OLIP Therapy · Fareham, Hampshire
Health Anxiety Therapy
Break the cycle of worry and checking, and trust your body again.
Effective Help for Health Anxiety, Online and in Hampshire
When worry about your health takes over, it can be exhausting and frightening. You are not being dramatic, and you are not alone. With the right support, you can quiet the constant checking and worry, and feel calmer and more in control again.
of people experience health anxiety, and the number is rising, often linked to how easily worrying information is found online. If this is you, please know it is a recognised and very treatable difficulty.
You might recognise some of this
Health anxiety shows up differently for everyone. You may notice a few of these, or many. However it looks for you, it is understandable, and it can be helped.
You check your body often for lumps, pains or sensations that worry you.
You worry about your health most days, even when you are not unwell.
You search symptoms online and keep reading until you reach the worst case.
You need reassurance from doctors or loved ones, yet the relief never quite lasts.
News about a virus or illness pulls you into checking for updates.
You avoid medical programmes, or activities, in case they confirm a fear.
If several of these feel familiar, that is not a diagnosis and it is nothing to be alarmed by. It simply means talking to someone could really help.
Health anxiety and cyberchondria
What is health anxiety?
Health anxiety, sometimes called hypochondria, is when worry about your health becomes overwhelming. Everyday symptoms can be read as signs of serious illness, and even a doctor's reassurance may not settle the fear. It is often made worse by the physical feelings of anxiety itself, like a racing heart, chest tightness or breathlessness, which can then be misread as illness, feeding the cycle.
What is cyberchondria?
Cyberchondria is health anxiety fuelled by internet searching. Looking up symptoms online can feel like it will bring reassurance, but it often does the opposite, leading to alarming and inaccurate conclusions. Each search can quietly raise the anxiety a little more, reinforcing the fear of serious illness rather than easing it.
What can cause health anxiety
Triggers are different for everyone, and there is rarely a single simple reason. Some common threads include:
Experiencing a serious illness during childhood
Growing up around a family member who worried a lot about their own health
Having a loved one who worried excessively about your health and safety
How we help you manage health anxiety
There is no single fix, so we draw on several proven approaches, matched to you. Together we build a practical toolkit you can rely on whenever worry begins to rise.
Hypnotherapy
Gently shifts the fearful feeling around illness or pain toward something calmer, and teaches deep relaxation you can use on your own.
Hypnoanalysis
Also called analytical hypnotherapy, this helps uncover and resolve a deeper root cause, useful when the anxiety feels complex or hard to explain.
CBT
Practical and structured, it helps change the way you interpret and react to health worries, with clear tools you can use straight away.
EMDR
Where past events feed the anxiety, EMDR helps the brain process those memories so they lose their grip on the present.
Calming techniques
You learn breathing exercises, grounding methods and self-hypnosis to soothe your mind the moment anxiety starts to take over.
A lasting toolkit
Most of all, you leave with coping skills that stay with you, so future health worries feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
An honest, hopeful word. Because health is part of everyday life, health anxiety may not vanish entirely, and that is okay. What we can do together is build a set of coping skills so that when a health worry arises, you can meet it calmly and carry on with the life you want.
Award-winning care from a team who understands
Voted Hypnotherapy & Counselling Centre of the Year, with over two decades of experience helping people find calm again, across Hampshire and online UK-wide.
Health anxiety FAQs
Is health anxiety a real condition?
Yes, absolutely. Health anxiety, sometimes called hypochondria, is a genuine and recognised difficulty that around 1 to 2 percent of people experience. It is nothing to feel embarrassed about, and it responds well to the right support.
Will therapy make my health anxiety go away completely?
Because health is a natural part of life, the aim is not to erase every worry, but to change how you respond to it. We build a toolkit of coping skills so that health worries feel manageable rather than overwhelming, and no longer run your day.
Should I stop searching my symptoms online?
Online searching, sometimes called cyberchondria, tends to raise anxiety rather than ease it, as it often leads to alarming and inaccurate conclusions. Part of our work together is gently reducing that habit and replacing it with calmer, more reliable ways to reassure yourself.
Which type of therapy is best for health anxiety?
It depends on you. We use hypnotherapy, hypnoanalysis, CBT and EMDR, and often a blend works best. At your free consultation we listen to what you are experiencing, then match you to the right approach and therapist.
How many sessions will I need?
Everyone is different, so it depends on your situation and how long the anxiety has been present. We will talk this through honestly at your consultation so you have a realistic idea from the very start.
Can I have sessions online?
Yes. You can be seen in person at our Fareham practice or online from anywhere in the UK. Many people find online sessions a comfortable and easy way to begin.
You deserve to feel calm again
Book a free, no-pressure consultation and we will gently talk through how we can help you manage health anxiety.
Prefer to talk first? Call 0800 970 4776 or email hello@oliptherapy.co.uk