Overcome Health Anxiety with Online Therapy

Category: Health Anxiety Online Therapy | Last updated: February 1st, 2022 | Reviewed and approved by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD

Are You Health Conscious or Health Anxious?

Almost every one of us gets concerned about our health and well-being. And that concern can motivate us to try to optimize our eating, sleep and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Being health conscious can be great. It helps a lot in leading a healthy, happy, successful and meaningful life.

However, problems arise when this health consciousness gets transformed into “health anxiousness”. If you become too obsessed about your health and if you get too apprehensive that you are suffering from a severe illness (without the presence of such medical symptoms), then you may be experiencing health anxiety. In the past, psychologists referred to this as “hypochondria”. However, it is now called Illness Anxiety Disorder.

Illness Anxiety Disorder is a somatic symptom disorder in which the person suffering from it gets overly anxious or obsessed over his/her physical conditions. They see even a minor problem as an exaggerated severe illness. People suffering from Illness Anxiety Disorder often require continuous care, support and assurance from health service providers, family and acquaintances.

See if you recognize yourself in the symptoms of health anxiety:

Being preoccupied with having or developing a serious disease or health condition
Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
Being easily alarmed about your health status
Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it's hard for you to function
Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance — or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses

What’s more, people with Illness Anxiety Disorder can also experience additional mental health issues, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Clinical Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Treatment Procedures

The good news is that Illness Anxiety Disorder can be treated. Effective methods of treatment include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy and support. You can receive these types of treatment here at Online Therapy.

Reviews

Our online therapy services have received 3846 reviews and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I should've done this years ago, but I was overwhelmed at the workload. I needn't have been. My therapist and the toolkit and workbooks have made it so easy and manageable. I'm not suddenly cured overnight, but I understand myself better, I communicate my needs better, I'm finally healing old wounds with a renewed self-worth. One of the best decisions I made was coming to Online-Therapy."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I am very satisfied about working with Dr Vicki. She is very professional, with a lot of experience. She helped me to navigate a time of uncertainty and stress due to health and job issues, with kindness, deep understanding and positivity. She is also a great therapist that is helping me with changing my career. Thank you Dr. Vicki"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I feel so much better after two month of online therapy. I wasn't sleeping now I am sleeping every night. I am in way better control of my anxiety it's not controlling my life like it was."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Very convenient and helpful"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Such a great platform. I'm glad this therapy journey could be a steady support for my life to discover myself and recreate my mental world. I like different kinds of sessions provided and I really enjoy talking with my therapist Maria who is professional and patient :)"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Good"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Li is very discerning and objective in her feedback."

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Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"Loree has been very helpful. I find the sessions have been fulfilling. My wife and I are making progress. A little bit at a time, but there's been noticeable change for me anyhow. I only wish the sessions were an hour. 45 minutes always seems like a crunch."

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Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"Enjoyed process so far"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I really like the service because I can attend on sessions from all around the globe. My therapist is a great fit and I enjoy the sessions."

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