--- title: "If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help | CBT & Counselling Kent" description: "Health anxiety is an irrational worry about having an illness. Those affected by health anxiety have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea that they…" lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog/health-anxiety/#article", "headline": "If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help", "description": "Health anxiety is an irrational worry about having an illness. Those affected by health anxiety have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea that they are currently (or will be) experiencing an illness. They might spend hours on the Internet", "image": "https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/imported/health-anxiety.jpg?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80", "datePublished": "2021-05-05T14:29:30+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-05-04T16:54:30.865748+00:00", "wordCount": 919, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "CBT & Counselling Kent" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/#organization" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog/health-anxiety/#webpage" }, "isAccessibleForFree": true, "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ "h1", ".article-intro", "article p:first-of-type" ] }, "keywords": "relationship counselling, couples therapy" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help" } ] } ] --- [![CBT & Counselling Kent](/assets/logo-cbt-y7P4OEol.png)](/) - [Home](/) - [What To Expect](/what-to-expect) - We Can Help With - [Young Person Therapy](/problems/teenager-young-person-counselling) - [Our Therapists](/therapists) [Locations](/locations)- [Fees](/fees) - [Reviews](/reviews) - [FAQ](/faq) - [Contact](/contact) [Login](/auth)[Book Now](/find-your-therapist) 4.9 Rated Highly Qualified & Experienced Therapists Sessions Available Mon–Sun 8am–9pm [hello@cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk ](mailto:hello@cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk)[Call us: 01233 438 217 ](tel:01233438217)[Book Now](/find-your-therapist) 1. [Home](/) - [Blog](/blog) - If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help [Back to Blog](/blog) # If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help May 5, 2021 ![If You Have Health Anxiety | We Can Help](https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/imported/health-anxiety.jpg?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80) ## **What is health anxiety?** Health anxiety is an irrational worry about having an illness. Those affected by health anxiety have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea that they are currently (or will be) experiencing an illness. They might spend hours on the Internet researching health information. When they get a sore throat, they automatically think it could be something serious like throat cancer and dismiss the fact that it is probably the start of a cold. Even when GP tests come back negative, it only gives temporary relief before the anxiety about another symptom starts again. Although some people refuse to be examined by their doctors out of fear of discovering the worst. Others constantly seek reassurance from their GP, insisting on repeated medical tests. Visits to the A&E are also common in health anxiety. However, once seen the vicious cycle quickly resumes as new thoughts and physical sensation surface. Followed by more interpretations and more visits to doctors to try and find certainty that there is nothing wrong. ###  **What’s the difference between concern for your health and health anxiety?** If your body is sending you signs that you’re ill, it’s normal to be concerned. [Health anxiety](https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog/overcoming-health-anxiety-cbt-for-anxiety) is marked by constant belief that you have a symptom or symptoms of a severe illness. You may become so consumed by worry that the distress becomes debilitating. #### **The tell-tale signs of health anxiety** You have no symptoms, but still fear that you are ill. You misinterpret normal body sensations as serious illness despite reassurance by medical professionals that there is nothing wrong When a doctor reassures you that you don’t have an illness or a test shows you’re healthy, it doesn’t relieve your fear You find yourself constantly ‘Googling’ health information. If you read a news story about a disease, you start worrying that you have it. Your worries about your health are interfering with your life, family, work, or hobbies and activities. ### **The False Alarm** Let’s use the analogy of car alarms. A car alarm is usually set off when a criminal breaks in. However, imagine how problematic it would be if the alarm blared every time a pedestrian walked by. The car alarm would be misinterpreting innocent people as dangerous criminals. With health anxiety it is the misinterpretation of discomfort or normal bodily sensations that are viewed as dangerous. The human body is noisy and healthy human bodies produce all sorts of physical symptoms that might be uncomfortable, unexpected, and unwanted perhaps, but not dangerous. In somebody who experiences health anxiety. Normal bodily sensations produce fear and worry which can include blurred vision, increased heart rate, shallow breathing, dizziness and stomach and digestive problems.  These are normal and harmless bodily changes, but when a person believes they are symptoms of a terrible disease, it causes [anxiety](https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog/what-is-cbt-for-anxiety).  The sensations are real, but the beliefs are false. [Find a qualified therapist and book your first session](https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/find-your-therapist) whenever you feel ready. ### **Why do people misinterpret natural bodily sensations?** Sometimes misinterpretation is due to assumptions about an illness. For example, “my cousin died of cancer, it’s only a matter of time until I get it.”  Or interpret any ache as the possibility of a stroke or a heart attack. People with health anxiety might hold rigid definitions of good health, perhaps believing that any discomfort whatsoever means bad health. Anxiety is a primal mechanism leading to an urge to protect yourself from harm. Scanning the body for an illness seems like the right thing to do to defend ourselves. However, when we are preoccupied with looking for symptoms, it leads to you notice subtle sensations that you might otherwise ignore.  