What’s It Like to Have Health Anxiety/OCD When You Also Live With a Chronic Illness?
Mostly, it’s downright confusing. And, reasonably torturous.
Living with both health anxiety and a chronic illness requires immense patience, a multitude of mindfulness skills, and a heavy dose of humor. Sufferers of these overlapping conditions must constantly deal with intense battles of uncertainty – sometimes with the uncertainty itself being if their newest symptom is health anxiety or part of their physical condition.
In some cases, OCD can be right – there is a chance that the newest symptom might be dangerous…there is a possibility that everything will suddenly get worse. This contrasts other cases and themes in which the result is highly unlikely. With some truth to its statements, OCD clasps the sufferer harder.
Doctors Appointments
Doctors’ appointments can be one of the most challenging situations, often becoming an exposure for many patients who live with health anxiety and a chronic illness. In running groups with individuals from this population and experiencing these symptoms myself, I have noticed that many of us fear how our physicians will perceive us.
There is the concern that the doctor will think one is “faking it,” as many individuals have been dismissed. There can also be symptoms similar to relationship OCD, in which the patient worries about the relationship between them and their physician; these are not romantic feelings but rather concerns with being considered a “good patient.”
With OCD, health anxiety, or a related diagnosis in our medical charts, the doctor might chalk everything up to anxiety, not listening to the intense pain of the sufferer. This is especially common in cases where the patient’s illness is rare or complex, and an answer is not easily accessible. This is certainly not true of all doctors, but it has routinely been reported and is a common concern for many individuals in this population.
As an OCD sufferer, you might regularly or rarely come in contact with your significant triggers. As someone with health anxiety and a chronic illness, you must face your triggers all of the time. There is no fleeing your own body. Similarly, there is no escaping the medical system when you must continuously interact with it for your physical well-being. Sometimes, symptoms of health anxiety/OCD and a physical illness can look identical. Is a stomachache due to continuous, unwanted intrusive thoughts or due to a bowel condition? Is a headache due to intense ruminating or a genetic neurological condition?
Deciphering Symptoms
When it comes to deciphering symptoms, sometimes the exposure is committing to not figuring out if it’s OCD or part of the physical illness. That can lead to a spiral that not only makes obsessions worse but also intensifies physical symptoms.
After all, stress can exacerbate medical symptoms and make them worse. It is often in my highest anxiety moments that I also feel the most physically impacted or bring on a flare.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the health anxiety sufferer should never try to figure out the cause of their symptoms. Medical treatment is always essential, especially in the case of severe conditions. It’s all about the attitude and perspective in seeking medical help. When you call the doctor to schedule an appointment, limit the urgency. Remember, health anxiety loves to make everything feel life-threatening and urgent.
You may need more time to get an appointment with your doctor. That time is critical for practicing mindfulness and radical acceptance – there is nothing more you can do now once you have called the doctor. Then, if you do end up meeting with your doctor, it is crucial to take their word for the situation. OCD will want you to question their judgment, but accepting their professional opinion will be much more advantageous in recovery.
This all might sound simple, but it is certainly not easy. These conditions are challenging and exhausting, making it even harder to stand up to OCD when you feel you are already at a lower energy level.
Four Steps to Take Control of Your Health Anxiety
1) Practice allowing uncertainty. Maybe this is health anxiety; maybe it’s a chronic illness; maybe it’s nothing at all.
2) Create guidelines and boundaries regarding going to the doctor. For example, if I am 60% sure, this is a new symptom, I agree to wait it out. If I am 95% sure this is a new symptom that needs attention, I will contact my doctor.
3) Be intentional when you Google. Dr. Google does know some answers, but it can often make anxiety worse. There’s a significant difference between reassurance-seeking and information-seeking.
4) Seek out resources! There are many resources out there to help. The International OCD foundation has a group specifically for individuals suffering from OCD and chronic illness, which is found here: https://iocdf.org/special-interest-groups/chronic-illness-disability/. Additionally, therapists Josh Spitalnick and Michael Stier have an excellent book that addresses health anxiety:
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Overcoming-Health-Anxiety/dp/B0CQK52RKC
Contact Soultality
Written by Jessie Birnbaum, MSW Candidate
These conditions can take so much but lead to a life with so much to gain. Our clinicians at Soultality Center for Psychotherapy are experts in health anxiety and OCD and are here to provide you with the proper treatment needed. Start your journey by booking an appointment with us today! Call (617)631-8284 or email admin@soultality.com to learn how we can help you reclaim your life back from health anxiety and OCD.