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 2348 reviews and the average rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I was matched with a very good therapist and the dashboard is simple to use and user-friendly"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I always thought therapy wouldn't work for me, but this service has helped me to start making real, positive changes in my mood and in my life. The combination of sections, worksheets, and virtual sessions is an approachable system that helps guide you through the process. The therapist I paired with is supportive, engaging, and kind. I am very grateful to have found this website."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"First time doing online therapy and wasn't sure at first but after finding the right therapist it has been great. She is kind and patient with me and is helping me through all my stuff. The lessons are easy to navigate and has been beneficial for me. They may not work for everyone but if you are thinking of trying therapy this is a good place to start."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I am new to therapy and was not sure how helpful it would be. My therapist is very good. Easy to talk to and seems to know when to ask a question."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"First time that I have ever used some sort of therapy and so far it has been quite eye opening. My therapist has been answering quite frequently with fantastic feedback and answers that I have been searching for. Highly recommend using the app."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"First experience, and so far so good! The combo of work books and writing down your thoughts combined with talking to a licensed therapist is so helpful."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Good setup. Good prices. Just need an app!"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I have received as much help as i needed. And I want to say thank you for that. I may look into coming back for therapy whenever it is needed for me again. Again, great site to get the help you really need."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"This dashboard is very convenient and I am happy with the therapist I have matched with."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Wonderful resource for those who claim they don’t have “time” for therapy or to work on themselves. This tool not only connects you with a professional who helps you break down your patterns and your problems, but it also forces you to self reflect in a useful way. If we know what the patterns are, we can more easily learn to break them and improve on ourselves and our lives."

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