Health anxiety involves a persistent fear that something is physically wrong, even when there’s little or no medical evidence to suggest it.
Health Anxiety
What is health anxiety?
It often shows up as a preoccupation with bodily sensations, frequent checking, reassurance-seeking, or repeated visits to doctors - yet the fear never truly feels resolved.
This kind of anxiety can be deeply distressing. The mind goes into overdrive - catastrophising symptoms, scanning for danger, and imagining worst-case scenarios. Physical sensations (like a flutter in the chest, a headache, or fatigue) can trigger panic and intrusive thoughts, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.
At The Knightsbridge Practice, we understand how exhausting and isolating health anxiety can be. You're not making it up - and you're not alone. Therapy offers a space to feel understood and to explore what’s beneath the worry, with compassion and care.
Common signs of health anxiety
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Constant worry about having a serious illness
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Frequent checking of the body for symptoms
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Googling symptoms or seeking repeated medical reassurance
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Difficulty being reassured even after test results or doctor visits
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Avoiding health information or places (like hospitals) due to fear
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Physical symptoms caused or worsened by anxiety itself
How therapy can help
Health anxiety is often rooted in a fear of loss, uncertainty, or not being in control. Therapy can help you understand the emotional layers beneath the worry and learn how to live with more ease and trust. Support may include:
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Understanding how anxiety affects the body and mind
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Challenging catastrophic thoughts and reassurance-seeking behaviours
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Learning how to respond to uncertainty without spiralling
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Exploring underlying fears, such as vulnerability, mortality, or past health experiences
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Developing body trust and emotional regulation