5 Ways to Stop the Health Anxiety Cycle 

I feel so safe and heard in this comment section. Makes me feel less crazy. We aren’t alone.

It’s so hard to ignore it because it feels like this time it’s a real threat. “What if I ignore it and it’s real this time?”

I constantly worry. I’ve been to the doctor back to back. I constantly expect hearing the worst. Please you guys. Don’t torture yourself with this. Your okay. Please calm your soul. Rest your thoughts. Trust God. We expect the worst but most times what we are worrying about don’t even be the case. Anxiety is like walking around with a umbrella everyday expecting it to rain. You’ll be okay keep your head up. Coming from a person who suffers from this terribly . I get it .

I have been diagnosed with blood cancer, skin cancer, enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction, parkinson, testicular cancer, falling teeth, blindness, arthrithis.. and several other severe illnesses, all in my imagination. God be with me, i'm so tired of being scared 24/7.

This comment section makes me feel so validated. I wish I knew you guys in person. Nobody in my real life understands

I worry about constantly being sick, thinking every minor ache and pain is cancer or something life threatening. Anxiety is genuinely the worst sickness I have had up until this point because it just doesnt feel like its going to go away. Even when I feel like it gets better, I have another setback

I served 21 years as a military combat medic. I’ve taken care of thousands of patients and the whole time I was and still am afraid of going to the doctor for fear of being told the worst. I absolutely avoid going to the doctor at all cost. I’m closing in on 50 years old and know I must soon face my fears and go get a checkup and physical. Keep me in prayer as I pray for all of you so we can live our best happy, and healthy lives.

This comment section makes me feel not alone. Health anxiety comes and goes in my life but it can be so debilitating. Especially when I don’t tell anyone because I’m basically suffering in silence. I feel as those being labeled a hypochondriac is such a negative thing and that’s why I tend to reframe from it. Thank you for your videos.

I literally cried through the last half of this. I’m ready to take control. I can’t live like this anymore. Thank you so much for the information. It’s exactly what I needed to get started in the right direction. Health anxiety is killing me more than anything I could actually be diagnosed with.

The Googling part is what destroyed me

5 things you might do in the health anxiety circle: 1. Meaning making: When having feelings, symptoms do not ask yourself: Why am I feeling this? What does that mean? - Instead say: It is just a sensation / this is anxiety speaking / just because I think stuff does not mean it's real 2. Catastrophizing: if something is uncomfortable or worrisome you take it to the extreme. - What to do instead: Label it as catastrophizing. 3. Googling - Googling can worsen your anxiety. Set a limit on reassurance seeking / consult a doctor once 4. Getting unnecessary tests 5. Seeking certainty - Accept that uncertainty is part of life Thank you Emma for these great videos

Literally crying for the 6th time today and this makes me feel better. It's torture. It's incredibly frustrating and it makes me feel crazy. I'm only 17 and health anxiety has been making me miss out on things I could be enjoying. It's worrying that I might die at any moment everyday all the time. Done an EKG and a blood test recently, nothing wrong with them. Saw two doctors (primary care and psychiatrist), primary care doctor examined me and checked my blood test, pressure, oxygenation, bpm, and told me I should see a therapist because I have severe anxiety, and she even told me my chances of dying from a heart attack or having cancer are almost impossible because of my age and lifestyle (I exercise constantly, my family doesn't have a history of those and we actually have a genetic construction that makes our immunity very high, and eat a very healthy diet; I don't drink soda for example). Psychiatrist and psychologist diagnosed me with severe anxiety, illness anxiety and OCD. Just typing this comment and seeing the hundreds of people who feel the exact same things as me is so comforting, so thanks everybody who left a comment, and thanks for the video.

Yes! I had an episode yesterday, I felt a sharp pain on my left side after working out, had a huge panic attack, kept checking my oxymeter to see if i was having an arrhythmia or heart attack, was a nightmare, couldn’t breathe and thought I was going to die, lasted almost an hour, the next day when my rational thinking returned I knew it was just muscle pain. This year alone I’ve convinced myself I’ve had skin cancer, eye cancer, heart problems, appendicitis etc… nightmare

This is so me.. After 1 symptom there's always another one, and everytime there's a new one I always think "what if this one is real??' Anybody feels the same? The anxiety and worries are controlling my life! All the tips in this video help a lot, by the way, thanks.. I think i need to watch this regularly..

I’ve had a brain hemorrhage, cancer, liver failure, an infection, and multiple strokes all week. 😊

*And there are some of us who actually DO have an illness to DEAL WITH!* But when you're on this side of the spectrum you learn one thing - YOUR MIND MAKES IT WORSE THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. People have thrived DESPITE OF THEIR ILLNESS. An illness can be the biggest eye opener to the beauty of the world! So take it from someone who is actually going through it.....not just imagining it.....and see that your worries can be used to completely transform your life and become a braver and wiser version of you! It's never the worst thing that's ever happening to you if you decide that it's not.

