Health Anxiety and Dysfunctional Beliefs

By Brittney In Health Anxiety Posted February 3, 2021

People with health anxiety often have inaccurate beliefs and interpretations of their bodily symptoms. They misinterpret benign bodily changes or sensations as being indicative of some serious disease or illness. Research on cognition shows that people with health anxiety (compared to non-anxious control groups) are:

  • More likely to interpret bodily sensations as pointing to serious disease
  • More likely to believe that to be in “good health” means one has few or no bodily sensations 
  • More likely to believe they are weak and unable to manage stressful situations
  • More likely to overestimate their chances of contracting a disease
  • More likely to overestimate the dangerousness of a disease or illness
  • More likely to consider themselves as high risk for developing diseases 
  • More likely to have greater knowledge about diseases (due to looking things up excessively) and, consequently, this greater knowledge tends to contribute to more fear 

Researchers in health anxiety have compiled the information below based on data gathered through research studies and practice experiences.

DYSFUNCTIONAL BELIEFS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESSIVE HEALTHY ANXIETY

Meaning of Bodily Changes and Sensations

  • "I am healthy only when I don't have any bodily sensations."
  • "Bodily complaints are always a sign of disease."
  • "Red blotches are signs of skin cancer."
  • "Joint pain means that my bones are regenerating."
  • "Real symptoms aren't caused by anxiety."

Meaning and Consequences of Diseases 

  • "If I get sick I'll be in great pain and suffering."
  • "People will avoid or reject me if I get really ill."
  • "Serious diseases are everywhere."
  • "People don't recover from serious diseases."

View Self as Weak, Vulnerable or Inadequate

  • "My circulatory system is very sensitive."
  • "I need to avoid exertion because I am physically frail."
  • "Illness is a sign of failure and inadequacy."
  • "If I am ill people will abandon me."

Physicians and Medical Tests

  • "It is possible to be absolutely certain about my health."
  • "Doctors should be able to explain all bodily complaints."
  • "Doctors can't be trusted because they often make mistakes."
  • "If a doctor refers me for further medical tests, then he or she must believe that there is something wrong with me."
  • "Medical evaluations are unreliable if you don't have symptoms at the time of the test."
  • "Medical evaluations are unreliable if you don't give your doctor a complete and detailed description of your symptoms."
  • "If you're doctor simply listens to you and says, 'Your health is fine,' then the assessment can't be trusted; a reliable evaluation requires a detailed interview and lab tests."

Adaptiveness of Worry and Bodily Vigilance

  • "Worring about my health will keep me safe."
  • "I need to frequently check my body in order to catch the first signs of illness."
  • "I need to carefully watch my health, otherwise something terrible will happen."

Death, the Afterlife, and Superstitious Beliefs

  • "I'll be trapped and alone forever when I am dead."
  • "Death means I will be eternally aware of what I have lost."
  • "God makes bad people die early."
  • "If I tell myself I am healthy, then I will be tempting fate."

 

Do any of these resonate? Note that all do not need to resonate- there will be a lot of variation from one person to the next. But these are common beliefs among people with health anxiety. CBT uses a variety of techniques to help you modify dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs related to your health. 

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