This video explains a cognitive behavioural model of Health Anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis or Illness Anxiety Disorder. Understanding this model of Health Anxiety is critical to learning ways of how to manage and better cope with Health Anxiety. The model of Health Anxiety starts with either internal or external health triggers that activate negative rules and assumptions that people have about health and disease. Once those rules and assumptions are activated, it leads to unhelpful and negative thoughts about health and the potential risk or danger posed by the feared physical symptoms. This contributes to the person with Health Anxiety experiencing increased worry and anxiety, which may bring on uncomfortable physical sensations and a desire to want to do something to eliminate the anxiety and distress. What people will often do to try and reduce their anxiety is to focus on the symptoms, engage in checking or reassurance seeking related to the symptoms and/or engage in avoidance or safety behaviours associated with the symptoms. The problem with these behaviours is that they might reduce anxiety in the shortterm, but they lead to vicious cycles that perpetuate Health Anxiety and hypochondriasis in the long run.

#Hypochondriasis #HealthAnxiety #IllnessAnxietyDisorder

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