What are you doing to lower your health anxiety in 2021?

[carriewriting]

"If you want different results, you have to try different approaches"

So said a wise person and never has this been more applicable than right now.

I made some health anxiety resolutions for 2021. If you've got some, I'd love to hear them too.

My resolutions are:

I will:

• continue with schema therapy
• learn meditation
• do something fun or nice for myself every day
• get strong/learn to have faith in my body
• connect with family/friends more
• make a monthly appointment to check-in with my GP

I wont:

• read anything health related online (except non-symptom posts on NMP)
• investigate any non-life threatening health worry or symptom eg. no checking, examining, poking or proding (instead I'll make a note and talk to my GP)
• let health anxiety stop me from achieving my goals or being present with my family and friends.

[Munchlet]

What a great post carriewriting!

I have:

Stopped my medication (not advocating this but for me it was no longer working and I felt increasing my anxiety)
Bought various self help anixety books
Started CBT with the NHS
Started private hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis

In order to help myself I will

Ensure I complete the exercises set within the CBT
Ensure I read the self-help books
Start a new course I have been offered by the NHS which is working within a group of people who have Health Anxiety (I'm actually quite excited about this as it's something new they are doing because of the increase in HA sufferers and it's more in depth than standard CBT)
Continue with my hypnotherapy to try and get to the root of my problems.
Continue with my new hobby of Calligraphy which I find really relaxing.
Get back in the gym as soon as it reopens - this has also led to an increase in my anxiety as I felt it really helped control it.
Cut Dr Google out my life as he's completely unsupportive of my recovery!

[Robin1995]

I'd love to do this. My 2021 resolution is to get my HA under control, but...i just don't know where to start.

I want to help myself, but I don't know how.

[carriewriting]

Great list Munchlet. The NHS course sounds really interesting and I 100% agree with you about Dr Google. Good luck and I hope the year ahead brings you relief from your health anxiety and happiness.

Robin1995, hopefully the strategies shared in this post will give you some ideas on where to start or this article https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/healthanxiety is very helpful. All the best for a better 2021 x

[pulisa]

I know that you've started similar threads before, Carrie and they are very positive and inspiring and will give many people the impetus they need to start challenging their HA.

I hope in time that you will not need that monthly appointment with your GP because I reckon you will soon have the skills and confidence to be able to do without the contact.

Munchlet, I agree that the NHS course sounds very hopeful and relevant and a welcome addition to the somewhat generic package normally offered. Good luck with that and please tell us what you think about the content?

[carriewriting]

Thanks Pulisa. I know the GP appointment is still a crutch, but I'm feel like I need the safety net for now and my GP is supportive. It helps with delaying worrying about things to have an appointment scheduled. Hopefully I'll be able to let it go during the year

[Flapj]

I started seeing my therapist w/ telehealth visits. I find that talking it out helps me a great deal.

[Munchlet]

Thanks Carriewriting and Pulisa

I will be sure to update on the new NHS course. It is starting 16th Jan (Saturday too which is helpful as won't have to book time off work).

Good luck with your list too Carrie and Robin Carrie posted a really useful link, the thing with HA is everyone finds different things that help them or in some cases don't help. The best starting point is to take it one step at a time, try some strategies and see how you get on, if they don't work try something else.

Unfortunately, HA is quite complex and even within HA there will be different areas of it that affect everyone differently. One of my big things is avoidance of tests which is really not good and something I'm trying to tackle but for others it's constantly having tests and still not feeling reassured.

I think it's important to look at the areas of HA that affect you the most and then see which strategies are recommended to try and deal with some of them.

[BrokenGirl]

Unfortunately, HA is quite complex and even within HA there will be different areas of it that affect everyone differently. One of my big things is avoidance of tests which is really not good and something I'm trying to tackle but for others it's constantly having tests and still not feeling reassured.

I find that part really interesting Munchlet. In general terms HA is the fear of getting very ill and dying. But the way it effects us so differently just proves how different and unique we all are. Like you said, for some people it's complete avoidance of tests and often doctors too, but for others it's the complete opposite and they would go see a doctor and have tests every week if they could. I definitely fall into the latter category!!!


Finding the right path to recovery to suit you is tricky. Meds and therapy is a common road people take, but finding the right meds and the right therapy can take a long time. For me, i've nearly exhausted all the meds out there with no luck. So I feel that therapy is the only way to get better. I'm ringing a psychologist this week who will hopefully be able to start seeing me. I will also start:
- eating healthier
- exercising more
- start doing things I enjoy again (haven't done this in a long long time)
- decluttering and tiding my house. I've heard the phrase that a cluttered house equals a cluttered mind, and I think that's definitely the case with me.
- and just try to take life one day at a time

[pulisa]

I'm so glad that you've decided to ring the psychologist, BG...Your GP had faith in him/her and she knew you well. I think actually doing something like this will give you hope and motivation.

I really do believe that HA can be managed successfully but you've got to have a plan and you've got to stick to it. You've got to have a GP who is aware of this plan and supports it too.