Fear of illness
Here you will find background information and an extremely effective approach to thoroughly resolving the fear of illness.
Treating causes instead of symptoms!
Fear of disease definition
Everyone suffers from anxiety at some point in their lives. Fear is an important part of life because it also protects us from a variety of dangers. Beyond the healthy basic instinct, however, fears can also develop into illness. One of these fears is that of becoming terminally ill. The transition between the “normal” fear of becoming ill and pathological fears is usually fluid.
Definition
Fear of illness is a mental disorder and therefore belongs to the class of anxiety disorders. Those affected suffer from the fear of having a serious illness without being able to find a justifiable reason for it. Fear of illness can also be a symptom that can be found in the context of other mental disorders.
Fear of disease symptoms
As with most mental illnesses, it is difficult to make a precise diagnosis. This is because even people without an exaggerated fear of illness experience phases in which they worry about being ill. However, a distinction must be made between normal anxiety and an exaggerated fear of illness.
It is not the symptom itself that causes the anxiety, but the misinterpretation of the symptom as a sign of illness. An anxiety attack can be used as a comparison. An anxiety attack is also difficult to distinguish from completely harmless situations. It can lead to palpitations or sweating, similar to sport or physical work. Those affected are usually at an age when they do not yet have heart problems. People who suffer from it often interpret their symptoms as an expression of a physical illness, for example as a harbinger of a heart attack, stroke or brain tumor.
Some anxiety patients have already had a trip to hospital with blue lights. It then turns out that all examinations, such as the ECG, laboratory values, thyroid values and other tests show normal results. While some patients are reassured by this, others are unsettled by the contradiction between their symptoms, which they perceive as very severe, and the normal results of the medical examination. This is because it is part of the nature of anxiety disorders that the brain deceptively suggests the symptoms of a serious illness. Doctors sometimes find it difficult to convince their patients that everything is really okay. If sufferers get too carried away with their fear of illness, for example in the doctor’s waiting room, an anxiety attack can result. Palpitations, headaches, abdominal pain, muscle aches, trembling or dizziness do not make the patient think of a psychological problem first, but rather of an internal illness. In this case, the sufferer is faced with the problem that they are not only afraid of their alleged illnesses, but the anxiety attack also causes actual physical complaints.
Not everyone suffers from the same symptoms. Nevertheless, there are certain behaviors that are typical of a fear of illness.
In most cases, there are no or only mild physical symptoms. However, the preoccupation with these is inappropriately high. This includes frequent visits to the family doctor or various specialists. Patients then expect their own diagnosis to be confirmed by the doctor. In some cases, patients then find it difficult to be convinced by the doctor’s judgment and doubt his diagnosis.
Excessive health precautions can also be a symptom. One example of this is the excessive intake of over-the-counter vitamin supplements. Or avoiding the sun completely for fear of skin cancer. The person affected often observes every part of their body very closely and notices every little change.
People with a fear of illness usually try to lead an extremely healthy life. In some cases, the illness turns into the opposite. In this case, those affected avoid all health issues completely.
For the majority of sufferers, their thoughts only revolve around health and illness. The focus is usually on a specific illness, such as cancer. Almost everyone spends a considerable amount of time researching and investigating certain diseases. The result of this is that the fear of illness is intensified. Those affected find themselves in a vicious circle. If the symptoms of an illness subside, or if a doctor has managed to convince them that there is no illness, frequent research leads to new symptoms being recognized in themselves.
It is not uncommon for sufferers to have depression at the same time, or for someone who has suffered for years from the untreated consequences to develop depression. The constantly repeating vicious circle demoralizes those affected. It is important for outsiders not to ignore the symptoms. In extreme cases, the pain is not imaginary, but the patient is suffering from real pain. Such severe symptoms can indicate hypochondria. This is an even more pronounced form of fear of illness that involves compulsive behavior. Depending on how intense the fear of illness is felt, those affected should make use of various offers of help.
Fear of disease causes
People who suffer from a fear of illness naturally also think about how these illnesses have arisen. Based on scientific research, it is now believed that anxiety disorders have various causes.
A genetic predisposition is only found in an extremely small percentage of those affected. It is more likely that the fear of illness is a coping strategy for other problems. One of these problems can be a lack of self-esteem. By pretending to be ill, those affected can be sure of the attention and sympathy of their fellow human beings and thus increase their own esteem at the same time.
Another trigger for the pathological fear of illness can also be past experiences. For example, a close relative may have recently been diagnosed with cancer or even died from it.
The illness may also have been favored in childhood if the parents attached too much importance to their children’s physical complaints. A minor cold or cough was overrated and immediately resulted in a visit to the doctor. These behaviors were then carried over into adult life. It is possible that the loss of a loved one had to be dealt with at an early age. In all possible variants of early childhood imprinting, it was suggested to the adolescent that illness is something bad and can occur at any time.
In other cases, the anxiety disorder develops from a common stress disorder from everyday life. For example, a public figure may be seriously ill. The person affected takes this as an opportunity to deal more closely with the illness, which in turn can be the basis for an anxiety disorder.
A medical misdiagnosis of oneself or a close relative can also give rise to these fears. The strong fears usually arise in early childhood between birth and 4 years of age.
Fear of disease treatment
Overcoming fear of illness
But regardless of how you got this fear, knowing about it will not help you, only if you actively do something about it. And yes, fears can now be thoroughly resolved. Every specific fear, whether repressed or not, can be resolved. Even the fear of illness.
Fear of illness test
But how do we know if you really have this fear inside you? You can find the fear test at the bottom right of the screen, represented by a round blue circle. As soon as you click on it, the test opens and you can start immediately. It is important to note that the test is free, contains no advertising and requires no registration. Start by entering the fear test “fear of illness”. This will check whether this fear actually lies within you, in your body. Because as we know, such repressed parts settle deep into the muscle layers. Once you have found what you are looking for, you can use our Fear Dissolve app to thoroughly dissolve your fear of illness. You will find the corresponding link below. Our app works without confrontation and without looking back into the past! So you don’t need to be afraid of the treatment itself and can do it all by yourself.
If you have successfully resolved the fear of illness and you continue to have similar symptoms, then we recommend our therapy: “Hypochondria”. This includes many more fears and cognitions related to illness. Start immediately. Dissolving fears has a very liberating and calming effect.
Good luck!
IF YOU DON’T RESOLVE THE CAUSES, YOU ARE ONLY WORKING ON THE SYMPTOMS!
Fear Therapy
Effective fear treatment in an app!
Effective content and techniques for treating fears/anxiety.
Thoroughly dissolve any fear, including the associated negative cognition/belief!
No direct confrontation (exposure) with the fear!
Also deals with individual cognitions and all other emotions such as shame, sadness, hate, anger, etc.
Buy the "Fear Therapy" app now for just 19.99 Euros!
Available in the Apple™ App Store or in the Google™ Playstore.
For all questions ...
... please do not hesitate to contact us. Whether it's a question of understanding, product details or questions about treatment.
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and to go as far as you would never have dreamed possible.“
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), French painter, co-founder of Synthetism and pioneer of Expressionism
