Health anxiety in the age of Google

Specialist CBT therapy for anxiety, OCD, depression and more in West London

A symptom search can sometimes be useful, but it can also lead to hours of reading, comparing and trying to feel certain. This blog cannot decide whether a bodily sensation needs medical attention. New, severe, persistent or worrying symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional. If there is an emergency, use urgent or emergency services. Some people notice a pattern in which a sensation prompts a search, the search brings more possibilities, and anxiety rises rather than settles. That pattern may be relevant to health anxiety, but it is not a diagnosis and it does not mean the physical experience is imagined. Both medical safety and emotional distress deserve to be taken seriously. A CBT based assessment can explore what is happening in context: the symptoms, checks, searches, reassurance seeking, health history, current pressures and the impact on daily life. It can also consider whether a medical review, another service or a different form of support is the more appropriate next step. Therapy is not a substitute for medical assessment. Where CBT based work is suitable, any behavioural or exposure based element should be planned collaboratively and paced with a clinician. It should never be reduced to an instruction to ignore symptoms or to stop seeking medical help. The aim is to make decisions safely and to understand the role that uncertainty, attention and coping habits may be playing. It may help to notice the difference between seeking appropriate information and repeatedly searching in the hope of complete certainty. The boundary will be different for different people and circumstances. A clinician can help consider how advice from healthcare professionals, personal health history and current risk should inform that boundary. There is no safe universal rule such as “never search” or “always wait”. Shame often joins the cycle. People may feel embarrassed that they have checked again, asked for reassurance again, or cannot settle after receiving an answer. That response is understandable, but it can make it harder to speak honestly about what is happening. A supportive conversation can include the fear of missing something important as well as the exhaustion of living in constant alert. Support may be most useful when it is practical and compassionate rather than confrontational. The question is not whether a person is being irrational. It is how to respond to uncertainty with enough care for both physical health and daily life. If internet fuelled worry is taking up a great deal of time, affecting relationships, sleep or work, an initial conversation can discuss what support may be relevant. The Lyceum offers CBT based support in West London and online where clinically appropriate.