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 3286 reviews and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Our therapist has been amazing!"

()

Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"I originally subscribed only for Insomnia & Sleep problems, but within the first two weeks of CBT, my therapist and I still haven’t even discussed CBTi “for Insomnia”, as he was able to help me understand that Insomnia was largely just a symptom of a much more deep rooted mental health issue, mainly Anxiety. Buy focusing our efforts of the root problem, and learning methods to reduce my anxiety, I’ve been largely successful in improving my sleep within a short period of time — and to top it off I feel comforted knowing that this will be a long process, but fezivle and at a pace that suits my budget and needs. Highly recommend it!

* the only issue I’ve experienced so far has been technical difficulties which have taken up valuable time with my therapist."

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"The therapist, CBT exercises and homework a very helpful and engaging. They keep me focused on my goals."

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I have found service to be excellent with questions helpful for therapy"

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Really good,"

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"After only 3 days into this therapy program, I was able to reprogram my negative thoughts and gain control over my negative behaviors & reactions by replacing them with a newfound positive attitude and seeing my problems and obstacles in a whole new light.
I am now at the end of completion with this program, however, this is just the beginning of living the life I have always dreamed of ~ they say, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life!" and now that saying makes so much sense to me because I have been given All the tools and knowledge that I will live by and utilize on a daily basis for the rest of my life ~ these positive changes are so easy to achieve and have become a natural part of my healthy daily tasks, just like brushing my teeth and now including a dose of Yoga to my daily routine, improving my breathing and posture (Oxygen ~ It's a helluva drug!!! haha)!
I am also extremely grateful for my wonderful Therapist, Lee! ;-) I am beyond grateful for this entire program because it truly IS a lifelong game changer for a healthy, happy and wealthy life! If you can apply the teachings of this program to your daily life, You Can and Will be able to face any obstacle head on and succeed! (-:"

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Love it! Very pleased with the service."

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I feel heard, listened to and understood. In therapy with other therapist I didn't feel like I was really heard. I felt like they were just going through the motions with me and didn't really care. However with Dr Cannady I feel as though she cares about me."

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Good service. Very helpful"

()

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"My therapist, Lisa Romanova, has been excellent to work with. She is attentive to detail, and creates a clear picture of her points during our discussions. She asks challenging questions that allow me to think and improve on."

()

View all reviews »

Let us know what you think!

Have any questions?

Are you unsure of what program to choose or have any questions about our services? Check our FAQ to alleviate any concerns.