Anxiety vs. Medical Illness: Dr's Advice Unraveling Health Anxiety

Рет қаралды 5,827

Жыл бұрын

👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 FREE PDF: Why Do I Feel That in my Body? Explanations of Bodily Symptoms Due to Anxiety, Stress and Panic
www.paigepradko.com/bodyanxiety
👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Here is a free Health Anxiety Assessment
www.paigepradko.com/healthanx...
👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Rapid Recovery from Health Anxiety Course
www.paigepradko.com/healthanx...
👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Panic Attacks Quiz
www.paigepradko.com/panic-quiz
Are you struggling with health anxiety? Do you find it challenging to trust doctors or constantly seek reassurance from them? Perhaps you fear that your doctors aren't taking your concerns seriously due to your health anxiety. If any of these sound familiar, this video sheds insight on those topics.
Dr. Pradko sheds light on the challenges faced by doctors in diagnosing anxiety-related symptoms and shares valuable insights into their protocols and practices. From initial evaluations and tests to referrals for psychological treatment, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the medical perspective on health anxiety.
Anxiety manifests in numerous physical and mental symptoms, many of which can mimic genuine medical conditions. Our medical system, while designed to identify potential health issues, often falls short when it comes to recognizing and addressing anxiety disorders. This disconnect can lead to prolonged uncertainty, excessive testing, and unnecessary worry for those with health anxiety.
If you've found yourself caught in this cycle of seeking answers, visiting multiple doctors, and experiencing heightened anxiety, you're not alone. The video explores the challenges patients face within the medical system and how health anxiety can inadvertently be reinforced, hindering effective treatment.
Health anxiety, formerly referred to as hypochondria is diagnosed as Illness anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder or sometimes panic disorder. It behaves like OCD due to the cycle caused by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors like reassurance seeking, body symptom checking, ruminating, excessive googling and avoidance and safety behaviors.
People with health anxiety and other anxiety disorders like panic disorder score high on a trait called anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity is the belief and misinterpretation that anxiety symptoms and sensations felt in the body are dangerous.
Health anxiety can hook your attention and reel you in. It can convince you that something may be seriously wrong, and can activate your fear response. It pulls you in and away from everything else that’s important to you.
Health anxiety thrives on your vulnerabilities and catastrophic thinking, where minor symptoms are blown out of proportion, leading to thinking of the worst case scenarios. But, health anxiety is a treatable condition.
I would like to extend an invitation to check out my online course for health anxiety recovery. It provides a comprehensive framework to help you overcome health anxiety, reclaim joy in your life, and develop effective coping strategies.
Reach out to me at 👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 paigepradko.com if I can be of help to you. And signup there for my weekly newsletter where I share weekly help for anxiety and OCD.
Until next time, I will see you in session,
Paige
Video clips: Pexels.com
Music: Epidemicsound.com
Video Editor: jamescopy23@gmail.com
Thumbnail: @proga.design
(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this KZfaq channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)

Пікірлер: 84

@PaigePradkoTherapy 11 ай бұрын

👉👉👉 PDF: Why Do I Feel That in my Body? Explanations of Bodily Symptoms Due to Anxiety, Stress and Panic www.paigepradko.com/bodyanxiety 👉👉👉 Do you have Health Anxiety? Health anxiety self assessment www.paigepradko.com/healthanxietyquiz 👉👉👉 Health Anxiety Course www.paigepradko.com/healthanxiety

@aspirindamage5152 10 ай бұрын

this is wild. ive been to your guys’ practice, my whole family has. i have an upcoming appointment with my “family doctor” at the practice in a month… i genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, love you guys, and i had no clue about this channel. i am currently somewhat crippled by my ocd/health anxiety but have been finding comfort in your videos and am researching therapists and stuff in the metro area for exposure therapy or something to finally help. hopefully i get something soon but until then, this has been amazing.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 10 ай бұрын

That's awesome that you are a patient. Thank you for your comments and welcome to the channel. We love it when someone local finds us on KZfaq ❤️❤️

@louisgeen765 Жыл бұрын

The only thing that stands in my way from fully recovering from health anxiety is that im scared what long term anxiety does to my body. Like i have this 8 years now and i just want to know im safe. I feel anxiety the whole day.

