Health anxiety

Health anxiety in women is more than worrying about illness. It’s far more nuanced than “overthinking” – though people may have said that to you.

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It often reflects a highly-sensitised nervous system interacting with hormonal rhythms, past experiences, and a deep desire to feel safe in one’s body.

 

​It can feel overwhelming, persistent and exhausting.​

 

Many women notice that their anxiety spikes:

 

• ​Pre-menstrually (before your period)

• After illness

• Post-natally (after giving birth)

• During perimenopause​

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Rather than simply challenging thoughts or reducing reassurance-seeking, we’ll address:

 

• How hormones interact with anxiety and your nervous system

• How sleep disruption and fatigue increase hypervigilance and how to support this

• How to connect to and better gauge your body’s cues so you can build self-trust

• Nervous system overactivation through regulation techniques

• Rebuilding body and psychological safety

• Resilience work that: builds helpful habits around triggers e.g. health information and reminders; creates and supports routines that reduce stress sensitivity; builds self-compassion

• Trauma or loss triggers