How Parents Can Help Teens Manage Health Anxiety

E. coli, Salmonella, Cyclospora, Alpha-gal. Our newsfeeds have become a tongue twister of microbial and molecular horrors. Spend too much time on social media or the evening news, and even the healthiest individual can begin to feel anxious. While a certain amount of worry or concern about our health is normal, it can become problematic when our response is disproportionate, obsessive or overwhelming. It’s estimated that as much as 10% of the general population suffers from significant health anxiety, with as many as 30% of the population experiencing intermittent or milder fears about their health. For those adolescents who experience some degree of health anxiety, there are a number of things that can help.

What Is It?

Health anxiety is an overwhelming, persistent fear of having, or developing, a serious medical condition. It makes you worry about being sick when you are otherwise healthy and relatively symptom-free.

“The antiquated term for health anxiety is hypochondria,” says Grace Evans, a licensed professional counselor supervisor and owner of Tulsa’s Whole Hive Counseling. “Health anxiety is a common struggle for many teens and adults. It’s very real, and it can actually be extremely debilitating for some.”

According to Evans, health anxiety can look like constantly checking your temperature, or checking for rashes or bumps. It can also look like anxiety or worry that you’re going to become sick.

Ditch the Digital Diagnosis

While it’s tempting to run to Dr. Google at the first sign of any illness, Evans advises against it.

“The number one treatment for health anxiety is to stop googling your symptoms,” says Evans. “You think it’s going to make you feel better, but it’s actually reinforcing the worry and fear.”

Evans encourages parents to validate their children’s experience when health anxiety arises.

“Always validate your kid’s struggle: ‘I see how much this is bothering you, and I want to acknowledge that it’s really hard. I’m here to help you,’” she suggests. “Just letting them know that you hear them.”

However, she doesn’t necessarily think you should rush to reassure them when they’re having worries, thoughts or fears about an illness or ailment.

“Rather than just assuring them, ‘No, you don’t have this,’ try really exploring what else is going on underneath that,” she says. “Health anxiety can be a manifestation of anxiety related to other things they have going on.”

Things That Help

Many of the same tools that help with generalized anxiety can be used for health anxiety. Grounding techniques (like the ones listed below) are fast, practical ways to help quiet distressing thoughts. Parents can both model and help kids engage in healthy coping through meditation, exercise, adequate sleep, hydration and good nutrition.

Distraction is another way to redirect worry. Activities such as taking a walk, playing a game or making dinner together can give your child a break from the anxiety cycle.

According to Evans, “normalizing” body quirks is useful, too.

“Sometimes your heart is going to race; sometimes your muscles are going to twitch. Tummy growling is normal,” she says. “Letting them know that those things are OK and to not always sound the alarm bell.”

Repeating your own mantra, something like, “I take care of my body, and I’m going to treat my body well,” for example, can ease anxiety, too.

“We are not in control of much of what happens, but there are some things that we can take ownership and agency of, and how we choose to care for our physical and emotional selves is something that we do have a say in,” says Evans.

If the issues persist, or are regularly affecting your child’s day-to-day life, Evans recommends individual counseling.

“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that different types of therapy can be really helpful and effective in treating health anxiety,” she says.

For more information on Whole Hive, visit wholehivecounseling.com.

Simple Grounding Techniques

5-4-3-2-1

Take a calming, deep breath, then

• Name five things you see around you (like a lamp or a cloud)
• Name four things you can touch around you (like your hair or your clothes)
• Name three things you hear around you (like a dog barking or a clock ticking)
• Name two things you can smell around you (like toast or flowers)
• Name one thing you can taste around you (like gum or coffee)

ROYGBIV (or “Roy G. Biv” or “rainbow grounding technique”)

Take a calming deep breath, then look around your surroundings and identify an object that represents each color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Go in order and focus on each object with as many of your senses as possible (e.g. texture, smell or sound) before you move to the next color.

Box Breathing (or “4 Square Breathing”)

• Breathe in, counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs
• Hold your breath for four seconds
• Slowly exhale through your mouth for four seconds
• Wait for another four seconds before you breathe in again
• Repeat until you feel recentered

Julie Wenger Watson is a freelance writer who’s worked in all aspects of music promotion. She’s also Co-Director of “Live From Cain’s,” a public radio show pilot.