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Hi Louis. I understand and have compassion for you. The strange thing about anxiety is that when you fear the symptoms, it gets worse. When you stop fearing the symptoms or impact of long term anxiety it resolves. I will do a video on coping with long term anxiety. Thank you for commenting. 🙏❤️

@louisgeen765 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy thank you for replying🙂

@louisgeen765 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy and it would be great if you Made a video about long term anxiety. ive never heard anyone talking about that

@Safely2024 Жыл бұрын

I am wondering the same....it does make you a different person for sure. Exhausting symptoms and fear 🤬🤬🤬

@Zikato Ай бұрын

Same, anxiety raises my blood pressure and it causes me fear

@TheFireGlory07 Жыл бұрын

I’ve been watching your videos and it’s been a blessing. I developed health anxiety. My first scary palpitation was in 2015 when I was 29 years old. I was sleep deprived, frustrated, angry, going through a long period of uncertainty. I was also hiding my emotions from everyone. My heart, onde day, out of the blue, skipped beats non-stop for 10-15 seconds, I couldn’t breath, my vision blacked out and my limbs started to tingle. I was sure I was dying. Well, that was just the first one. I’ve been to the ER 4 times since then always thinking it’s a heart attack and it’s the end. I’ve had very detailed cardio scans and screenings at a heart clinic. Nothing wrong. The doctors always say I’m healthy and my heart is not the problem. Until the day one of them asked “what do you take for your panic attacks?” 😅 I said I was never diagnosed with that condition and he said “Well, there’s nothing wrong with your heart neither your blood. If you’ve been to the ER so many times with the same results, I’d recommend you see a therapist”. We’ll, my condition has improved. I’ve been in therapy for a year now and I’ve learned to interrupt the episodes with ice and other techniques, but they are always scary. I had a skipped beat last night followed by lightheadedness which was strange enough to make me very anxious. Good thing I was on the phone with my fiancée who’s a psychiatrist. She helps me a lot! I hope I get over this one day. Your videos help me incredibly because I feel safer if I know what’s going on.

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

It sounds like you have been through so much before learning that it was panic disorder and health anxiety. I am so glad you are getting help now. If I can be of help, don’t hesitate to contact me at paigepradko.com.

@TheFireGlory07 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy I will! Thank you!

@alisonhoke2484 10 ай бұрын

Do you take anxiety meds? I'm on buspirone, but it's not helping anymore. I'm considering an SSRI, but worry about meds causing MORE palpitations. I get them bad. Been checked many times too.

@delori 11 ай бұрын

In my experience, most physicians automatically assume everything is anxiety, and its the patients job to prove otherwise. And many people, especially women, minorities, and especially those with histoty of anxiety, dont get diagnosed when they have actual medical conditions. Physicians often include in their notes inappropriate pysch labels and those really only serve the patient to get blacklisted and not listened to. More women, minorities, mentally ill people die due to deglect, misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis whether they have a mental illness or not. There is an implicit bias in the healthcare system, and it does plenty harm on its own.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your comment. That is important information to point out.

@michaelchua3942 2 ай бұрын

Thank you doc and wife

@MrUforobogrendizer Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful video, but not a surprise from this amazing channel. Thank you for everything you do!

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the thoughtful compliment. Your name makes me curious 🧐 😊

@Safely2024 Жыл бұрын

Ms Paige...Thanking you 🙏

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome ❤️

@chrissimpson2286 Жыл бұрын

You are the best of the best I’m saving for your course I need it in the worst way I go through all of this plus some every day I really want to get a session going soon.

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Hi Chris. Thank you. I hope to see you in my course and support group soon so that we can work together to help you feel better.😊

@fishinfromscratch5484 Ай бұрын

Thank you for this. I've been to the ER when i had my initial panic attack, multiple doctors and specialists since and not 1 time has anyone ever suggested that my issues were anxiety based. I myself sought out a therapist and have improved because of it. The problem now is i would like a medical professional to help with my recovery plan and that seems impossible to find.

@phumezayamani3746 Жыл бұрын

this was so helpful...

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

So glad that it was helpful.😊

@youtubealiasoriginal Жыл бұрын

Great valuable video😊 Im one of those patients, been everywhere for years

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Glad you found it valuable. It was a bit eye opening for me. 😳😊

@motowrld2738 10 ай бұрын

I’ve been suffering from health anxiety for 8 years now. I try to tell my self all the time that it’s just health anxiety because if it was something else something would have happened to me by now.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 10 ай бұрын

