To find a qualified psychologist, try this site: http://locator. apa. org/ A therapist can help you by using different therapy styles, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
So, ask yourself how much you have learned about the body and brain in your education. If you haven’t learned much as part of your education so far, one way to help you overcome hypochondria may be to learn about basic bodily sensations.
For example, you might ask whether your friends have ever felt a heart palpitation (e. g. , a fluttering of the heart of a feeling of the heart skipping a beat). You will likely find that many of your friends and loved ones have experienced this before, because heart palpitations are common. [4] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source In addition, you could use this resource, which shows the kinds of sensations people typically feel when they experience different emotions: http://www. pnas. org/content/111/2/646. full
For example, on the first day, you might allow yourself to check your sensations 30 times, on the second day you might reduce this to 22 times, on the third day 14 times, and continue to reduce that number over the rest of the week.
This is because you may ask for reassurance more and more often in an attempt to get some benefit from it in the form of reduced anxiety, which just keeps your worries front and center in your mind. If your loved ones are constantly asking you how you are doing and their checking in on you is disrupting your attempts to get your illness anxiety out of your mind, kindly let them know this. You might say “I truly appreciate that you are concerned about me and that you care but I’m trying to think less about my concerns about illness, so it would be really helpful for me if you checked in on me only one day per week. "
Set aside 15 quiet minutes for yourself. Close your eyes and relax your body. Apply tension to a specific muscle group by flexing/squeezing it for five or so seconds. Be careful not to squeeze too tight and hurt yourself. Quickly relax the tensed muscle group while exhaling your breath. It is very important to focus intently on the difference in feeling between the tensed muscles and the relaxed muscles. After staying in this relaxed state for around 15 seconds, repeat the whole process with other muscle groups.
Your doctor may decide to prescribe a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) to help you. Be sure to always consult with your doctor before starting, stopping, or changing how you take a medication.
Donate your time to charity. Start a new hobby such as painting or sewing. Play video games or watch an episode of your favorite TV show. Take on an extra part-time job.
For example, there are a number of causes of headaches, most of them are overall harmless. Yet, if you read about brain tumors and headaches you will probably just scare yourself. Again, the chances of your headache indicating a brain tumor is extremely low. [10] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
You may have to change around the time for awhile to find the best fit for you. For example, may it is best for you to worry in the morning so you can get on with your day. Or, maybe your worrying thoughts build up over the course of the day and you find the most relief from scheduling worry time towards the end of the day.
It helps if your doctor knows that you’re inclined to fear the worse whenever you’re sick or injured, whether real or believed to be real. Ask your primary doctor about whether you should be referred to a specialist rather than searching for one on your own. Your doctor is likely well-trained to decide whether or not a visit to a specialist is warranted. [12] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Schedule appointments with your primary doctor as necessary. Be sure to explain your symptoms and worries and ask whether or not scheduling an appointment would be worthwhile.
Getting plenty of sleep 7-9 hours, however much you need to feel fully rested. Getting plenty of exercise, aiming for around 30 minutes a day at least a few days a week. [13] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Eating a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, or potatoes, proteins such as meats, fish, eggs, or beans, some dairy, and just a small amount of foods high in fat and/or sugar. [14] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source Avoid unhealthy habits such as excessive drinking of alcohol or caffeine. Try not to drink more than 6 glasses of wine a week and aim to spread these glasses out evenly across the week [15] X Research source Try not to drink more than four cups of coffee a day. [16] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Also avoid smoking, which is a very unhealthy habit. [17] X Research source
By starting gradually, you face a minimal risk initially, so the task doesn’t seem too daunting to try. For example, if you fear exercise because you think it will cause you to have a heart attack, you could first start out by going for a light walk. On the next day you could go for a brisker walk. On the day after you could jog slowly for 3 minutes. One the following day you could jog at a reasonably fast pace for 5 minutes, and so on.
