NATALIJA HAYTERPSYCHOTHERAPY & COUNSELLINGHealth anxiety — sometimes called illness anxiety or, older, hypochondria — is a preoccupation with the fear of being seriously ill. It is far more common than people admit, and far more treatable than sufferers usually believe.
How it works
A normal bodily sensation — a headache, a flutter, a lump — is interpreted as evidence of serious illness. That interpretation spikes anxiety, which itself produces more physical sensations, which seem to confirm the fear. The loop tightens.
Why checking makes it worse
The behaviours that promise relief actually feed the cycle: googling symptoms, repeatedly checking the body, seeking reassurance from doctors or loved ones. Each gives a moment's calm, then the doubt returns stronger, and the need to check grows. Reassurance is the fuel, not the cure.
What helps
CBT is highly effective for health anxiety. It works by gently reducing the checking and reassurance-seeking, testing the catastrophic predictions, and building tolerance for the uncertainty that is, in truth, part of being human. Deeper work can address what the anxiety is standing in for. Most people are surprised how much freedom returns.
This article is for information and is not a substitute for professional advice or diagnosis. In an emergency call 999, NHS 111 (option 2), or the Samaritans free on 116 123.
Natalija Hayter is a BABCP-registered psychotherapist with over a decade of clinical experience across the NHS, the voluntary sector and private practice, trained at the Tavistock and AGIP. She offers CBT, psychoanalytic and relational therapy in Pimlico, London and online, in English, Latvian and Russian. More about Natalija
Last reviewed: June 2026 by Natalija Hayter, BABCP-registered psychotherapist.