Why We Must Continue The Health Anxiety Conversation Post Pandemic
Finding the tools to manage anxiety and seeking comfort in the light at the end of the tunnel
“Last year, I got my dream job and moved to London. I should’ve been ecstatic, but all I could think about was the lump under my chin, and how long I had left to live. No, I hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer. In fact, I’d recently been to the hospital for an ultrasound, where they’d assured me that the lump was a “totally normal” lymph node. Initially, I left the appointment feeling relieved, but as the days crept by I couldn’t shake the idea that the doctor may have got my results wrong.
I replayed the scan over and over in my head, questioning whether he’d been paying proper attention, or whether he’d inspected the right part of my chin. Before long, I’d convinced myself that the lump was in fact lymphoma, and the doctor had failed to recognise it. This scenario wasn’t exactly new to me. Since my teens I’d worried excessively about my health; presuming every rash was meningitis, every tingle was MS and every sore armpit was breast cancer. I’d routinely check my body for lumps, and every time I heard someone mention an illness, I’d become adamant I had it.
This meant that I was a frequent patient at the doctors, often visiting several times a month, and despite continual reassurance that there was nothing wrong with me, I could not accept the possibility that I might be healthy. As a 26 year old woman with no previous medical history, I can see how this may sound dramatic. But it turns out, I did have an illness; I was experiencing health anxiety.
As Professor David Veale explains, Health anxiety is a condition that consists of either a preoccupation with having a serious illness or fear of developing a serious illness, despite medical reassurance.
A study by Imperial College London found that 19.8% of UK hospital patients have health anxiety, concluding that it’s “a significant problem” that “deserves greater awareness.” What’s more is that the majority of people with health anxiety suffer for years before they’re diagnosed.
“I’ve been told countless times that I’m not ill, I’m “just a hypochondriac,” but there’s no just about it. Hypochondria isn’t an attention seeking strategy, it’s a debilitating mental illness, and by trivialising it, we undermine people’s experiences”
This is partly down to the nature of health anxiety as those affected tend to believe they have a physical illness, rather than a psychological one. Sophie Sheffield, a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, elaborates on this, saying, “Anxiety produces such a physical response, so people may experience very real symptoms which are intensified because they’re focusing on them.” Adding that, “Because it feels so physical, dangerous and life-threatening, people may feel like they’re taking a massive risk in considering that what they’re experiencing might be anxiety and not a terminal illness.”
This is something that I can definitely relate to. For example, with the lump under my chin, I was certain that I could feel it aching and even experienced stabbing pains. I’ve now come to the conclusion that my brain exaggerated these sensations (scary, I know) but at the time I took them as proof that I had cancer and was going to die.
Not only does the nature of health anxiety stop people from seeking help, stigma plays a big part, too. For example, people who worry excessively about their health are often perceived as over-dramatic. Personally, I’ve been told countless times that I’m not ill, I’m “just a hypochondriac,” but there’s no just about it. Hypochondria isn’t an attention seeking strategy, it’s a debilitating mental illness, and by trivialising it, we undermine people’s experiences, making them less likely to open up and ask for help.
Dave Smithson, Operations Director at Anxiety UK, agrees that one of the main reasons it takes people with health anxiety so long to reach out is stigma, saying, “There is a stigma attached to anxiety and mental health conditions in general; I think people have historically shied away from talking about their mental health.” Adding that, “We are seeing that change in recent years; high profile campaigns by prominent celebrities and royal family members have helped to reduce the stigma, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Dave believes that the best way to break the stigma around health anxiety is by talking about it, saying that, “When people know they’re not alone and it’s not unique to them, it helps them to feel more comfortable in talking about their mental health.”
I obsessed over the lymph node under my chin every day for over a year before finally getting the help I needed. It got to the point where I could no longer enjoy my life because I permanently believed I had a terminal illness. Eventually, following a nasty panic attack, I talked to my doctor who prescribed me a course of CBT. It wasn’t easy, but after fourteen weeks of intense therapy, I’ve finally found the tools I need to manage my anxiety.
I’ve realised that knowledge is power and the more I understand about health anxiety, the better equipped I am to deal with it. I’ve stopped actively checking my body for symptoms (which has made all the difference) and I’m no longer seeking reassurance from my GP for every new bodily sensation. And most importantly I’ve learnt that by opening up and talking about my mental health, I’ve been able to find a light at the end of a very long tunnel.”
If you are experiencing health anxiety, there is help and support available during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Anxiety UK can be reached via www.anxietyuk.org.uk or on 03444 775 774.
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Thank you so much to Becca from @thingsthatgrowblog for sharing such an honest and informative look at an issue so many of us are battling right now. To read more from her you can find her blog at www.thingsthatgrow.com.