I went to urgent care and then 2 days later, the ER. I fully believed there was something wrong with my heart. (I’m 26 years old) I convinced myself this was it for me. I cried and cried. From the moment i woke up to the moment i tried to rest my heart was racing and I was panicking constantly. I got 2 different EKGS and 3 different blood tests. Turns out I gave myself a stomach ulcer from worrying so much. I haven’t worked in 2 weeks and was literally losing hope. Thank you so much for this. I felt like I was actually going crazy.

The comments really do not lie. I have always been anxious since I was a child. My friends and family would call me 'dramatic' followed by an eye roll. You could pin it down on being exposed to death and stressful situations whilst being really young, but since covid I haven't been the same. Covid rlly pushed me back from years of progress. Being isolated from my social life and the outside world led me into being chronically online on TikTok. The algorithm showed me people who had been diagnosed with my worst fears, telling you to 'listen to your gut'. I can't even leave the house on my own anymore. I just want to feel present and safe within my body. This video and the comments feel like a big warm hug rn.

I have diagnosed myself with many different types of cancer over the years. I have spent countless nights crying believing I’m dying. I have thought I have tumors, and poke myself around trying to see if I feel the tumors… I have thought I rather just die now instead of living like this. I cannot be there for my children the way I should from the depression and worry I’m dying. So they’d be better off without me. Not that I have thought about ending my life but I have thought I wish I didn’t wake up daily. Just forever sleep. I think loneliness has gotten the worse out of me. If I don’t worry about me I worry about my children thinking they’re the ones who for sure have a terminal illness. Living like this is worse than actually dying.

Coping mechanisms like meditating or relaxing to feel better can be troublesome also. Becoming obsessed with TRYING not to feel unwell creates rigidity and more uncertainty.

I am constantly worried about the health of my loved ones and I always imagine the worst. It's so tiring - both mentally and physically 😐

I just went to the doctor for severe palpitations and heart racing (for hours at a time). He gave me an ekg and said i have severe anxiety 😥 (ekg was normal). I spent hours researching thinking it was Atrial Fibrillation or Heart inflammation or blah blah.... health anxiety is horrible. Thank you for this video. It's helpful 💙💙

Just cried after watching this video. This is my life in a nutshell. I’m praying for better days.

I've had "difficulty breathing" on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. It felt like a mild-ish restriction in my nasal path and tightness in my chest. Told my parents how I was feeling and got rushed to the ER at 10 pm. I was given 3 nebulizer doses, anti-acid, an ECG, and an x-ray. The x-ray turned out fine. The nebulizer helped a lot in getting rid of the restriction I had in my nasal area and helping me breathe better. But, the ECG showed something slightly off. The doctors discharged me just before 1 am and told me and my parents that nothing was wrong other than something was a bit off with my ECG. They told us to refer to a cardiologist if it happens again. After that event, I can safely say that I've got HA. The next day and forth, I started monitoring my heartbeat, breathing, vision, etc.. Every small body event that used to be normal before March 8th triggered panic in me. An example would be standing up and blacking out sometimes after sitting for long periods of time. I used to ignore those temporary blood pressure drops, but now, it triggers me. In summary, I couldn't go back to my normal activities completely because I was anxious and afraid of heart issues (and other complications) after that day. On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, I woke up in the middle of the night and started focusing on my breathing. Within 5 minutes of trying to calm myself down and multiple attempts to fall back asleep, the cold sweat breaks in. My heart rate went up, my body numbed all over, had tunnel vision, and panic ensued. I thought to myself "it's happening again, I need to go to the ER" and woke up my mother. She seemed calm about it and told me to just calm down. I sat on the couch for 20 minutes and eventually calmed myself. My breathing and heart rate went back to normal and I went back to sleep with my father in the other room for company. Then came Monday, March 20, 2023, when we went to the doctor's office after searching for a cardiologist a few days before just to make sure there wasn't anything actually wrong and (hopefully) get rid of my anxiety. The doctor told me that she found nothing wrong other than something was slightly off with my second ECG on the same day (which confirms the ER doctor's findings from my first ECG). She told me that my readings were mostly normal, but, there was actually something of slight concern about my ECG and asked if we could do a 2D echo on Friday, March 24, 2023. We said yes because I had no classes on Fridays. Before we left, she reminded me "stop thinking (about your heart)" and to focus on something else or my usual activities. School helped a lot in distracting my mind, by the way. On the day of my echocardiogram, she found something different about my heart. She showed me and my mother the screen and explained that I have mild MVP (mitral valve prolapse) and mild mitral valve regurgitation (a tiny amount of blood was leaking through the valve because it isn't closing properly). After hearing the diagnosis, my heart rate went up due to panic. I thought to myself "Oh no, heart valve surgery incoming!". She saw my increased heart rate on the monitor and told me to calm down. She explained to me that mild MVP isn't a cause for concern and that many people have it too. After going back to her office for the results, she advised me to start a workout plan and to maintain a healthy diet. She once again reassured me that she, a trained cardiologist, is not worried and that I should not worry too. After that day, I felt really very relieved and happy and most of my anxiety went away. But still, there's a small piece of that anxiety and trauma that remains and it sometimes comes back to haunt me in subtle ways. Like when I go to bed or my mind isn't busy, I switch manual breathing for a few seconds and/or I try and feel my heartbeat to check if I have arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). Or when I do activities that raise my heart rate, I start focusing on it too much. If you've read this far, I salute you. I just wanted to share my experience to hopefully help kick health anxiety out of my mind. If you have tips to share, please reply. I would appreciate any help.