Therefore, when you become fixated on bodily sensations, those sensations become amplified and last longer. ### **How can counselling and CBT help?** Our therapists will help you think through where you feel your health anxiety may have begun. This is used more as a point of interest and understanding. They will then use the tools of [cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)](https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/blog/what-does-cbt-therapy-do) to help you move forward and overcome your anxiety about your health. CBT is not about encouraging you to ‘like’ the idea of being ill or to be ‘happy’ about any uncomfortable bodily sensations that you don’t happen to like. It’s about helping you understand the importance of being logical and rational and looking at fact rather than interpretation. Additionally, it’s about learning to understand – that even we don’t necessarily ‘like’ a situation, we are still able to tolerate it.  CBT helps you identify and challenge any unhealthy beliefs you may hold whilst helping you identify and reinforce a series of much more helpful and rational beliefs. By challenging your beliefs, you can change the way you think, feel and act. If you would like to make an appointment to see one of our therapists for help with overcoming health anxiety – click here to make an appointment – **Request an appointment** **Suggested self-help books** Overcoming Health Anxiety: Letting Go of Your Fear of Illness [http://bit.ly/Overcominghealthanxiety](http://bit.ly/Overcominghealthanxiety) Anxiety: Panicking about Panic: [http://bit.ly/AnxietySelfHelp](http://bit.ly/AnxietySelfHelp) Ready to talk about if you have health anxiety | we can help? Browse qualified, vetted therapists, see real-time availability, and book your first session in minutes — online or in-person. [Find your therapist →](https://cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk/find-your-therapist) No waiting lists · BACP & UKCP registered therapists · Confidential Share: [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk%2Fblog%2Fhealth-anxiety&text=If%20You%20Have%20Health%20Anxiety%20%7C%20We%20Can%20Help)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk%2Fblog%2Fhealth-anxiety)[](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk%2Fblog%2Fhealth-anxiety&title=If%20You%20Have%20Health%20Anxiety%20%7C%20We%20Can%20Help) ## Explore more from CBT & Counselling Kent - [All blog articles](/blog) - [Meet our therapists](/therapists) - [Help me choose a therapist](/find-your-therapist) - [What to expect from CBT](/what-to-expect) - [Session fees](/fees) - [Frequently asked questions](/faq) - [Practice locations in Kent](/locations) - [Contact us](/contact) ## More Articles ![Crumpled train ticket for Dover Priory to London Charing Cross on pavement, blurred people in background.](https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/signs-you-are-burnt-out-y7tx68.png?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80) September 1, 2026 [ ### Beyond Tired: The Real Signs You’re Burnt Out ](/blog/signs-you-are-burnt-out) It's more than just stress or tiredness. Burnout is a deep emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that leaves you feeling empty and detached. If you're in Kent and feel like you're running on fumes, this is for you. [Read Article](/blog/signs-you-are-burnt-out) ![Laptop on rustic desk with video call, countryside view, headphones, diffuser.](https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/online-counselling-in-kent-o3ngfa.png?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80) August 27, 2026 [ ### Is Online Counselling in Kent as Good as Meeting in Person? ](/blog/online-counselling-in-kent) It's a question we hear a lot: does online counselling really work? If you're looking for support in Kent but are unsure about therapy via a screen, this is for you. We explore the reality of how it works and why it can be just as effective. [Read Article](/blog/online-counselling-in-kent) ![Winding dirt path through a sun-dappled woodland, bordered by ferns and trees.](https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/what-cbt-counselling-5yqco6.png?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80) August 24, 2026 [ ### What CBT Counselling Actually Looks Like in Kent ](/blog/what-cbt-counselling) Wondering what to expect from CBT? If you're feeling overwhelmed and searching for practical support in Kent, this can help you understand what CBT counselling services really involve and if they are the right next step for you. [Read Article](/blog/what-cbt-counselling) [![CBT & Counselling Kent](/assets/logo-cbt-y7P4OEol.png)](/) Professional CBT & Counselling services across Kent. Supporting individuals and couples with a wide range of mental health and emotional wellbeing needs. ### Quick Links - [Home](/) - [Our Therapists](/therapists) - [Find The Right Therapist For You](/find-your-therapist) - [Contact Us](/contact) - [FAQ](/faq) - [Join Our Team](/join) - [Therapy in Maidstone](/cbt-counselling/maidstone) - [Therapy in Folkestone](/cbt-counselling/folkestone) - [Therapy in Sittingbourne](/cbt-counselling/sittingbourne) - [Therapy in Kent](/therapy-kent) ### Problems We Help With - [Anxiety](/problems/anxiety) - [Young Person Therapy](/problems/teenager-young-person-counselling) - [Bereavement](/problems/bereavement-counselling) - [Depression](/problems/depression) - [Anger Management](/problems/anger-management) - [Jealousy & Insecurity](/problems/jealousy-insecurity) ### Contact Us - 14 practices across Kent - [hello@cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk](mailto:hello@cbtandcounsellingkent.co.uk) - [01233 438 217](tel:+441233438217) © 2026 CBT & Counselling Kent. All rights reserved. · [Part of The Global Therapy Group](/our-therapy-network) [Terms & Conditions](/terms)[Privacy Policy](/privacy)[AI reference](/llms.txt)Cookie Settings ### We value your privacy We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalised ads or content, and analyse our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies. Read our [Privacy Policy](/privacy) for more information. Accept AllEssential OnlyCustomise