If and when you experience any health changes, resist the temptation to search for your symptoms. Instead, book an appointment to see your doctor or healthcare professional if you are deeply concerned about your symptoms.
Identify Any Non-Helpful Ideas
One aspect of health anxiety that many struggles with is jumping to a conclusion. The conclusion that many will likely jump to is the worst-case scenario. Jumping to this conclusion is one of the primary struggles for those dealing with health anxiety, as it increases the fear and raises the panic levels they experience.
When there are changes in your health, these thoughts of panic will likely occur. As these thoughts enter your mind, try to identify them as unhelpful ideas about your health. Of course, this is easier said than done. However, this could become a little easier to do with time, practice, and patience. In the future, when these thoughts come to mind about changes in your health, you will be able to recognize them, and hopefully, they will not cause the same surge in fear as in the past.
Speak With Loved Ones
Seeing a loved one struggle can be a heartbreaking scene to witness. For your loved ones, seeing you struggling with your health anxiety might make them feel as though they are unable to help. They will likely try to offer support and advice, which can be challenging to hear. However, understand that it comes from a place of love and concern for your well-being.
Spend time with loved ones communicating how it feels to live with health anxiety. Explain to them the struggles you face and the steps you are attempting to help you create a healthy balance in your life.
Know When To Seek Help
If you find that your health anxiety is affecting your life, it could be worth seeking medical advice. They could offer helpful tips and advice to help you with the best ways to deal with health anxiety and what steps to consider. Finding methods and coping strategies that help reduce the overwhelming feelings that health anxiety can cause could help you create a healthy balance in your life.
Alternatively, you could ask for a full body scan to provide peace of mind that your body is healthy. Invest in the support from Ezra, who offers a full-body scan service. Utilize all the support available to help you find a healthy balance when living with health anxiety.
The Bottom Line
Living with health anxiety and having to experience the fears can be debilitating to some individuals. In some instances, it can significantly impact how they live their lives. It could prevent them from interacting with others or attending something they fear developing an illness. Should there be any changes to their health or habits, this could affect them.
Finding coping strategies and learning ways to keep the overwhelming feelings that can come with health anxiety. Slowly implementing these strategies and using some of the tips mentioned above could help you find a healthy balance when living with health anxiety. One that could help you understand your health anxiety better.
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