so true! i wish i had this video a few years back when my health anxiety was so bad i could barely move without wanting to cry. so many things i tried didn't work like mantras or meditating (which just forced me to focus on the symptoms even more). when i learned to sit with the feelings and ignore them thats when i really started to get better. i used to spend months obsessing over the same illness to the point where i never thought about anything else and felt ashamed to even talk about it because i knew it was so delusional. i would give so much meaning and power to the symptoms and try to figure out why i was feeling them. i thought if i thought about the feelings constantly then i was "overcoming my fear" LOL. it took me way too long to realize that ignoring them was the only course of action because it got to a point where i basically trained my brain to think that if i feel an uncomfortable sensation im unable to function. teaching myself that i can live despite uncomfortable symptoms was a lot of hard work but it paid off so much. now i can immediately sense that initial wave of anxiety that tells me to google things and look for reassurance and instead of acting on it i just let it be and acknowledge that its just my brain being silly. it feels so good to have that power back. really great video! and to anyone reading this whos going through the same thing, it REALLY does get better. in 2017 my health anxiety was so bad i considered checking myself into a mental hospital every day because the delusion was so severe. a few years later im doing so much better and thats without any therapy! i did it all by myself! if you're too poor to afford therapy there is STILL hope. i did it and you can too!

Have been suffering for as long as I remember. Constantly checking symptoms and terrified of a potential fatal health incident. Keep making videos like this to help us who feel this way. It is crippling.

This comment section helps me know I'm not alone! In the past month I've convinced myself that I had three different cancers, eye disease, and a neurological disorder. It is so exhausting constantly worrying and googling my symptoms. I've suffered from anxiety for over a decade but within the last 6 months it has turned into health anxiety and catasrophizing. Really hoping that this will go away.

I'm so glad you talked about that feeling of doom. I used to get these panic attacks in the middle of the night. I was convinced I was being warned I was going to die. I would literally sob. It went on for a while until I told my husband who was like, "You need to see a therapist." It did not even occur to me that it was a panic attack. I wish this was talked about more openly... especially in religious communities, where those types of feelings can be blurred with what you believe are warnings or promptings or whatever you want to call them.

This is me! Struggling with health anxiety for months. Never used to think about it at all.

I watched another video on Health Anxiety here on YT about 4 people who had severe health anxiety in the UK. One young lady was convinced she had or was going to get cancer because her father died of cancer. She did all 5 of the things Emma mentions in this video.... She was a complete nervous wreck who constantly wanted 100% re-assurance that she was OK. The therapist she was working with told her "You fear cancer taking away your life...There IS SOMETHING taking away your life (health anxiety), but it's not cancer". Wow! so true!!

I’m a 26 year old male and I never had health anxiety until 2018. Here’s an example that #5 absolutely validates: I recently had a fellow I do business with tell me that people my age “need to watch out for testicular cancer”. It triggered me, of course, and I began to exam myself after googling. I discovered something known as the “epididymis”, and immediately thought it was a lump (catastrophize). I went to my D.O. (Physician), who is also a male, and asked him to examine me to see what I was feeling. He felt around and said it was normal anatomy. Now, my mind is racing thinking: “what if he didn’t feel EXACTLY what I’ve been feeling, and he missed it during examination?” So, in short, no it does not help to seek reassurance constantly. It can throw you in another cycle of hell. But, as my good friend who is an ophthalmologist told me, “Chad, are you really going to question a man who attended medical school and residency?” Just relax. I’m trying as hard as you are!

I love this comment section. Everyone is so supportive of one another. I pray that we all get through this together one day at a time

I've been going through some health stuff recently. Having loads of tests and waiting for results. The whole process has triggered my anxiety in a way that I never thought possible. I am a nervous wreck. I've been down the path of googling many many times in the last few months and it has definitely added fuel to the fire. After this video i'm going to try my hardest to limit this and to stop catastrophising. Sending positive thoughts to you all.

I've struggled a lot with health anxiety the last 10 yrs. A big issue for me is feeling nauseous and having stomach aches. For me, when some new sensations arise out of nowhere, it's not that i necessarily believe i have stomach cancer or some other serious problem, it's just that the possibility is terrifying. I'm forced to consider my own mortality and that sooner or later i will in fact die. The mere possibility that i may have a serious problem is enough to stress and depress me a lot. I usually end up thinking that if it doesn't go away then I can't keep ignoring it long-term just in case it is serious, and so I'll have to eventually see doctor. The prospective stress of making appointments and having tests is very unpleasant. So i end up telling myself it's probably nothing and really hoping the symptoms will go away on their own, and i wait weeks before eventually giving up and going to the doctor. It's just really hard when you're terrified of dying and the mere possibility of a serious problem is enough to derail you.

