Questions to Ask Yourself When Anxious about a Symptom

Jan 04, 2024 Posted by: Brittney Chesworth catastrophize, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring, examine the evidence, socratic dialogue, thinking errors

With health anxiety we often engage in thinking errors when interpreting symptoms and bodily sensations. It can be helpful to use socratic dialogue (a CBT strategy) to challenge thoughts and improve thinking patterns.

Improve Health Anxiety by Examining the Evidence for Your Thoughts

Dec 18, 2023 Posted by: Brittney Chesworth biased information processing, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring, examine the evidence, overestimating threat, underestimating coping

With health anxiety, we tend to overestimate the likelihood and severity of getting a disease as well as underestimate our ability to cope with disease. We want to use cognitive strategies in order to help challenge biased assumptions. One CBT strategy is called "examine the evidence" and allows you to challenge to distorted or biased thoughts.

Health Anxiety & the Black-or-White Thinking Error

Dec 01, 2023 Posted by: Brittney Chesworth all or nothing thinking error, anxiety, biased information processing, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring, fear of disease, health anxiety, hypochondria, socratic dialogue, thinking errors

People with health anxiety tend to engage in thinking errors when it comes to their health. One type of thinking error is black-or-white thinking or seeing health as dichotomous instead of on a spectrum. You can improve dysfunctional thinking patterns through challenging thoughts through socratic questioning.

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Questions to Ask Yourself When Anxious about a Symptom

Improve Health Anxiety by Examining the Evidence for Your Thoughts

Health Anxiety & the Black-or-White Thinking Error