Our bodies are complex vessels. In every waking moment, our body has an impressive number of internal procedures that are being followed to help us carry out mindful and mindless tasks that help us live. With every breath and heartbeat, our body collectively works together to allow us to live life. Illness occurs when an internal process or procedure deviates and for a multitude of reasons, we become ill.
It is common to think about your health. What is less common, and can be concerning, is when these thoughts spiral out of control and compulsive rumination prevents us from enjoying our life (and our good health).
ANXIETY
Anxiety lives in everyone. Anxiety in itself is ok. Anxiety becomes a problem when it starts to take over our ability to carry out everyday tasks and enjoy life. Anxiety can look like double checking that you have your passport on the way to the airport or worrying about an upcoming exam. Anxiety is natural and it's ok. It's okay to worry. It's okay to prepare for the future mentally. Anxiety isn't okay when it is out of control and takes over.
Worrying and anxiety can take their toll on your body. Our body isn't meant to live in a psychologically aroused state. It takes an incredible amount of energy for our body to prepare for battle...and that's what anxiety is: a warning to our body that danger is near. When our body flips to protect mode, it has to conserve energy so many processes in our body change. Some slow down (digestion and circulation) and some speed up (adrenaline). It is a complicated process and it's done in seconds. Now imagine your brain, its organs, and all its critical parts drastically turning on and off throughout the day. That is what creates fatigue. That is what stresses our immune system. And that is not good.
HEALTH ANXIETY
Health-specific anxiety is a variation of anxiety. Health anxiety is an obsessive or compulsive worry that you are unwell. Health anxiety can be specific to a certain type of illness (worries about cancer, neurological disease, skin disorders, etc.). Health anxiety is a compulsive worry that can create physiological symptoms. Anxiety can mimic health concerns (muscle twitching, numbness, rash, gastro issues, etc.) which can make things worse as "symptoms" can happen more frequently or be more intense.
The origin of health anxiety can vary. For some, it develops from being exposed to illness. It can develop from being around family/friends who are experiencing illness. It can also be developed by receiving misinformation. Health anxiety is linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder because much of health anxiety is worth and rumination. Both of which can take over your life.
WATERING THE SEED
Anxiety is like a plant and when we worry...we grow that plant and sometimes a single example of watering the wrong plant can teach us to garden in worry often. For example, a stomach pain that was once dismissed ended up being a ruptured appendix. I knew in my gut that I wasn't ok. I was right and the scans were wrong. That was the start of me "trusting my gut" or as I like to call it "the health anxiety highway". It's a very scary thing when you (and Google) start to steer the ship.
We have all had one of these experiences. The "I knew it" moment reinforces our behaviour. That was mine. The beginnings of health anxiety can arise from moments like these, or times when we just knew our kiddo's fall off the bike could be something more, a cough sounded off or a mole looked suspicious. We do have a unique ability to be the only person to live in our body and to know what "good" or "normal" feels like. But that doesn't mean that we should be self-diagnosing or not trusting the guidance of those who are trained in the human body. It can make us wonderful advocates, but we also need to find balance.
GOOGLE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
Many of us like to build evidence for a case, and there is no shortage of evidence online. Google "headache" and brain tumor is listed. "Tingling" is the dying of nerves. "Heat" is cancer. If you open your mind to the worst-case scenario...you will find evidence to support your theory. When it comes to information, more isn't always better. The source of information is also critical. When it comes to health anxiety, WebMD might just be the scariest piece of literature you have ever read. It doesn't take into account your health, your specific scenario and your environmental factors. It is not a doctor and the articles aren't about you. Could it be a starting place? Maybe. But ask yourself: "Am I leaving space for Google and the internet to be wrong?" If you aren't...then the internet may not be where you go for health-related concerns.
WHEN IS HEALTH ANXIETY A PROBLEM
I knew my health anxiety had plateaued when I mentally refused to believe clear scans. I felt so tempted to ask them to "double-check". Then I asked myself: "Why do you want/need them to be wrong?" And it wasn't that I wanted bad news. I just had become so comfortable with the forecast of the worst-case scenario that anything less felt...improbable. Good health felt unlikely. I was too unlucky. Fear had taken over and statistics, scans and evaluations didn't even factor in. How scary is that?
IMPACTS OF COVID
I think COVID-19 increased health anxiety for some. Whether it was getting a vaccine that they were unsure or nervous to get or whether it was getting COVID itself and worrying about the reaction or long-term response...I think it did change the way some of us view health or how to keep ourselves healthy. I think it also changed the comfort level or confidence that some people have with their providers. It's important to trust your health providers. So whether it's your GP, functional Doctor, nurse practitioner or naturopath, it's important to find someone who is knowledgeable and accredited to help you care for your health.
SIGNS OF HEALTH ANXIETY
Not all health worries are health anxiety. Health anxiety is the frequent misinterpretation of benign symptoms and desire to ascribe them to something dire.
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Signs you may have health anxiety:
Obsessive thinking about health concerns
No symptoms but still fear being sick
Self-diagnosing
An obsessive amount of time spent online reading about illness
Not trusting all or most health professionals
Spending significant money and time paying for scans without symptoms
Your worries are impacting your daily life
RECOVERY
So how does one recover from health anxiety? The same way we move through generalized anxiety: one day at a time and one issue at a time. Cognitive Behavioural therapy is an effective way to help treat anxiety, and specifically health anxiety. Breaking down unhelpful thought patterns helps create exceptions to where anxiety made things rules. A couple of things that can help:
An anxiety walk-through. If my stomach is upset, if my heart is racing, if my palms are sweaty, if my toes are tingling if my muscles are spasming...I am having a fear-based response and my body is producing an aroused response. My first job is to identify my anxiety and to move my body through it. What works for me personally is physically moving my body and distracting myself. Once I have allowed my body to relax, I re-evaluate.
Stop body scanning! Our body can mimic almost any imaginary or thought-up symptom. Spend time with someone talking about how their first neurological symptoms were pins and needles and tell me how long it takes you to feel them yourself.
Being aware of catastrophizing (CBT). If I'm unwilling to listen or consider the less scary options in a scenario...I know I'm catastrophizing and I need to identify and acknowledge that. I also need to realistically consider how likely the worst scenario is.
Perspective check. Talk to the people around you. Be honest about your health anxiety. Let someone you love know about your struggle. Ask for perspective. One of my favourite check and balance people is my best friend (who happens to be a nurse). She is my polar opposite when it comes to anxiety. She offers clarity and I trust her judgment. My husband is also great for perspective. He gives me honest feedback about symptoms and consistency. He is the first person to say "But did you feel that way in that moment that you were distracted? Did your arm hurt then?" Things like that. I realize that only we know our bodies, but usually when scary symptoms show up...other people notice them as well
Stop Filtering (CBT). I need to not create a biased viewpoint. All facts need to carry equal weight. So I need to make sure I hear the good news "clear scan" and not just the bad news "we don't know what it is".
Faith. You don't have to be a religious person to have faith. Faith is an idea or belief in the future. It's confidence. I have faith that I can do hard things because I have until now. I believe in my ability to advocate for myself and to know that there are limits to my control.
