Health Anxiety in West London: What the Local Picture Really Shows

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

Health anxiety involves persistent worry about illness or bodily symptoms that continues despite reassurance or medical advice. It is often underdiagnosed because it primarily presents to medical services rather than mental health services. A person with health anxiety typically goes to their GP, not to a therapist. The GP may investigate the physical symptoms, find nothing and offer reassurance. If the person returns with the same or different symptoms, the GP may investigate again. The health anxiety is not identified as such. A guide cannot diagnose health anxiety or determine whether a pattern is clinically significant. Physical symptoms can have many possible explanations, including medical conditions, medication, sleep disruption, stress, neurodivergence and other factors. New, severe or changing physical symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate medical professional. A psychological explanation and a medical question can both need attention at the same time, and a website cannot determine which applies. The COVID 19 pandemic created conditions that amplified health related worry in the general population. ONS data shows that anxiety about health remained elevated in 2023/24 compared to pre pandemic levels. The post pandemic picture in West London is also shaped by the legacy of Long COVID. For people with pre existing health anxiety, the genuine physical symptoms of Long COVID can be particularly difficult to navigate, and the uncertainty about its course and prognosis can fuel the reassurance seeking pattern. A guide cannot determine whether a person's symptoms are related to Long COVID, anxiety or another cause. West London's professional population has relatively high rates of private health insurance. For some people with health anxiety, access to private consultations, scans and specialist referrals can create a pattern of repeated investigation without lasting reassurance. Each result that returns normal may provide temporary relief before the next symptom triggers a new cycle of concern. This does not mean that investigations are always unnecessary or that physical symptoms should be dismissed. The question of whether further investigation is needed is a medical one. The question of whether the pattern of worry, checking and reassurance seeking is affecting daily life is a clinical one that an assessment can explore. The Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham Joint Strategic Needs Assessments both note that medically unexplained symptoms are a significant burden on primary care. This does not mean that medically unexplained symptoms are always psychological. Physical symptoms can have many possible explanations, including medical conditions that have not yet been identified. A guide cannot determine whether a symptom has a medical or psychological explanation. Both can be relevant at the same time. An assessment can explore what is happening now: what symptoms or sensations are causing concern, how long the worry has been present, what has already been investigated, what medical advice has been received, what the person does when they notice a symptom, and how the pattern is affecting daily life, work, relationships and sleep. It can also consider other possible contributors, including anxiety, depression, physical health conditions, medication, neurodivergence and current pressures. For related information, see health anxiety therapy at https://lyceumclinic.co.uk/therapy/health anxiety/, the health anxiety guide at https://lyceumclinic.co.uk/guides/health anxiety/, health anxiety and relationships at https://lyceumclinic.co.uk/guides/health anxiety relationships/ and health anxiety subtypes at https://lyceumclinic.co.uk/guides/health anxiety subtypes/. If there is immediate danger, thoughts of self harm, an inability to stay safe or an urgent medical concern, call 999, attend A&E or use urgent local crisis or medical support.