“In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalms 94:19

I've had multiple tests, been to multiple doctors and everything is normal. Yet I can't stop feeling that something is wrong😔 It's so disruptive. I feel unable to do daily tasks. This is very helpful. Thank you.

"It's just the anxiety, it's not me." This line helped me a lot.

I've been watching doctors talking about diabetes, heart attack, stroke for 3 days. My health anxiety is extremely high right now.

I'm watching and crying saying "yeess!". It's so relatable and I feel so emotional hearing someone talking about how I feel daily, like omg finally someone who gets it. Thank you...

We actually have too much unverified medical information on the internet. I was panicking recently about a blood test I took. Many internet articles made it sound like I was about to die soon. Subsequent blood testing showed that it was a false reading affected by fasting and other factors. We need to be very careful when we read medical articles without any medical training or experience.

I’m going through it bad right now. I’ve gone from worrying that I have some sort of undetected heart condition, type 2 diabetes and then ALS this week alone. I’m somewhat uplifted by the fact I’m clearly not alone. God bless you all.

My health anxiety has gotten really bad in the past couple of months. I have something that, since I was young, made me worry that I could have cancer. But it was never too big of a deal until I graduated, then my fears got really bad to the point where the stress started causing stomachaches and making it to where I struggled to eat. It caused this awful cycle of stress causing sickness, me thinking the sickness is a sign of something severe, and getting even more sick from the stress those thoughts caused. I finally worked up the courage to tell somebody about my fears, and the stress and stomachaches eased pretty soon after. I had spent so much time dwelling on those little thoughts and fears that I didn’t realize I had made a monster out of something small. Getting a little bit of reassurance went such a long way in helping. Unfortunately, the thoughts are starting to come back (or I wouldn’t be here), but I’m hoping I can get a better rein on them this time. I’m only 18. I recently moved to a place where I can finally work on healing and overcoming the problems I struggle with. I just want to live a happy life where I don’t spend every day with the lurking thought that I could be dying.

I'm recovering from my most recent health scare. I've been able to sleep well for the past two weeks and I'll still sometimes get the thought of "what if it is cancer?" and my heartrate goes up. I'm usually by myself when these intrusive thoughts kick in and I like to audibly tell myself "calm the f*ck down. You're not dying. The doc said that the cancer you think you have is not common for someone that young. Your blood test came back good and the doc deemed further testing uneccessary and not worth it considering how expensive they are. You're good. Now you're gonna chill the f*ck out and focus your time on what you're doing right now." I know talking to myself seems weird but it helps me a lot. I'll go over that same paragraph in my mind whenever I'm in public and that helps put me at ease. I thought I was dying of Brain Cancer during my first health scare about 4 years ago and I like to think, about how if I really did have it, I'd be dead by now or cripplingly sick.

I've been dealing with health anxiety for almost three months...But I'm Glad that I'm not alone.

This was just uploaded today and I have been struggling with health anxiety for over a month now, since I recovered from COVID and was left with the strange neurological after effects, such as loss of taste and smell, anxiety, fatigue, and brain fog. Since my recovery, I have just had several panic attacks, two of which sent me into the ER, where I thought something was seriously wrong with me. I had chest pains, shortness of breath, and feeling like I was going to pass out. The ER told me I was fine after EKG's and vital tests, but never mentioned anxiety or panic attacks. My primary care doctor diagnosed me with anxiety last week and placed me on a medication for when such panic attacks happen. I am also beginning counseling within a few weeks. I cannot thank you enough for uploading this video at this time. A total coincidence, I know, but this truly helped. Health anxiety is scary to live with and I hope to one day reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am Healthy...I am happy, healthy and strong. I love myself...I love and approve of myself.

I'm here because I am worried about my health this past few weeks I secretly go to the hospital to check if I am okay and turns out I am okay but then I can't stop worrying because I have no energy to entertain myself or go outside but the overthink and be pessimistic every day. Comments are so nice and helpful. Thank youuu

I didn’t even realise just how common this was! I felt silly ever telling anyone what I was going through! I’ve suffered for about 10 years since I lost a family member and I haven’t been the same since. I must have convinced myself I’ve had over 100 illnesses over this time and it still continues. I’m exhausted but hopeful more help videos will give me pointers on how to manage my brain better, sending love to everyone in the same boat right now. X

Needed to hear this today ❤ recently watched my mum pass of cancer and my health anxiety is actually getting in the way of me grieving because I’m constantly worrying that I now have cancer and I’m terrified of going through what my mum went through. So selfish and it’s so time I sorted this awful debilitating condition out and started living my life. Thoughts go out to everyone that experiences this. We’ve got this!!

