Introduction: The Truth Behind Health Anxiety Lies
Welcome to this episode, sponsored by Health Anxiety University—a place where healing from health anxiety becomes reality. Today, we’ll unravel misconceptions about health anxiety and how they shape our lives. Check the link in the description to learn more and join our supportive community.
I want to discuss the health anxiety lies that we continue to feed ourselves each and every day. These lies have turned into belief systems. These belief systems have turned into habits. These habits have turned into an identity. It’s our job starting today to begin seeing beyond the health anxiety lies that we continue to feed ourselves. So let’s start with number one.
Table of Contents
Lie #1: Living with Health Anxiety Forever
Personal Experience with Authority Figures
The number one health anxiety lie that I see so commonly today in the health anxiety world is that you feel and have been told that you’re going to have to live with health anxiety or an anxiety disorder forever. And let me give you a personal story. I remember going to the doctors and when you go to the doctors, we always feel like the doctor is the authority figure. Whatever the doctor says. It’s kind of an unconscious thing that we have.
The Doctor’s Verdict
I went into the doctors and I told them my story and the habits and the health anxiety and such. And the doctor said that health anxiety and anxiety disorders in general cannot be overcome. You’re going to have to find a way to manage the symptoms, to manage the identity, to manage it for the rest of your life. And. And in that moment, I kind of went, whoa, wow, OK, well, that changes everything that changes all my plans, that changes my relationships, right? That changes, you know, the amount of time I spend on myself and creativity that changes everything my world.
Blindly Following Authority
If this is how I’m currently living with health anxiety, then I have to begin setting up my entire life the same way. So to be distraught was kind of an understatement in that moment. I lived with that belief for years, for years, thinking that I’d never overcome health anxiety and an anxiety disorder in general until, until I realized what was happening. What my belief systems were back in those days were basically a mirror. Of. Of my authority figures, belief systems, right? Parents, coaches, teachers, professionals, doctors, yada, yada, yada. Anybody that I felt was a professional, more educated than me, more life experience. I never questioned what they told me.
The Power of Trust
And because I never questioned what they told me, I began living my life based around what they believed. Not what I believed. So warrior, I’m here to tell you something very important in this first health anxiety lie. And that is that trust diminishes health anxiety. Trust. Trusting in your body to heal itself. Trusting that you can in fact alter who you are and what you believe. Trust in a future. That is unknown and uncertain. Trust diminishes health anxiety.
Lie #2: Inability to Desensitize Alone
Dependence on External Validation
The second health anxiety lie that we feed ourselves is that you cannot desensitize from health anxiety on your own. You hear this all the time. And because we feel like, you know, I can’t do this on my own, we begin building habits. We become dependent on everything on the outside, everybody on the outside, and in turn, we feel powerless.
The Cycle into Depression
When we feel powerless, we feel a low level of self-worth. And so, that’s why you can see why health anxiety, generalized anxiety, tends to cycle into depression. Because with depression, there’s so much pressure that we basically felt like we’ve given up on ourselves.
Embracing Independence for Healing
So, I’m here to tell you that your healing is determined by your level of independence moving away from dependence, depending on other things, people, yada, yada, yada. You can heal health anxiety on yourself. And you must heal health anxiety on your own. If, in fact, this is going to be your new life, your rebirth, your awakening, it’s got to be done on your own.
Taking Responsibility for Healing
So, take full responsibility for where you are right now, how you feel, how you think, everything. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Lie #3: Health Anxiety Signifying Weakness
Misunderstood Strength
The third health anxiety lie is that health anxiety… Health anxiety is an inner sign of weakness. Sign of weakness? Are you kidding me? I’m here to tell you something completely different. Health anxiety is a sign of unconditional, unbelievable love for life. Life and everything within it.
Fear Stemming from Love
Why? Because you’ll notice that with a health anxiety, so much of their external world is perfect. It’s beautiful. Health anxiety sufferers have the best support system. You’ve got beautiful, miraculous kids. A roof on their heads. A steady career. A job. Creativeness. They have it all. And with health anxiety, one of the things is the immense fear, scaredness, of losing those things.
Protective Vigilance
And so, the person with health anxiety begins questioning their own health so that the worst possible scenario doesn’t show up. They feel like if they can stay ahead of the curve, stay ahead of their symptoms, their thoughts, whatever it may be. They may be able to come in the way of the catastrophic scenario that they’re playing out in their imagination.
Strength in Vulnerability
So we need to understand that health anxiety is definitely not a sign of weakness. Health anxiety is a stepping stone to the greatest version of you as you continue to apply, understand, and apply the techniques that you’ve learned to your health.
Lie #4: Constant Vigilance Required
The Burden of Constant Guard
The fourth health anxiety lie is that standing guard is the way each moment of every day should go. When I say standing guard, I’m talking about an innate feeling to always be on guard, constricting your body, attaching to every thought.
The Weight of Anxiety
Recognizing the critical parts of your body. You need to be on guard. You need to be on guard. You need to be on guard. You need to be on guard. You need to be on guard. You need to be on guard. When you’re speaking to someone, it’s almost that feeling that if you let go for too long, then something bad’s going to happen. That feeling.
The Illusion of Control
And the truth is that I lived with this feeling for so very long until I finally realized what standing guard was doing to me. Standing guard constantly. Gave me. the opposite of what I truly wanted.
Embracing Awareness for Healing
And your healing is determined by your level of awareness as you’re going through the day, recognizing the things that are not serving you correctly and how you want, and recognizing the opposing aspect of those things and acting on them. There’s no need to stand guard and waste a tremendous amount of energy and time because it’s not helping you with your health. It’s decreasing your health.
Liberation from Constant Vigilance
So let’s begin seeing beyond the habit of constantly feeling like, I can’t let go and I need to stand guard all the time. It’s safe to let go.
Lie #5: Identity Tied to Health Anxiety
Constant Check-ins with Anxiety
The fifth and final health anxiety lie is that your identity is connected to health anxiety. Health anxiety sufferers tend to check in with this health anxiety identity, no matter what situation they’re in. I’m about to go driving, check in with my health anxiety. Is it okay? No, you can’t drive. You’re going to be so symptomatic. You might even suffer a panic attack. Okay, no driving today.
Breaking Free from Attachments
Or health anxiety sufferers fight and they fight and they fight and they feel like they’re exposing themselves to the things they need to expose themselves to, to become less sensitive towards them. But they’re draining themselves so very much that the exposure coaching or therapy is not working, right?
Embracing Change and Growth
You don’t need to attach yourself to the things that you need to expose yourself to. You don’t need to attach yourself to what you’re feeling to who you are. A feeling is a temporary state. It’s a chapter in your life. Health anxiety is a chapter in your life. These are the lessons that you can’t learn from books. You can only learn them through experience.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for joining me on another powerful episode of the Health Anxiety Podcast show. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t ever miss another episode which comes out every Saturday morning PST time. Remember, you’re not alone on this journey and there are resources available to support you. If you’re looking for a comprehensive program to help you overcome health anxiety, please visit healthanxiety.com. For more information on health anxiety for good, be sure to check out the Health Anxiety Program at theanxietyguide.com, a step-by-step program designed to empower you with the tools and strategies that you need to reclaim control over your health, mental well-being, and your life.
And for those of you who enjoy diving into the written word, I have authored some important books for anyone suffering from the clutches of anxiety. You can find them on Amazon, where I share my wisdom and experience to guide you towards a life free from the grips of anxiety. Thank you again for tuning in. Remember that you are more than anxiety and you have the will, the strength, and the insights within you to overcome this. I’ll see you in the next episode. Bye for now.
