340 — How to Calm Health Anxiety and Stop Googling Your Symptoms
Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy MorinShow Notes
Do you ever feel really anxious about a potential health issue? Maybe you Google your symptoms frequently. Or maybe you ask for constant reassurance or just keep checking on the same spot that hurts to see if it feels better.
Health anxiety is a common problem but sometimes people are embarrassed to talk about. But, there are some strategies that can help you regain control over your time and mental energy so you stop worrying about your health.
Some of the things I talk about are:
The four ways health anxiety shows up
"Cyberchondria," and the research showing how quickly an everyday symptom turns into something rare and terrifying in your search results.
Why the relief you get from reassurance backfires
Why you shouldn't suppress your anxiety and what you should do instead
Related Episodes
208 — Coping With Anxiety: An Anxiety Toolkit for Fast Relief
253 — How Hypnosis Could Help You Break Bad Habits, Reduce Anxiety, and Relieve Your Pain with Dr. David Spiegel
Connect with the Show
Buy a copy of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor
Sign Up for My Newsletter — https://amymorinlcsw.com/newsletter
Sponsors
Lola Blankets - Head to LolaBlankets.com and use code STRONGER to get 40% OFF your order.
AirDoctor — Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code STRONGER to get UP TO $300 off today!
One Skin — Go to oneskin.co/STRONGER and use code stronger to get up to 30% off your first 3 subscription orders
Quince — Go to Quince.com/stronger for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns!
Boll & Branch — Get 20% off sitewide at BollAndBranch.com/stronger with code stronger.
Square — Get up to $200 off Square hardware at square.com/go/STRONGER.
Dupe — Go to Dupe.com to finally feel confident about what to buy.
Subscribe to Mentally Stronger Premium for exclusive content like weekly bonus episodes, mental strength challenges, and office hours with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin
Have you ever gotten good news from a friend and felt bad instead of happy for them? Or someone in the group chat announced they’re pregnant — and instead of feeling excited, you felt a little sick to your stomach. And then you felt guilty for feeling that way, so you typed “congratulations” and moved on.
Are you always the one who reaches out first? You send the text, plan the dinner, and remember everyone’s birthday. At some point you start to wonder, if I just stopped trying, would anyone even notice?
Do you notice things other people miss , like a shift in someone’s tone or tension in the room before anyone says a word? Do you need more time to recover than the people around you, so even a fun party or a good work trip can leave you completely wiped out for days?
Are you the person everyone comes to? Someone asks you to cover a shift, join the committee, host the gathering, or help with the move, and the yes comes out before you’ve even thought about it. Then you’re driving home wondering, why did I just agree to that?
Have you ever downloaded a meditation app you swore you were going to use? Or bought a journal that's still sitting on your nightstand? Or promised yourself that starting Monday, you'd finally do that 20-minute morning routine that was going to change everything — only to abandon it a week later?