For a lot of years i had depression and anxiety and in the last 12 months I've got better:) I still have a lot of problems, but, i do not take pills anymore and I don't have panic attacks:)

Can’t go to doctors because I’m scared of getting a diagnosis. On the time that I have gone, waiting for results is paralysing

My health anxiety has been playing up these past few days in preparation for a doctors appointment next week, I really, really needed this today so thank you! This calmed me down a lot 😊

ive had a lot of health anxiety the past 2 years. Started with my heart because i felt it beating a little fast, had a full cardiologist appointment and everything was fine. Then i started obsessing over this lump in my mouth and swore i had mouth cancer at age 17. And now its back to my heart because it was beating fast when i was having a panic attack but i swear im gonna drop dead any day now due to a heart attack but im only 18. I have missed out on so much already in my life due to fear and i cant do it anymore! Im finally learning how to win back my happiness and just go with the flow! Your channel has helped me so much! Thank you!

I come back to this video when my health anxiety is at my peak and I always calm down hearing you speak. Thank you so much.

Thanks for this video. This type of anxiety controls my life massively, my biggest problem is that I fear of illnesses caused by stress, so I try super hard not to stress which causes me extremely stressed -_-. I hate this cycle and I haven't yet found anything that would help me.

Every time my health anxiety is at its worst, I come to your video and it makes me feel better ❤ Thank you for doing what you do!

I’ve been dealing with this on a pretty severe level for about a full year. I am so thankful for you and your channel. I know this is gonna sound cheesy, but this is literally life changing for me. God bless you and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Sometimes a health anxiety can come from a place of trauma and neglect. When I was 18 I had a severely sore stomach. I went to drs to get treatment and ED when I was throwing up to the point of bile. My records show that I asked for help about 12 or 13 times over the course of 6 years. Turns out after I finally had a scan that I had gallstones and they were gallbladder attacks I was having. The lack of care has made me angry and anxious towards the healthcare system and its something I'm trying to work on. Years and years of physical pain with no answers.... it was hell. I'm not trying to use this as a justification for my behavior but for some I guess it's a bit more of a longer multi-layered journey. Thank you so much for your advice and it is such a helpful resource, as usual.

Thanks for this video! It has given me some important tools. I never worried about health until I was diagnosed with cancer 7 years ago and had to do radiation and chemo. I've had no recurrence, but when you've gone through that it's like someone broke into your house and almost killed you. You begin to check and double check doors and windows, you listen to every sound and wonder if someone else is trying to get in. That's the cycle I am in. Part of me tells me that I'm just being legitimately concerned, the other part of me says I am making too much out of it. And just about the time I get calmed down, something will pop up in social media about someone diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer because they felt a small symptom and ignored it. Cycle begins again. Think this video will help.

My health anxiety is extremely crippling. I can’t drive, I can’t leave the house, I can’t sleep, or eat, or watch tv, or hang out with family… literally there’s not a single thing I can do that gets my mind off the fear of getting sick or a loved one getting sick. On top of that I am constantly feeling my body for lumps and bumps, I’m beyond scared of cancer. My neck is my worst trigger area, I have gerd and have always had globus sensation, but since my anxiety has worsened over the years, the globus sensation drives me insane. I constantly press my throat trying to feel for nodules, I go to the bathroom every hour to see what the back of my throat looks like with my flashlight on. It’s a horrible cycle because the globus sometimes will not go away, that alone makes my anxiety sky rocket on top of the constant checking. At that point the only that that makes it go away is sleeping, but when I try to fall asleep my mind won’t stop racing and I get shivers and anxiety shakes. I take melatonin and Benadryl every night but it stopped working. When I do fall asleep it’s no more than 4 hours and every single time I wake up I’m in full panic mode. Heart racing, sweaty, cold sweats, upset stomach, constant feeling of dread… it’s LEGIT crippling. I just want to feel normal and at peace.

I'm guilty of catastrophizing regarding my health, even though I have some real health problems. I do google searches, multiple medical tests, etc. I appreciate your channel so much! You've given me some tools to help overcome this.

Holy, I needed to hear this... I have been driving myself wild... My latest anxiety is that I have MS...before that it was just about every type of cancer. What I have realized is that it will always be something...some new test to do... I will use these tools and have a much more enjoyable life, and get to keep more money in my wallet.

