It’s hard to live with worry about the health of people we love. I think most of us are familiar with sleepless nights and sinking hearts after hearing about a health scare about a parent, sibling, spouse, child etc. 

Sometimes, even when the acute health scare has passed, we’re left with the lingering fear that more bad news is right around the corner. How do we deal with this? How do we stay in the present and enjoy our lives with our loved ones without letting fear of illness rob us of that enjoyment? 

It’s normal to worry about the health of people we love. It doesn’t always mean you have an anxiety disorder. With a diagnosis of a health anxiety disorder, the fear of illness becomes so intense that it becomes all that one can focus on. It leads to constant checking of signs and symptoms and may begin to interfere with the ability to function normally.

Treatment 

It’s worth talking to various regulated healthcare providers if you are dealing with health anxiety. A lot of the treatments focus on exploring anxious thoughts in detail. A therapist can then use this information to help a patient reduce the tendency to worry excessively and over-check or over-research symptoms. They can also help with learning how to cope with scary realities in life like illness and death. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can provide a lot of relief for anxious health related thoughts. There are also a number of well loved books on the topic and some new ones being released this year. 

Where does a naturopath fit in?

General approaches to reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation can help to take the edge off of health anxiety symptoms. As a naturopathic doctor, I use nutrition, herbal medicine and lifestyle recommendations to help my patients reduce their anxiety symptoms. Even if we can’t change the situation that your loved one is in, we can support you so that you feel stronger and better able to cope with the situation. 

If you have any questions about whether or not a naturopathic doctor could help you, click the button below to fill out the question form.