Is A Health Anxiety Forum Helpful For Mental Health?

Health anxiety is a condition that can cause anxiety regarding health conditions, even when there are no symptoms present or symptoms are mild (such as a minor headache). Often, people with health anxiety worry that they have severe illnesses, such as cancer, and seek out excessive medical testing even after tests by appropriate diagnostic clinics demonstrate that illnesses are not present. Ignoring anxiety or discrediting your feelings can make them worse over time, and the best way to address them may be with psychotherapy and medical treatment. Some people find that health anxiety forums can provide a helpful platform to connect with others and receive encouragement. Another way to find help with health anxiety online may be through an online therapy platform, where you may work with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your home. 

Health anxiety forum online

Anxiety can turn even the most mundane point of worry into something that feels overwhelming, sometimes even leading to panic attacks. Exaggerated and negative thinking can feed into a vicious circle exacerbated by real physical signs like chest pain to fluctuating blood pressure, leading to a state of seemingly ever-present anxiety. 

Googling symptoms and spending time on health and anxiety forums has the potential to become a compulsion. This can possibly be a mistake that only all your negative thoughts about possible illnesses and other things that could be “wrong with you.” 

Often, this leads to a state of feeling constantly aware of imagined possibilities, leading you to fear the most horrendous outcomes. Your mind might feel bombarded, personal friends might hear all about your fears that something is radically “wrong” with you. As you read stories online from health and anxiety forums, you might begin to fear everything from venereal diseases to brain tumors. Other symptoms might seem to manifest to the point of worrying about a range of imagined consequences all the time. 

How health and health anxiety forum are related

The fictional story described above is just one path that researching your anxiety online can lead to, but it’s more common than you might think. While they’re created to help, health anxiety forums can paradoxically exacerbate anxiety by amplifying fears and providing a platform for individuals to discuss exaggerated and negative thoughts about their health concerns. 

Potential benefits of a health anxiety forum

In general, health anxiety forums are not the same as professional treatment, and the people you talk to on forums are not usually certified mental health professionals. However, there can be many benefits to using health anxiety forums, potentially including the following: 

Discover you’re not alone

Anxiety forums enable self-reflection

Open up about your fears

A health anxiety forum can be a good place to open up about the underlying reasons why you may be anxious about your health without having to worry about being judged. You might want to discuss the diseases you’re afraid of, and if you’re worried your doctor didn’t evaluate you thoroughly enough. You might discover that other people have similar fears.

Turn to someone besides your doctor

If you are worried that something is wrong, but you do not have any serious symptoms, it can be helpful to discuss them on a forum. For example, some people may be worried that they are having a heart attack when they experience heart palpitations. If this happens frequently and your doctor has determined the heart palpitations are benign, you may save money and time by discussing your palpitations on a forum instead of at the doctor’s office. 

Learn about your anxiety

Health anxiety can be caused by an anxiety disorder called hypochondriasis, or it can be a somatic symptom disorder (SSD). SSD typically occurs when you experience prolonged physical symptoms (such as general pain or fatigue) that are worsened by anxiety. People with hypochondriasis often have underlying disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. A forum may provide you with insight into the type of health anxiety you have and therapy options that might work best for your needs.  

Find the right doctor or mental health expert

Your primary care provider should take the time to talk with you and understand your concerns. Depending on where you live, other users of anxiety forums may be able to recommend physicians that can provide informed care for patients with health anxiety and anxiety disorders. 

See a path forward

When to seek help from a mental health professional

Anxiety and serious medical problems can coexist, so it can be important to first visit your doctor and rule out any possible medical conditions. Typically, after a medical examination and physical evaluation, your doctor may offer medical advice and/or refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist who can screen you for health anxiety to make a definite diagnosis and determine a treatment plan. 

Your psychiatrist or psychologist may recommend a mixture of medications, deep breathing and relaxation techniques, healthy lifestyle habits (such as eating a healthy diet and exercising), connecting with others who have health anxiety, and psychotherapy. Do not start or stop any form of medication without the guidance of a licensed medical professional.

A specific type of psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in addressing the symptoms of health anxiety. During CBT sessions, therapists typically help you reconfigure negative thoughts and behaviors to cope with your anxiety in a healthier way. For example, if you experience chest tightening sensations, you may be worried about a serious medical condition. CBT therapists can help you interrupt a harmful thought pattern by asking you to think about the possible reasons why you’re experiencing this symptom, such as excessive stress or caffeine consumption. 

If you prefer the convenience that an online health anxiety forum provides, you may wish to seek out online cognitive-behavioral therapy. One study of 1,500 people found that online CBT can be as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health concerns, including anxiety disorders. Additionally, some people prefer online CBT, which is frequently offered through online therapy platforms, because it typically allows you to message your therapist whenever you experience symptoms that cause or are caused by anxiety.