I can not believe you did a video about this I really needed this.. I’ve been having so much fear about literally everything and been noticing literally every little sensation in my body

what i learn the most in this phase is that when you have health anxiety and then you try too hard to make it go away and that make it even worse …. another one is what i experience when we feel good … we starts focusing too much on ‘ am i feeling better ?’ … ‘ yes, iam finally feeling better, yaay 🎉🎉’ and that anxiety hits again and you are like ohh man it comes again and again we feel more stressed and depressed and it becomes an infinite loop hole …. the things might help as she said that just stop reassuring everytime you feel good or bad … just go with the flow … things that help you 1) breathing exercises 2) bringing positive thoughts no matter how you feel . 3) physical exercises ( its hard initially because when do this it keeps up your heartbeat and it can freaks you out) 4) acceptance that this is temporary and it will go one day 100% 5) ( most important) live in the moment , go out as much as possible , face your fears , do the things you think you cant do , laugh freely and have good time with friends/family/colleagues ….. go on trips , just understand this is just a phase not your entire life . 😊😊✌️✌️. i hope it helps to someone who needs it. have a great time ahead. ❤❤

this video came just at the right time! I have been worrying so much about my stomach lately that it even drove me to panic attacks! Thank you so much for all your content

A few years ago I had convinced myself I was going to have a stroke I was having genuine feelings of pins and needles rushing down my from the top of my head down the left side of my face, I ended up ruining and family holiday and having to come home early because of it the moment I had calmed down the sensations went away. It’s crazy how strong the brain is and what it can make you feel

I'm so happy I've found this channel, bc I'm already anxious sharing my fears with my loved ones, bc always they say " It's "just" stress, and in your head" Probably they're right, but when I have these feelings all I want is a cozy hug and someone to say that "youre safe and everything's gonna be alright" Which we porbably haven't heard much in our childhood, or even if we heard it, somehow it didn't end up okay, and couldn't trust the person or situation. I started to have Health Anxiety and Anxiety in general around the time before Covid started. I've always been a deep empath, and has felt everyone's feelings anyway. But seeing the news, with Virus, War, Global Waming...and so on..It's not helping. By that time I was moving away from home, at the timing of the World going crazy, and me trying to be independent for the first time in my life, was on the same schedule unluckily. I feel everything. And bc of this, I developed something really weird, I can cause myself acke especially tooth or gum pain, or even muscle pain that is massive and can stay for 1-3 month even. Everytime if I have a massive stress factor, it lasts forever. If I'm not having a massive stress factor it lasts maybe for a few days. I'm obsessed going to doctors, and I'm really curious of their job. But I wish one day they'll be prepared not only your phyical symphtomps, but they might say like " Miss, Your body is healthy, but you migh have health anxiety, heres this meditation video that might help.." I'm living as healthy as possible, no smoke alochol..etc. But I'm tired of this. I want to turn my anxiety to the positive way, to heal myself instead. My fear, probably all of us rooted in childhood at some point. When we're not feeling safe in our environment, where supposed to be love and care, then we all develop something to survive. Might be a one time trauma or a constatnly unsafe, or untrusful home and it hits. And when we're growing up, and getting older, around 30 you hear people start to talk old. I'm avoiding it, bc I'm not old, and even when I'll be 60 I won't think I'm old. I don't wanna live in the mindset that when I reach 30 my life will go lower, my health, my beauty, my career...and so on... One of my biggest question, is that why we're doing this to ourselves?! Bc clearly it doesn't help, it doesn't make us happier, and we feel really lonely with this, bc as often you mention to someone like, " I had a severe head acke, I'm worried it might mean something, or a belly acke, a tooth pain, a gum burning, a mole that might look weird if you zoom in, a sudden blood stain, or even just something like something went in your eye, or you swallowed something, or a muscle hurts, and you can't even lift your arm up, even tough you didn't do any sport yesterday...and these things. So why we're doing this? Yes it's a somehwat scary world, and yes we all going to pass away at some time, and yes it's scary. What I noticed that I see some people That has something medically worryable thing, and they litearally couldn't care less. They always say something like " aa a broken rib?! sure it will heal..idc.." Or the other types, who constantly complaining about everything, how bad life is, how unlucky they're..drowning down everyone in the 1km circle area. In my opinion, I think we should keep supporting, and undertsanding each other. And be positive as much as we can. So I hope if you read my comment, you won't feel alone in this. And we can heal!

For some reason, I have a cycle where about every three years or so, I go into a deep spiral of health anxiety (usually it's when I get a sports injury - aggravated tendon = certain death). I do EVERYTHING on the list in this video. I've been in the midst of a cycle until I found this video took extensive notes and forced myself to stop googling altogether. Now, it's receding. Thank you so much. You've increased my quality of life so much in just 16 minutes.

I had a mole on my chest for years that did not look "right". People told me to get it checked. I finally did in late 2019, and it was a melanoma. It was very early stage and removed without incident, but since then, I have not been able to get my health anxiety in check. I never thought the worst, then the news on my mole biopsy was cancer, which I saw as the worst (even though the outcome was way better than it could have been). Since then, it changed my thinking. Now stomach pain is stomach cancer, headaches are brain tumors, etc. etc. It's like once cancer was real, what is to stop it from not being real again? I go to the dermatologist every 6 months now, and things are all normal physically, but mentally I have never recovered from the what-if thinking. I really appreciate videos like this one, and people in the comment section letting me know that I am not alone here. I still have good days and bad days. It is a full on fight for me not to Google every little symptom I have, which almost always lead to symptoms of a serious illness. So much of what was said in this video rang so true with me. Again, much appreciated!

