Do you have any phobias about your health?

What is a phobia about your health?

A phobia is an irrational and excessive fear reaction about anything which concerns you about your health. It could be normal bodily aches or pains, which causes you to misinterpret them and throw you into a panic situation that it might be something very serious. Unlike general anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something specific, like your health for example. It could take the form of a dread of cancer, or perhaps a brain tumor in your imagination.

However, this branch of a general health phobia is particularly linked to concerns aches and pains, which occur randomly in the body. The impact of these concerns has the potential to range from being slightly worrying, to being very disruptive to your daily life.

Symptoms of fears and phobias.

Fears and phobias attack different people in different ways, but mental health experts agree that most of them have their roots in anxiety and baggage that is lurking in the subconscious mind.

·        Poor sleeping patterns because you are so obsessed with bodily functions that you cannot relax enough to fall asleep.

·        Preoccupation with breathing and heartbeat, worrying that everything could just suddenly stop working.

·        Other physical sensations like headaches or stomach aches unfailingly become objects of cancer or other tumors.

·        Feeling like something sweet to eat may mean severe diabetes which is life-threatening.

There is also a genuine reluctance to go to the doctor, as a fear exists that one of the symptoms may be confirmed as a genuine serious, medical emergency. If there is indeed a medical condition that needs investigation, or treatment, delaying a visit to the doctor will only make matters worse.

What causes phobias?

The risk of developing a phobia can include:

·        High levels of anxiety and stress.

·        An event like a near drowning can bring on a deadly fear of water. In extreme cases, some people will not put their heads under the shower, unless it is reduced to a dripple.

·        Exposure to confined spaces, a fear which might have been learned in childhood.

·        An extreme fear of heights is a common phobia which can even prevent you from climbing a ladder, or looking down from a high place. The fear revolves around falling - by getting light-headed and losing your balance.

·        A bite from a dog can make you deadly afraid of dogs, and sometimes other animals such as cats, who can scratch or bite without warning.

·        A traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, and depression are also linked to phobias.

Studies at the Harvard University psychology department have showed that an estimated 19 million Americans have phobias that cause a difficulty in some area of their lives. The studies also suggested that you should seek professional help if you have a specific fear, or fears, that prevent you from leading your fullest life, because of health anxiety.

Health anxiety is part of a group of disorders which can affect your mental health well-being. A key way to deal with this is by means of hypnotherapy which has relieved many people of this condition.

How hypnotherapy can help you.

Hypnosis is able to access the subconscious mind where all the memories, good and bad, are stored. The therapist can help eliminate harmful thoughts which hold you captive in a cycle of anxiety, and help to create a new, positive mindset free of fear and phobias.

You will also learn how to stay calm and deal with disturbing thoughts about your health should they suddenly pop up. Hypnosis will give you the knowledge how to focus on the present, live in the moment, and leave the past behind.  

Dealing with the underlying anxiety is the first step to restoring your life to calm and peacefulness.