Yes, that’s an important thing to remind yourself. ❤️

@dylannicks1146 Жыл бұрын

Another great video Paige 💜 you and your husband seem so lovely,

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Thank you!! 😊

@user-mr7iy7lg3y 7 ай бұрын

Hi Paige! I love how you mentioned the issue with white coat syndrome as I definitely have this. The thing is that I have anxiety in general surrounding blood pressure so even at home when I take a reading I feel anxious and it’s elevated. While I have improved a lot over the past month, I feel like I have plateaued somewhat l. I am a healthy 25 year old male who exercises religiously and has drastically improved their diet over the last couple of months. I had been exercising for years but my diet could’ve improved so that is what I’ve focused on. I just don’t know if its anxiety that is causing my elevated BP (this is my suspicion) or something else. I have no family history of high BP and have been cleared by a cardiologist as well with associated testing. I also have no history of high BP before I fell into the anxiety cycle over the summer due to a panic attack that lasted all day. Can you offer any advice in my situation? Thanks for all you do!

@PaigePradkoTherapy 7 ай бұрын

Hi. Yes, I talked to you over email but I am just seeing your comment here. You will want to extinguish the fear of taking your blood pressure at home. That will not be as challenging as extinguishing the anxiety when having it taken in a medical setting. If you practice taking it twice a day, maybe morning and afternoon, the anxiety overtime will go down. Do not try in anyway to calm yourself while taking it. It is almost better to feel anxious while taking it and let your brain learn on its own that you are fine. However, when we get in the habit of constant monitoring our health, we can develop health anxiety. So, this is a difficult situation, because you would need to practice taking your blood pressure to extinguish that fear, but that practice could possibly become a compulsion. If you notice that taking your blood pressure begins to lower your anxiety, then it has become a compulsion. I hope I didn’t confuse you. This is a tricky one.

@zinamussmann4861 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for this. I'd love to see someone do a video on health anxiety and genetic tests such as Ancestry. You can now get the raw data from your test and plug it into numerous 3rd party software. Many times a rare devastating disease comes up but people don't understand these tests aren't medical grade and are not diagnostic tools. There's many complexities to understanding results/ accessing actual risk in relation to disease rates-- and often the information in the raw data is flat out wrong. This is what started me on my latest spiral. And even though I sought out information that should be reassuring, it had the opposite effect. Now I have to learn to live with the information, so I'd implore anyone with health anxiety to not plug raw data into a 3rd party site.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 2 ай бұрын

Oh my gosh, I had no idea. I can see how that would create a health anxiety spiral.

@alisonhoke2484 10 ай бұрын

I would like to look into your courses for fighting this. I have been suffering with severe cardiac anxiety for 13 years now. It has been manageable for a few years and returned when I turned 43, and entered perimenopause. Its destroyed my quality of life. I just want to feel normal again.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 10 ай бұрын

Hi Alison. Health anxiety can be horrible. I am sorry you are going through those cycles. If you would like help, here are some resources: Health anxiety self quiz www.paigepradko.com/healthanxietyquiz Health Anxiety Course www.paigepradko.com/healthanxiety

@alisonhoke2484 10 ай бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy Thank you

@GuntherSnaps 7 ай бұрын

my experience was the opposite. I'm avoided doctors because I don't trust them. My mom died, I finally got the courage to go see a doctor, i walked in, introduced myself and told her sorry if I'm weird but I have an anxiety problem, now everything i tell her, even showing her my scan showing kidney stones she blows it off as anxiety. I need a new doctor.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 7 ай бұрын

I’m sorry that happened to you. Yes, you want your doctor to take you seriously, but at the same time understand how anxiety impacts you. I like that you shared with your doctor that you have anxiety, but do not like their response of attributing everything to anxiety.

@DesertGuy702 4 ай бұрын

I’m in the category of being terrified of doctors. I had an appointment last year, and basically had mental breakdown. Avoided appointment then ironically ended up in E.R… I lost my mother at a young age due to a botched surgery, and medical malpractice. With that, and now feeling like in a post Covid world I can’t believe anything anybody in a white coat says while simultaneously having sever hypochondria makes for a rough go of things. Toss in google, and it’s a nightmare. Bless ya for the vid, look forward to watching more. I’m trying my best!!!

@PaigePradkoTherapy 4 ай бұрын

I can understand how that mistrust developed. Wishing you a positive, trusting experience with a medical provider to help you turn things around.

@JohnD0129 Жыл бұрын

My anxiety is so bad I think about my hearth health everyday. Thinking I will have a heart attack. Takes away my living in the “ now “ i experience heart flutter, tingling , rapid heart beat. Etc. just can’t seem to shake it 😢

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

I’m so sorry, John. That sounds like it would make anyone uncomfortable. 😥

@JohnD0129 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy have you heard of Gabapentin giving to patients with anxiety?

