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 3302 reviews and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I wish I had started therapy long ago as since I started it’s made me such a happier person. My therapist is the best and he makes me feel safe and comfortable which allows me to be open."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I have enjoyed the daily messages I have received from my therapist. She has lots of helpful thoughts and asks great questions to learn more about my situation. I've been pleased with my experience so far!"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"The counselor that we were paired with has been one like no other. This is our 3rd platform, attempting marriage counseling and I can honestly say that it is the only one that has led us to meeting a counselor that put in the work and effort for us. Sessions don't consist of silence and awkward chat, they consist of structured conversations surrounding real life issues between our marriage to actually work on."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Janet is absolutely amazing!"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I have been enjoying the service so far, the pricing has been reasonable and working with Karen, my therapist, has been very helpful. She has been very personable and professional and the online sheets have been helpful as well, something lacking in it other online services I used."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I’ve found a lovely psychologist straight away. The worksheets are really thorough and I’ve already started to think about things differently in only a couple of months. I don’t have the best internet but I can still use the in person appointments with no problem"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"This has really been helpful to me so far."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"In the few weeks I have been a member, I have already noticed a marked improvement in both my mood and thinking. I have had two different coaches, my first was very good and I still think about her advice from time to time. My second coach’s therapy is based on REBT and I find it more suited to my learning style. I found both coaches to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and experienced by the way they spoke to me and guided me through painful memories or stressful situations. The site is also very helpful and comprehensive. The requirement to write down my thoughts and/or respond to worksheets helps to keep me focused on my personal goals. The website also helps to think through thought distortions on my own — although my second coach has really been wonderful. I am so glad that I found this site."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I deeply appreciated the comments that were made on the worksheets. I can already feel the way I think slowly shifting and becoming kinder to myself. This made me realize how many thought traps I fall victim to, and also made me realize that I had some measures before to counteract the negative thoughts. My therapist was really kind too and it was nice to read comments in my free time and not be restricted with when I filled out anything. I liked the journal because it would guide my thoughts and give me a glimpse of my day that I can look back on. As for the activity plan, I treat it more as a tentative schedule as my schedule and energy shifts throughout the day. Overall, I don't have any regrets choosing this platform to receive treatment and it was a nice first experience at therapy! Thank you for everything and I look forward to working on myself more with your help until I no longer need it."

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Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"I like the therapist and it is very nice to get the help i need"

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