Dealing with Health Anxiety: Coping Strategies

How do you guys not let it get to your head though? Like for example, I woke up with my knees hurting and I was just like oh I wonder what this could be

All the time, especially over the past year. It’s been difficult to separate real symptoms from imagined symptoms and to figure out what I need to see a doctor for. Lately, I’ve blocked Mayo Clinic and WebMD on my phone so I stop googling symptoms. I’ve found that avoiding my triggers like the news has really helped me.

I deal with this frequently & has also gotten worse over the past year. What helps me sometimes is looking around and seeing all these healthy people, I remind myself “look, they’re all doing fine. They’re healthy and I probably am too”. Eating healthy & Exercise/ working out helps me feel like my body is strong and healthy (I.e. less likely to fall to injury or illness). Just some thoughts ❤️

i used to deal with it really really badly, & honestly what i've learned with anxiety/hypochondria, it definitely takes some time to learn how to cope. you should keep telling yourself that you're okay, bc when you say it a lot, you start to believe it! continuing to reassure myself, taking deep breaths & closing my eyes through panic attacks, making sure i'm not overstimulating my senses (smells, touches, etc.), and making sure that im going to bed at a decent time has really helped me. mine flares up at night, so having an earlier bedtime is important when coping. i also took effexor to help with my anxiety/hypochondria and it helped immensely! if you're comfortable with medications that's definitely one i'd recommend. i hope that helps!!!

Idk how to help with the coping thing but I def have it. Like I’m so concerned about what to expect anymore and it’s so hard. I just feel like I expect some illness or if there’s a tiny pain in my body, I always assume the worst.