Freedom from Health Anxiety
About this book
Discover essential skills to liberate yourself from persistent anxiety about your health.
Are you constantly worrying about your health, or the health of a loved one? Do you frequently check yourself for lumps, bumps, tingling, or pain? Do you find yourself endlessly looking up symptoms on the internet? Perhaps you find yourself asking others for reassurance or validation that you're okay, obsessing over health scares in the media, or monitoring your blood pressure on an hourly basis? No matter how your health anxiety manifests, it can be a crippling psychological burden. Endlessly ruminating about illness and death can affect all aspects of life—at home, work, school, as well as the doctor's office. And if you're obsessing over the health of a loved one, that can put tremendous pressure on the relationship.
In Freedom from Health Anxiety, nationally recognized anxiety expert Karen Lynn Cassiday teaches you skills to conquer health anxiety, once and for all. You'll learn to switch from focusing on worst-case scenarios to appreciating the joy of the present moment—regardless of health status. Using a blend of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), positive psychology, and the author's "learned inhibition" model, you'll finally acquire the tools you need to take charge of your fear and break the cycle of stressing over your—or your loved one's—well-being. You'll also learn effective methods for tolerating health uncertainty, getting in touch with your body's cues, and rediscovering the pleasure of the present.
It's time to find freedom from the obsessive fears that stand between you and true happiness. If you're ready to trade endless hours of online self-diagnosis (Goodbye, Dr. Google!) for a life filled with a genuine appreciation for each moment, this book will show you the way.
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Information
Table of contents
- Contents
- Foreword
- 1. When Is Illness Anxiety a Problem?
- 2. Why Can’t I Stop Worrying About My Health?
- 3. Dealing with Your Fears of Illness, Dying, and Death
- 4. Giving Up Reassurance-Seeking
- 5. Higher Tolerance of Uncertainty Can Decrease Your Anxiety
- 6. Dealing with Real Health Risks
- 7. Enhancing Your Recovery
- 8. What to Do When Your Health Care System Accidentally Promotes Anxiety
- 9. Express Gratitude to Build Joy and Resilience
- 10. What About Other Treatments?
- Acknowledgments
- Resources
- References
- About the Author