@MadMeave Жыл бұрын

Dont take gabapentin! I am on it and wish I could ween off. To many side effects.

@JohnD0129 11 ай бұрын

@@MadMeave oh no. What are you experiencing? Did the Dr prescribe it for anxiety?

@MadMeave 11 ай бұрын

@@JohnD0129 it was for nerve issues. Now that I had surgery I am trying to ween off but having a tough time. It gave me horrible blurry vision and the shakes.

@gingerty9628 5 ай бұрын

I was diagnosed with oral lichen planus, a horrible autoimmune disease a year ago an went into menopause around the same time. The health diagnosis is the root of my anxiety, the fear of the unknown, being scared of the future especially as I'm getting older. Before then i was always the one that took everything in stride and didn't worry about things. After seeing so many drs thru the years tho for other health problems i KNEW i had, i lost trust in drs and have no faith in them. But eventually i think that caused me to have white coat syndrome. I'm a mess.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 5 ай бұрын

I am sincerely sorry that happened. I understand the anxiety and how hard it is to trust. White coat syndrome is terrible.

@erinsanders7559 11 ай бұрын

I am not scared of doctors but of medication. I get the sensations and get checked out. Like I had sinus infection. Scared to take the antibiotics. I had horrible side effects from anxiety meds. So i am scared to take anything now. What do you do then?

@PaigePradkoTherapy 11 ай бұрын

You are not alone. Fearing side effects of medication is very common in people with anxiety disorders and health anxiety. In fact they rarely take the medications they are prescribed. In some regards, everyone should question side effects of medications, and the benefits should outweigh the risks. But, you have to question yourself and whether your fear is reasonable or irrational. A trusting relationship with a medical provider can help you with those decisions. Often googling side effects can create even more fear and anxiety because we can find just about anything on the internet. Stick with respected, published journals as your source of information versus public forums as a guide.

@RobertLongM 9 ай бұрын

Huge community of one's with Suspected CranioCervical Instability have all these symptoms. Hard part I'd only a handful of Surgeon's use some measurements that deem one surgical + symptoms + quality of life thus deem one surgical. Majority of Surgeon's don't use these, deem most mental or needing medication for symptoms. This is what confuses patients. If Limbic = the worry trick will grab onto physical symptoms & find the one Dr who agrees in a pathology. If Physical = well, it's the same struggle Dr vs Dr. Fear vs Fear. If a patient who is physically damaged but is persuaded it's mental = then in time they will get worse and worse. If it's mental and persuaded it's surgical = then one gets a un-needed surgery and suffers the outcome having surgery & dealing with the mental part. I've seen some 100 patients with CCI, but if I dig deeper they also have mental trauma, health anxiety. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@PaigePradkoTherapy 9 ай бұрын

Yes, it sounds like it is quite complex getting treatment for those people having cranio cervical instability.

@karinastewart7109 Жыл бұрын

this me everyday heart attack health anxiety 😢 I hate it I ruminate on it too much my worst fear

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

I am sorry you are dealing with that. 😢

@karinastewart7109 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy I hate it as well.

@wtbwrites1806 Жыл бұрын

My health anxiety is awful right now. I think a lot of it is being amplified by my Klonopin taper. I'm finally down to 0.5 a day. Next, I will be down to 0.25 for three weeks. I'm very nervous to do this, but I want to be away from this medication, and never take it again.

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

It is so difficult. Be sure to get information on benzoinfo.com and the Ashton method so that you taper down safely.

@wtbwrites1806 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy I will, I have read the Ashton manual. I am just not really wanting to add valium to my tapering. I don't want to have to taper off another Benzo. I'm going to taper even slower. Just to be safe

@FlorenceFunmilayo-cy4gt 7 ай бұрын

Pls help me ,have been this for some years ,what is the final solution for this

@PaigePradkoTherapy 7 ай бұрын

If you have health anxiety, Florence, I have a course that can help you to recover. Here are some resources: Health anxiety self quiz www.paigepradko.com/healthanxietyquiz Health Anxiety Course www.paigepradko.com/healthanxiety

@MrEthanhines 6 ай бұрын

Could you explain why Physicans are allowed to make a diagnosis of Depression and give SSRIs without consultation but reluctant to make a dx of health anxiety or any other personality disorders ?

@PaigePradkoTherapy 6 ай бұрын

Depression is a more well known diagnosis, and perhaps some physicians use assessments and screening tools. Some physicians may feel like they have a tool to treat depression (medication), whereas they do not have medicine to treat health anxiety or personality disorders. If they cannot treat it, they likely are less concerned about diagnosing it.

