I thought I was dying but it was health anxiety – here’s how to recognise the signs

• Health anxiety presents with physical symptoms (palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness) that patients genuinely experience but are disproportionate to underlying pathology; recognising this distinction helps avoid unnecessary investigations and reassures patients.
• Management involves validating concerns while avoiding repeated testing or specialist referrals, which reinforce health anxiety cycles; cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exposure are evidence-based approaches.
• GPs should screen for anxiety disorder features (hypervigilance to bodily sensations, catastrophic interpretation, reassurance-seeking behaviours) to differentiate health anxiety from organic disease and signpost appropriate mental health support early.

Hollie Sharman shares her experience of health anxiety and a doctor advises on how to manage symptoms.

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