Worries about your health can feel hard to juggle—reaching out for support can help.
Health can mean different things to different people, but for many of us, it’s closely tied to both our physical and emotional well-being.
As humans, we share the fundamental desire to feel healthy, safe, and in control. We can all relate to the experience of feeling concerned when something feels off—waiting for a test result, discovering a new lump or symptom, or fearing something more serious–it’s natural to feel uneasy. While milder forms of anxiety about our health are common and affects us all, it is the excessive preoccupation about one’s health that can be problematic.
Health anxiety refers to the experience of believing that there is something seriously wrong with your health despite medical tests showing otherwise or doctors providing reassurance of good health.
Some common fears include:
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Severe and persistent mental illness
What makes health anxiety especially difficult is that the very behaviours we turn to for comfort, such as checking for lumps or bumps, googling our symptoms, and seeking reassurance, actually keep us feeling anxious. These behaviours feed our fear and strengthen the belief that there could be something wrong.
The truth is, no amount of reassurance will ever be enough, no amount of googling will ever quite give us the answers we need. The good news? It’s possible to break free from the cycle.
At Crosstown Psychology & Wellness Clinic, we use evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help individuals better understand their anxiety, reduce unhelpful behaviours, and build resilience when it comes to navigating health-related fears.
It can feel exhausting and overwhelming to live in fear of the belief that there is something wrong with your physical or emotional health. We want you to know, you don’t have to go through this alone.
Contact us to book a complimentary consultation or learn more about how we can support you.
Navigating mental health concerns and life stressors can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Discover tailored therapy that provides actionable strategies to ease your anxiety and help you find balance. Take the first step—contact our Toronto psychology clinic today.