@wtbwrites1806 Жыл бұрын

I actually get a lot of testing down and I email my provider frequently. But I think she's starting to get annoyed or just not care. I had a possible infection and she wanted me to take the antibiotic Cipro. I was too weary of the side effect. I asked for testing. I did not have an infection. She told me to take the antibiotics anyway. I did not like that.

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t like that either. 😥

@wtbwrites1806 Жыл бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy oh well, I did not take the antibiotic. She was prescribing a harsh antibiotic for something she was not sure I even had. Cipro seems scary

@s.sflower 11 ай бұрын

I have been avoiding going to hospital visits for the past almost 3 years by all means even when I have concerns. I haven't even been to my annual checkups. How can I stop this? Any help please? I don't want to keep doing this to myself. I fear getting bad results so I just avoid it all together but I know I cant keep doing this.... please help

@PaigePradkoTherapy 11 ай бұрын

It is understandable that you have avoided the doctor and hospitals during the pandemic years. But now, it is time to make an appointment for a checkup. I suggest that you focus on following through with an appointment because your well-being is important to you. Adopting an attitude of it is alright if anxiety shows up and is welcome to come to the appointment with you, but you will not allow it to change your decision to care for yourself.

@s.sflower 11 ай бұрын

@PaigePradkoTherapy I understand but I just can't convince myself to physically go 😟😰 I don't know what to do.. how do I get over possibly not hearing exactly what I want to hear?

@PaigePradkoTherapy 11 ай бұрын

@@s.sflower , you can possibly start with a telehealth visit, if that feels less threatening. Some people work their way up by visiting the doctor’s office and sitting in the parking lot as an exposure. You could also create a script about your worse feared scenario to help you work through your fear. I explain how to use these techniques in my health anxiety course if you need more detailed help.

@s.sflower 11 ай бұрын

@PaigePradkoTherapy oh thats a good idea... I'll think about that. And I know this is just a very un-logical way of thinking but it's just something I can't really control anymore. Thank you!!!

@chilenapromedioRU 4 ай бұрын

According to my mum, I've suffered from bronchopulmonary issues since I was a baby from months of age. I was diagnosed as asthmatic and allergic to certain things after being tested when I was about 7 years old. At about 14 I asked my then bronchopulmonary doctor why I was asthmatic and she told me it could be "psychosomatic". Everything was "psychosomatic" back then, no doctors gave propoer answers. It wasn't until I suffered a trauma event at age 22 that I was diagnosed with PTSD and panic attacks that I was diagnosed with GAD. So It's difficult for me to understand. What's the meaning of "health anxiety"? It's the same as what they used to call "psychosomatic"? I'm very comfused.

@PaigePradkoTherapy 4 ай бұрын

Health anxiety is a condition where a person has obsessive worries about their health. They can have real medical diagnoses or not, but the concern is the obsessive worry and often compulsions like seeking reassurance or monitoring their body. Some people with health anxiety certainly can have psychosomatic symptoms. They do feel sensations in their body, but what they feel may not be dangerous or harmful at all.

@chilenapromedioRU 4 ай бұрын

@@PaigePradkoTherapy Thank you so much for your response. It's a type of anxiety specific to health issues then. It reminds me a bit of hypochondria, I used to be bully as a young kid and called "hypochondriac" because I wasn't able to do what most children were able to, and at such a young age, I didn't even understand why my brother and I were "different". Fortunately it didn't lasted long, in my early teens I was able to explain my conditions (asthma, allergies and sun sensitivity) to most kids my age who asked, so I was looked as "odd" but not teased for my health issues anymore. I have struggled with issues that have taken years to get a proper medical diagnosis and treatment, in the meanwhile just treating the symptoms. So when the real cause and diagnosis is finally found, I feel an incredible relief. I know how it's like to feel anxious without any reason in particular and also to struggle with odd symptoms, so I thank you again and great work helping people with health anxiety.

@avamiller2325 Жыл бұрын

What if you are scared even to go to the Doctor?

@PaigePradkoTherapy Жыл бұрын

Hi Ava. Yes, there are people with health anxiety that are medical avoiders. In that case, you will want to challenge yourself to face your fear, and begin doing exposures working your way up to seeing a doctor. Most people will see their doctor at least annually, and it is understandable and even expected that anxiety may show up. Anxiety is not harmful or dangerous and you can build up your confidence and ability to tolerate those visits.