Types of health anxiety

People with health anxiety can fall into one of two extremes:

  • Constantly seeking information and reassurance for example, obsessively researching illnesses from the internet, booking frequent GP appointments, and having frequent tests that don't find any problems.
  • Avoidant behaviour avoiding medical TV programmes, GP appointments and anything else that might trigger the anxiety, and avoiding activities such as exercise that are perceived to make the condition worse.

Neither of these behaviours are helpful, and need addressing if you are to break the vicious circle of health anxiety.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018