Managing Health Anxiety

Anxiety

Life With Anxiety: The World of "What Ifs"

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on March 5, 2026

Anxious people tend to overestimate threat. Learn how this plays out as clinical anxiety and how to change this tendency.

Anxious people tend to overestimate threat. Learn how this plays out as clinical anxiety and how to change this tendency.

Self-Help

Our Core Beliefs Impact How We Interpret and React to Things

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on March 2, 2026

If you have anxiety and self-doubt, there is more happening behind the scenes than you realize. Problematic core beliefs, assumptions, and coping strategies can make life harder.

If you have anxiety and self-doubt, there is more happening behind the scenes than you realize. Problematic core beliefs, assumptions, and coping strategies can make life harder.

Anxiety

When Tragic Stories in the News Trigger Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on February 15, 2026

When tragic news triggers health anxiety, learn CBT-based strategies to stop worst-case spirals and build more balanced, flexible beliefs about uncertainty and risk.

When tragic news triggers health anxiety, learn CBT-based strategies to stop worst-case spirals and build more balanced, flexible beliefs about uncertainty and risk.

Hypochondria

Health Anxiety and the 'Intolerance of Uncertainty'

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on October 21, 2025

The 'intolerance of uncertainty' or IU is the excessive fear of the unknown. IU is common with health anxiety. One way to improve IU is to build your tolerance of uncertainty.

The 'intolerance of uncertainty' or IU is the excessive fear of the unknown. IU is common with health anxiety. One way to improve IU is to build your tolerance of uncertainty.

Anxiety

Does Your Health Anxiety Make You Avoid the Doctor?

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on June 25, 2025

Health anxiety can lead us to avoid healthcare. One helpful way to increase your motivation to face fears is to explore the costs of avoidance.

Health anxiety can lead us to avoid healthcare. One helpful way to increase your motivation to face fears is to explore the costs of avoidance.

Hypochondria

Health Anxiety and the 'Emotional Reasoning' Thinking Error

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on June 24, 2025

Emotional reasoning is a common thinking error related to health anxiety. Learn what it looks like and discover helpful strategies for changing these thinking patterns.

Emotional reasoning is a common thinking error related to health anxiety. Learn what it looks like and discover helpful strategies for changing these thinking patterns.

Hypochondria

Improve Your Health Anxiety With Behavioral Experiments

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on February 20, 2025

If you have health anxiety, behavioral experiments are an evidence-based CBT strategy to learn how to systematically reduce your dependence on problematic behaviors.

If you have health anxiety, behavioral experiments are an evidence-based CBT strategy to learn how to systematically reduce your dependence on problematic behaviors.

Anxiety

Is the Fear of Death Behind Your Health Anxiety?

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on February 7, 2025

If you have death anxiety, you aren't alone and it can be improved. It involves tackling core fears using strategies like cognitive restructuring and exposure.

If you have death anxiety, you aren't alone and it can be improved. It involves tackling core fears using strategies like cognitive restructuring and exposure.

Anxiety

Do You Avoid the Doctor Because of Health Anxiety?

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on November 7, 2024

If you fear going to the doctor because you are anxious about your health, this behavioral strategy can help you face your fear with baby steps.

If you fear going to the doctor because you are anxious about your health, this behavioral strategy can help you face your fear with baby steps.

Anxiety

Excessive Checking: A Safety Behavior With Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on September 12, 2024

Excessive body checking is a common behavior used to cope with health anxiety. Learn how this becomes a vicious cycle and the first step to getting better.

Excessive body checking is a common behavior used to cope with health anxiety. Learn how this becomes a vicious cycle and the first step to getting better.

Hypochondria

Changing This Belief Can Improve Your Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on June 27, 2024

Health anxiety is maintained by a range of problematic beliefs. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you rewire your brain to process information in a new way.

Health anxiety is maintained by a range of problematic beliefs. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you rewire your brain to process information in a new way.

Anxiety

Your Life Experiences May Have Contributed to Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on April 9, 2024

If you have health anxiety, you may have experienced significant events in life that led to the development of dysfunctional/unhelpful core beliefs. These beliefs can be changed.

If you have health anxiety, you may have experienced significant events in life that led to the development of dysfunctional/unhelpful core beliefs. These beliefs can be changed.

Anxiety

Health Anxiety and Dysfunctional Core Beliefs

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on February 7, 2024

People with health anxiety have dysfunctional beliefs about health. These unhelpful core beliefs can be modified with cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.

People with health anxiety have dysfunctional beliefs about health. These unhelpful core beliefs can be modified with cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Health Anxiety and the Black-or-White Thinking Error

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on December 1, 2023

People with health anxiety tend to see health as a dichotomy in which one is either perfectly healthy or deathly ill. It can be helpful to learn to see health on a spectrum.

People with health anxiety tend to see health as a dichotomy in which one is either perfectly healthy or deathly ill. It can be helpful to learn to see health on a spectrum.

Anxiety

How Cognitive Biases Can Intensify Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on October 6, 2023

Do you tend to recall times when you were right about a symptom you had while ignoring all of the times you were wrong? This memory bias is increasing your health anxiety.

Do you tend to recall times when you were right about a symptom you had while ignoring all of the times you were wrong? This memory bias is increasing your health anxiety.

Anxiety

The Pie Chart Method for Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on August 29, 2023

When you have a new symptom or bodily sensation, do you assume catastrophic health outcomes? This technique might help you reconsider the likelihood of serious disease.

When you have a new symptom or bodily sensation, do you assume catastrophic health outcomes? This technique might help you reconsider the likelihood of serious disease.

Anxiety

The Vicious Cycle of Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on August 11, 2023

Those with health anxiety tend to engage in a lot of problematic thoughts and behaviors. These thoughts and behaviors can be improved with proven CBT techniques.

Those with health anxiety tend to engage in a lot of problematic thoughts and behaviors. These thoughts and behaviors can be improved with proven CBT techniques.

Anxiety

CBT for Health Anxiety: Facing Your Fears With Exposure

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on June 25, 2023

Do you get scared every time a new bodily sensation or symptom emerges? Do you engage in certain behaviors because of this fear? Exposure therapy can help.

Do you get scared every time a new bodily sensation or symptom emerges? Do you engage in certain behaviors because of this fear? Exposure therapy can help.

Anxiety

Health Anxiety: Inflating the Likelihood of Serious Disease

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on May 24, 2023

Do you find yourself assuming that every bodily symptom and sensation is due to a serious disease? This strategy can help you see bodily sensations and symptoms more accurately.

Do you find yourself assuming that every bodily symptom and sensation is due to a serious disease? This strategy can help you see bodily sensations and symptoms more accurately.

Anxiety

A Proven Strategy to Reduce Health Anxiety

Britney Chesworth PhD, LCSW on April 29, 2023

Do you believe you are weak and vulnerable to disease? You don't have to believe this forever. This cognitive restructuring technique can change your beliefs.

Do you believe you are weak and vulnerable to disease? You don't have to believe this forever. This cognitive restructuring technique can change your beliefs.