Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety

Professional hypnosis treatments for health anxiety (hypochondria) at the Wombourne Clinic in Wolverhampton

What is Health Anxiety?

Health Anxiety is the newly adopted name for what used to be called “Hypochondria” and is characterised by an almost constant pre-occupation with the physical well-being of one’s own health – most frequently this will take the form of constant reviewing of how one feels.

This hyper-vigilance of “feedback” from the body, for example, heart palpitations, headaches, stomach murmurs and so on can become very obsessive.

People suffering Health Anxiety will almost certainly make regular visits to the local A&E when they experience one of their symptoms and will invariably be assured that “there is nothing wrong with them” by the medical staff there!

Despite the reassurances, however, sufferers will continue to believe that they genuinely have something wrong with them that the doctors are missing.

Additionally health anxiety sufferers will spend many hours screening the internet to try and find out as much as they can about what their bodily symptoms could possibly ‘mean’ to verify their idea that the medical profession have simply not understood the complexity of their problem.

Health Anxiety Symptoms

Health anxiety can manifest through a variety of common symptoms and behaviours that deeply impact daily life.

Individuals often experience excessive worry about having a serious illness, leading to frequent checking of their bodies for signs of disease, such as palpitations, dizziness, or chronic pain.

This hyper-awareness can result in avoidance of situations that might trigger health concerns, leading to social withdrawal.

Many suffering from health anxiety may also spend extensive time researching symptoms online, which often exacerbates fears rather than alleviating them.

Other typical behaviours include making repetitive doctor appointments despite reassurance or even expressing frustration over perceived dismissals by healthcare professionals.

Ultimately, these actions reflect a cycle of anxiety that can trap individuals in a constant state of fear and uncertainty about their health.

You can find out if you are experiencing the symptoms of health anxiety by taking the health anxiety quiz on the Tranceform Psychology site here (opens a new window).

What Could Cause Health Anxiety?

Health anxiety often develops from a combination of past experiences and present circumstances that shape an individual’s perception of their health and well-being.

Individuals may have faced significant life events, such as the loss of a loved one, chronic illness in childhood, or experiences of trauma, that can create an enduring fear of vulnerability or loss of control over their health.

Additionally, societal pressures and cultural narratives surrounding illness can contribute to a heightened awareness and hyper-focus on bodily sensations.

For some, the impact of observing loved ones struggle with health issues can trigger a pattern of worry and over-sensitivity to their own physical signals, leading to a cycle of anxiety where reassurance from healthcare professionals is insufficient to ease their fears.

Understanding these underlying experiences is crucial for addressing health anxiety, as they often inform the beliefs and behaviours that perpetuate the anxiety cycle.

Hypnotherapy for Health Anxiety

Hypnotherapy offers a powerful approach to empowering individuals in overcoming Health Anxiety by tapping into their innate strengths and resources.

Hypnotherapy for health anxiety encourages self-help, akin to other therapeutic practices, and typically requires between six and ten sessions to delve into how past experiences, core beliefs, and values have contributed to the development and persistence of anxiety.

The relaxing nature of hypnosis facilitates the exploration of memories and experiences linked to Health Anxiety, enabling you to re-evaluate them for more positive responses and outcomes.

Health Anxiety Hypnotherapy for Young Adults

Research into 18–25-year-olds seeking therapy found that there are a number of barriers to help-seeking including difficulty identifying the problem, concerns about stigma, preference for self-reliance and uncertainty about where to go for help.

At Wolverhampton Hypnotherapy we have developed two distinct pathways to address these specific limitations, firstly a page dedicated to hypnotherapy for young adults and secondly, a page outlining how parents can help their son or daughter access therapy without taking-over or imposing the need for therapy upon them.