Understanding Health Anxiety at Its Core
My friends, let’s get clear today on what we’re dealing with at the deepest root level. We often waste time on actions we believe are helpful, but they might actually be causing more anxiety in the long run. Let’s dive deep.
Special Announcement
Before diving into today’s topic, I want to remind you about the Black Friday sale—40% off all anxiety recovery programs. Use the code GIFT2024 at DennisSimsek.com/anxiety-programs/ and choose your path to healing starting today.
What Health Anxiety Healing Is and What It Isn’t
Today, I want to dive deep into what health anxiety healing is and what it isn’t. Often, we engage in activities that seem helpful but might actually be clever defense mechanisms by our inner child, keeping us in a state of high anxiety. Let’s explore some key aspects of this journey.
Health Anxiety Healing Isn’t Based on Symptom Strength
Health anxiety healing isn’t based around the strength of your symptoms. Your progress is not measured by whether your symptoms are increasing or decreasing. Instead, it’s based on the amount of fear you hold around these symptoms. When evaluating your progress, focus on the level of fear you have rather than the intensity or location of the symptoms.1
Shifting Focus from Symptoms to Fear
As fear subsides, you signal to your brain that it’s okay to experience these symptoms, creating a domino effect where the brain changes its neural wiring. This shift reduces fear and increases trust, not at a conscious level but an unconscious one.2
Health Anxiety Healing Isn’t About Activity Level
Healing isn’t about how much you do throughout the day. Many believe that staying busy and bulldozing through the day will reduce anxiety. However, true progress is about how you engage with your activities. Are you focused on your health anxiety while doing things, or are you genuinely engaged with the world around you?3
Being Present in Your Activities
It’s crucial to acknowledge your fears without fixating on them. The inner child needs acknowledgment, but continually focusing on fears strengthens them. Instead, engage fully with your environment and activities to shift your attention away from anxiety.4
Health Anxiety Healing Isn’t About Implementing Positive Changes Alone
Healing isn’t just about making positive changes to get rid of unwanted feelings or sensations. It’s about adopting these changes as part of your lifestyle. Practices like meditation, grounding, and CBT should be seen as integral to your new identity, not merely tools to eliminate discomfort.
Embracing a New Lifestyle
When you see these changes as a lifestyle that aligns with your new self-image, you move away from a frantic, fight-or-flight mode. Embrace these practices as part of who you are and what you do daily for lasting progress.
Conclusion
These insights are crucial for your development and exit strategy from health anxiety. If you find that your fear has decreased, you are on the right path. Celebrate each moment of clarity as it leads you closer to your true, authentic self.
For more detailed guidance, consider starting the Health Anxiety Recovery Program with a 40% discount using code GIFT2024 at https://DennisSimsek.com/anxiety-programs/. Remember, you are more than anxiety. Each moment of clarity is a step towards reclaiming your true self.
Closing Thoughts
Thank you for joining me on another powerful episode of the Health Anxiety Podcast show. Make sure to subscribe and never miss an episode, released every Saturday morning PST. You’re not alone on this journey. If you need comprehensive support, check out the Health Anxiety Program at TheAnxietyGuy.com, designed to empower you with tools and strategies for overcoming health anxiety.
For those who prefer reading, I have authored books available on Amazon that offer wisdom and guidance to live free from anxiety. Remember, you have the strength and insight within you to overcome this. I’ll see you in the next episode. Bye for now.
Citations
- Title: “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Health Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis” Author: M. B. Weck, et al. Link: PubMed ↩︎
- Title: “Emotional Processing of Fear: Exposure to Corrective Information” Author: E. B. Foa, M. J. Kozak Link: ResearchGate ↩︎
- Title: “Mindfulness-Based Therapy: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis” Author: E. H. Khoury, et al Link: Mindfulness Studies ↩︎
- Title: “Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” Author: D. E. Hofmann, et al. Link: PubMed ↩︎
Comments (2)
Dennis, Thank you for clarifying these fine distinctions in anxiety recovery. Fascinating how strong the subconscious survival instinct is in our minds to push us to keep doing in spite of fear. Humans are the most fragile species on earth. We built this incredibly powerful brain to keep our species alive. We don’t need this survival mechanism any more to survive. However, it is hard-wired into us. We default to it. We have been in flight/fight mode since the great imbalance about 7,000 years ago, when we shifted from partnership societies to dominator ones. Thank you for being part of the movement spearheading us into re-balance.
Very timely for where I am in my journey. Its great to look back and see progress.