I've never had this but recently got struck bad with this one. Of course it started with googling a symptom I had for weeks and hearing stories of worst case scenarios. The symptom is gone (why would I go to the doctor again to check) but I'm left dealing with the anxiety. It makes sense that our brains get stuck in these thought patterns but we can unlearn it!!! 13:49 was so simple yet incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for sharing it! For me praising God also helps drive fear out. I've had other types of anxiety that took years to manage with mindfulness and with praise it has been much faster. Not only do I switch my focus from myself to God but it also bring joy. I know it's not always easy. Don't identify with fearful thoughts (you observe your thoughts, you are not your thoughts) and set your mind on things above (God's goodness) ❤

I have actually ruined some of the most beautiful moments of my life bcoz of this health anxiety and after decades I am still alive no big issue and still worried .PLEASE DONT DO THIS TO UR SELF !!! You are all fine😁

I’m new to this channel and I’m so very thankful I have found it. I’ve had bouts of nausea for about 3 years, random chest sensations and I assume the worst from all of it. As others have said, it’s exhausting!

I had chest pains with GERD a month ago and every second since then I have been trying to get my mind off my health. I have convinced my self it was everything from cancer to HIV to organ failure. I have been to three docs since had blood tested had EKG and every one said im ok... i still have panic attacks and dont stop. I'm tierd and im exhausted from it all. Plz don't stress

"What we focus on we get more of..." thank you ma'am 😊

This is just what I needed right now as my anxiety has gotten worse again. Thank you!

Wow this was so powerful! I found myself immersed in this. I’ve been having some major health anxiety and depression. I started having digestive issues that came out of nowhere and I was obsessed with finding out what’s wrong. I’ve done so many tests with normal results but I still have some issues both mentally and physically. I’ve learned to kind of accept things as they are, & seek professional help for things but also to enjoy what is going on in my present life. I try to tell myself “this amazing thing is happening at this time, even when some other things still exist.”

Thank you so much for this - I've dealt with health anxiety for years and get nothing but judgment whenever I try to talk about it. Really appreciate your straightforward, non-judgmental approach 💕

This is a well done introduction with useful strategies for health anxiety. Thanks. Health anxiety falls under the OCD umbrella. I did a lot of ERP work this summer while in a PHP program because of health anxiety disorder. Thankfully I'm on the other side of it at the moment. To all who struggle with Health Anxiety, I wish you well!

Thanks so much Emma! Been struggling with severe health anxiety for over 1.5 years now. Hearing you speak about it does give me a sense of comfort.

this video screamed my namee I've been struggling with health anxiety for the past month :(

I never thought that I would ever be afraid of anxiety. I’ve always had it, as a young child, but never paid attention to it. I’m 25 and I recently started to have health anxiety. Maybe I’ve had it for a while and never paid attention to it. Basically brushing it off. But after watching this video, after experiencing symptoms over the past months on my health changes. I’m constantly googling the symptoms, immediately thinking and feeding my brain that it’s breast cancer. I constantly googled on Reddit, to see if other females have felt either symptoms. I haven’t gotten checked, my appointment to get checked is in 2 weeks. I’m praying constantly, crying to god, I cried myself to sleep for 3-4 days straight thinking I have breast cancer, because of me googling my symptoms. I’m a big reader, I love to read self care, self help books, I love listening to motivating podcasts, etc. so I’m one to actually listen to change my ways of thinking, reactions, etc. I stop my life and I get numb after feeling something in my body. In general. I tend to google right away so I can see if I can be relieved right after. When in reality like how she mentioned, I’m feeding my brain worse things. I’m relieved for a minute but in reality I’m throwing more wood into the fire. I get scared to know exactly what I’m feeling. I did blood work about a month ago, everything came back normal. And I’m hoping in 2 weeks everything comes back normal, I’m praying and hoping that I’m okay. I’m glad I saw this video, because it made me think differently on how to stop and control my health anxiety. It’s no joke. I was always one to not really Believe in “anxiety” always commenting “you’re fine!!” “You’re overthinking so much” “stop shaking” etc. when now, I’m one to feel those exact emotions. Now being in that bubble, with those exact emotions, physical feeling, heart palpations. I now realize it’s not easy..

I've been formally diagnosed with GAD and Hypochondria for many many years. I've never read (and I've read a lot) or being introduced to anything this good! You're amazing. You're clear and give off a sense of peace. Wow. I've subscribed to your RU-vid AND podcast! Thank you so much for this.

I am so thankful I found your channel. You are helping me navigate the scary world of living with anxiety. Thank you!

Thank you sooo much. I still call it Hypochondria. This is exactly what I needed to see. I have fears like any normal person but I do feel like since the beginning of the pandemic it has elevated greatly. I see it in reverse though, whenever anyone is sick I automatically think of Covid and then I fear exposure.

