Table of Contents
Exploring the Roots of Health Anxiety
Welcome to today’s episode of the Health Anxiety Podcast show, where we’ll be exploring the roots of health anxiety and how to begin the healing process. You might think that your health anxiety stems from a recent event or experience, but today I’ll be guiding you to look deeper into the early, often unconscious, memories that have shaped your health anxiety. These are experiences you might not even realize have had such a profound impact on you. We’ll dive into how health anxiety often runs deeper, starting in early childhood, sometimes as early as when you were in the womb, and how you can begin to uncover these roots in order to truly heal your health anxiety.
Introduction to Health Anxiety Healing
Welcome to the Health Anxiety Podcast show brought to you by TheAnxietyGuy.com. I’m Dennis Simsek, your host, and together we are going to navigate the health anxiety healing process, replacing fear with knowledge and transforming uncertainty into strength. Let’s embark on a path towards a healthier mindset and a healthier life.
Health Anxiety Recovery Program
Before we get into today’s lesson, I want to take a moment to tell you about the most powerful health anxiety recovery program available online at TheAnxietyGuy.com. If you’ve been searching for a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to overcoming your health anxiety, this program is designed specifically for you. It’s filled with actionable strategies, guided exercises, and personal insights that will help you reclaim your life from the grips of health anxiety. You can find it under the Health Anxiety section at TheAnxietyGuy.com or simply check the link in the description of this podcast. Don’t wait any longer to start your true and lasting health anxiety recovery, because the journey often runs deeper than you might expect.
The Misconceptions About Health Anxiety Origins
Many people suffering from health anxiety are convinced that their fears started with a specific event, a health scare, a panic attack, or a life transition. But more often than not, these are just triggers, not the root causes. The true origins of health anxiety often run deeper and are typically found much earlier in life. Often, in fact, between the time you were in the womb and around the age of about seven. This is where the anxiety runs deeper than you might initially think.
Early Developmental Period
This is a critical developmental period where our nervous system is highly sensitive, and we are constantly absorbing emotional cues from our environments. During this time, we’re forming our understanding of safety, security, and the world around us, often without any conscious awareness. While it may be hard to believe, experiences from this early phase of life can create deeply embedded patterns that show up later as health anxiety.
Uncovering the Deeper Layers of Health Anxiety
When I work with clients going through my programs, I frequently guide them into a state of deep relaxation, helping them access memories and feelings stored beneath the surface of their conscious minds. It’s here, in this relaxed state, that we often uncover the real causes of their health anxiety, revealing how the anxiety runs deeper than initial symptoms suggest.
Early Childhood Memories
What surprises many people is that the moment they believed caused their health anxiety—a panic attack, or a health scare in their 20s or a sudden fear of illness in their 40s—turns out to be just a layer. When we go deeper, we find memories of a different nature. One person might remember being two years old watching their parents argue in a way that made them feel very unsafe. Another person might recall a moment at five years old when a treasured toy was taken from them, triggering an early sense of powerlessness. Or they may remember being seven, watching a grandparent suffer from a terminal illness. These early emotionally charged moments can leave imprints on our nervous systems, teaching us to associate physical sensations with fear or danger. This is where health anxiety truly runs deeper, not in adulthood, but in those early years when we first learned about fear, safety, and control.1
Healing Health Anxiety by Working with the Body
The key to uncovering these early imprints and beginning to heal is to work with the body and its stored memories rather than against it. Health anxiety lives in the body as much as it does in the mind. The sensations you experience, like tightness in the chest, racing thoughts, and shallow breathing, are all signals from the body trying to communicate with you.
Approaching Sensations with Curiosity
One of the most powerful ways to start the healing process is to approach these sensations with curiosity. When health anxiety arises, instead of resisting or pushing it away, allow yourself to sit with these sensations and emotions. Breathe into them. Acknowledge what you’re feeling without any judgment. This is completely counterintuitive because our natural instinct is to fight against discomfort. But what you resist will persist. Remember, the path to healing runs deeper when you embrace rather than resist these feelings.
Speaking to Your Body
I also recommend speaking out loud to your body when these sensations arise. You might say something like, “I feel the tension in my chest and I’m curious about where it’s coming from.” Or, “I sense this fear in my stomach and I’m open to understanding it.” This process opens a dialogue between you and the subconscious mind, allowing suppressed memories or emotions to surface. You may even be surprised by the memories or images that start arising. Sometimes it’s a forgotten scene from childhood. Other times, it’s a strong, unshakable emotion that doesn’t seem connected to anything in particular. Whatever comes up, continue to approach it with curiosity. Trust that your body is guiding you toward the root of your health anxiety. As you allow these buried memories or sensations to surface, you’ll begin to release the old patterns that no longer serve you, discovering how it all runs deeper than you initially thought.
Embracing Healing and New Patterns
It’s essential to remind yourself that healing isn’t about eradicating health anxiety completely. It’s about releasing the old patterns that no longer serve you. You are retraining your mind and body to understand that it’s safe to let go. You don’t have to fight these sensations anymore. In fact, the more you accept and allow them, the faster you’ll heal. Remember, true healing runs deeper as you release these outdated patterns and embrace a new way of being.
Combining Curiosity and Self-Compassion
By combining curiosity, self-compassion, and the willingness to speak to your body, you’ll begin to access the deeper layers of your health anxiety. These early memories and sensations that have been stored for years will begin to loosen their grip. You’ll find yourself moving closer and closer to freedom from health anxiety.
Conclusion: Path to Freedom from Health Anxiety
Remember, my friends, healing takes time. But the more you practice these types of techniques, along with my surrender sessions on YouTube, the more you’ll notice shifts in your body and mind in response to the fear. You are not powerless. You have the ability to uncover these early imprints and heal the roots of your health anxiety because you are more than anxiety.
Additional Resources
If this podcast spoke to you and is helping you, please share it with someone or a group in need. And again, if you want to learn more about the number one health anxiety recovery program available online today, head over to TheAnxietyGuy.com under the menu item Health Anxiety and get started. I love you and I’ll see you soon. Bye-bye, my friends.
Subscribe and Stay Connected
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 for good, be sure to check out the Health Anxiety Program at TheAnxietyGuy.com. A step-by-step program designed to empower you with the tools and strategies you need to reclaim control over your health, mental well-being, and your life.
Books and Other Resources
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.
Final Words
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.
Citations
- The prefrontal cortex, pathological anxiety, and anxiety disorders
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↩︎