I’m 22 and I suffer from chronic health anxiety. I grew up with high blood pressure. By the time I was 17 I was convinced I had heart failure, I had all the symptoms. Mostly phantom but after seeing a cardiologist and getting imaging it turns out I was ok after all. Now, I used chewing tobacco for 4 years and I stopped but boy did it mess up my throat and mouth. So the constant worry of cancers all over there and seeing doctors that would look and tell me I’m ok everything is normal. Now I’m on to a new worry, lung cancer that has spread from testicular cancer so I’m short of breath and I have pains all over my abdomen (again, mostly only when I think about it) hell, I don’t even have a cough but the “pain” is there. I’m sure nothin is really wrong but it’s the thought of “what if it is” it really makes life rough. This video really helped me. I contacted every doc I could to be looked at and I’m going to stay off WebMD. According to WebMD I was dead last month lol.

I’ve had health anxiety for years now. I always felt like I was going to die soon (even though I’m only 17), but I didn’t dare to go see a doctor because I was so certain to get the worst news possible and if that would be the case I would rather not know. But recently I’m googling my symptoms multiple times a day and even losing interest in social activities. This seriously drains me, but this video and comment section do help me a little.

Spent the past 2 weeks of my life convincing myself that acid reflux was actually agnia/a heart attack despite having tests multiple time and all coming back fine apart from a fast heart rate that calmed down as soon as I calmed my anxiety down.

You nailed me to a tee! So glad to hear that these things that I have dealt with almost all of my life actually have names. Also, REALLY liked the suggestions you gave for dealing with this problem. I have "saved" this and plan to watch it several times. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with the public and for FREE (unheard of these days). I hope you are repaid times ten in many ways, especially in health and happiness!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU specifically for this video! I watched many other of your videos and they were super helpful. But this one is special to me because it talks about the problem I'm dealing with since the sudden death of my Mum. Many people don't understand my fears, they call me hypochondriac etc.and I'm so tired of explaining them that I don't imagine these things for fun or how much I actually suffer. THANK YOU ONCE MORE!!!

This was great! I use to be such a hypochondriac. Use to Google everything, watch RU-vid videos about whatever was going on, self diagnose, call the doctor, etc. Learning to stop this behavior has helped my anxiety decrease. I even had more time in my day to do other things.... Thank you.

This is very helpful. Thank you so much! This just came at the right time because I have been having so much anxiety over my health recently, to the point that I always cry when it's quiet. My mind becomes too noisy and I begin spiralling because I start to believe my thoughts. I also ask myself constantly, "Why am I feeling this way?" Especially if my sensation is something I never felt before. My mom keeps telling me that I should be strong because I have a long road ahead of me and I have much to face in the future. I still am feeling anxious over my health, and have been unable to sleep peacefully for the past week. But I believe this is temporary. And this video inspired me to channel my energy into something I can be proud of. Thank you!! ❤️

I’m using RU-vid for almost 10 years, and this my very first comment on a video. just to say Thank you from the bottom of my heart, god bless you and your family, and may you have endless peace and happiness, your video touched me, helped me, and most importantly gave me hope, it was like an anti-depressant in a video form. Truly thank you ♥️

I've never had had healthy anxiety before. But that all changed when my mom died of cancer 2 years ago. Since then, i've been battling it. I want to get better, and I am healing one day at a time. Thank you so much for this video.

Can relate. When i feel some sensation in my groin i immediately conclude ‘i have ovarian cancer’

I have been ill for about a month.I visited the hospitals many times. As you said I had so many blood tests and others to have certainty and feel safe. Then, it turned out that I needn't have them. Thanks for your video. It was on time.

Thank you so much Emma!!😊😊😊 I've been torturing myself with health anxiety for such a long time. When my anxiety was starting to affect my loved ones, I realized that this really needed to stop.😢 Will be accepting the uncertainty of life from now on!!🙂 Thank you!

I gained a very unhealthy level of health anxiety after getting COVID on Christmas Eve. It has gotten to the point that I feel physically anxiety (almost full blown panic attacks sometimes) because of it but these videos are helping pull me out of that hole I put myself in. Anyone dealing with this or anything anywhere close, stay strong. We can, indeed, pull through.

I gained a lot of clarity from this thank you! I've kind of developed this habit of reacting to my sensations for so long that when I feel a sensation it triggers my fight or flight response so quickly and that adrenaline rush makes me perceive the sensation as something dangerous. It just happens so quick! And I notice this health anxiety problem is a lot worse when I'm in public because I almost feel like this extra pressure of not wanting something bad to happen to me in public because of the embarrassment I would feel lol

I have had the worst medical anxiety over the last year not only for myself but for my husband and kids. Thank you for these tips and I’m hopeful it will let!

Thank you for making this. I have been suffering from Health Anxiety for three months now and it's been hell. I went to the emergency room out of NOWHERE because of a fast heart rate, and they said it was sinus tachycardia. After that I would get chest pains, tightness in my throat, or arm pains. I would constantly think I was having a heart attack. And I would Google my symptoms. After that I started to experience vertigo and weird swaying and thought that I had a brain tumor. It was exhausting. But these are all in my head. I know it. I'm still trying to recover and I believe will soon best this.