Health anxiety can amplify the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Here’s how mindfulness, therapy, and support can help calm the storm.
I’ve always been a bit of a worrier. But when I was 23, my anxiety took an unexpected turn with the deep-seated fears of hypochondria (also called illness anxiety disorder).
It all started with a tiny tremble in my right hand. The sudden shaking sent me spiraling down a Dr. Google rabbit hole of doom. Was it multiple sclerosis? Parkinson’s? Lou Gehrig’s disease? My mind battled itself endlessly as I soon became obsessed with the “fact” that I was facing impending doom straight in the face.
The doctor’s diagnosis of “essential tremor” should have been a relief. But I didn’t trust the physician’s assessment. I just couldn’t shake my self-diagnosis. The fear and dread lingered. It was a constant, nagging presence in the dusty corners of my mind for years to come.
Yes, years.
At the time, I had undiagnosed bipolar 1 disorder. Within a couple of years, at age 25, I plunged into the depths of a mental health crisis, and my health fears grew a thousandfold. My mind became fixated.
When Bipolar Disorder Amplifies Health Anxiety
During those years, I spent countless hours obsessing over my health, convinced that every ache and pain was a sign of a terminal illness like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
I wrote endless pages of morbid predictions, convincing myself of my impending demise. The doctors reassured me that my condition was benign, but my mind remained a fortress of fear for five years. I drafted my will. I began to give my belongings to friends and family.
It took time and plenty of therapy to finally accept that it wasn’t ALS I needed to face; it was hypochondriasis. Eventually, with support, I tamed the beast of illness anxiety disorder that had tortured me for so long.
How Hypochondria Can Impact Bipolar Disorder
My bipolar disorder is stable these days, but hypochondria still looms in the shadows. It’s as if my mind, already prone to racing thoughts and heightened emotions thanks to bipolar disorder, becomes fixated on potential health threats. This constant worry, fueled by the relentless voice of hypochondria, can be incredibly draining and exacerbate my symptoms of bipolar.
I can’t fully convey the terror that gripped me as my mind spiraled into hypochondria years ago. If only I had known how to conquer these fears back then, I could have saved myself years of unnecessary suffering.
How to Ease the Catastrophe in Your Head
While my journey was long and difficult, certain tools and therapies eventually helped me regain control over hypochondriasis while simultaneously reducing the intensity of my bipolar symptoms. Here are the strategies that made the biggest difference for me.
- Trying Focused Attention Meditation When you notice your mind race with worst-case scenarios, change your focus to a neutral sensation in your body. Pick something unrelated to the symptoms that worry you, such as the rise and fall of your breath or the feeling of your feet on the ground. By using mindfulness techniques to ground yourself in the present rather than leaping to terrifying hypothetical future illnesses, you may find much-needed peace.
- Using DBT-Inspired Techniques Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a type of therapy that helps you deal with intense feelings, making it ideal for helping manage illness anxiety disorder. For example, the DBT strategy of radical acceptance, per UW Medicine, involves learning to pay attention to what’s happening right now without judgment. You might radically accept that you feel fear about your health without taking any further action, like researching illnesses or seeking treatments.
- Creating a Mindfulness Basket My former psychiatric nurse introduced me to this simple yet profound coping strategy. The mindfulness basket (also called a calm down basket) is a literal container that holds a collection of treasures that you carefully select to soothe your racing mind and transport yourself to an instant state of calm. In mine, you’ll find a collection of scented floral bath bombs, each smell promising a serene escape. There’s also my favorite perfume, which I spritz to feel anchored in the present moment. And then there’s the music. From soothing classical melodies to upbeat dance tunes, these songs cater to my ever-changing moods.
- Thinking of CBT as a Personal Trainer Imagine your mind as a muscle. Negative thoughts are like weights that are too heavy for you to lift properly. Over time, you’ll practice an unhelpful technique and strain your mental well-being. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is like a personal trainer for your mind. CBT helps you identify and challenge negative thoughts, replacing them with more positive and realistic ones, which keeps you mentally fit. For example, instead of catastrophizing a minor headache into a malignant tumor, CBT can help you reframe the pain as a temporary discomfort. You might reframe the thought, “This pain means something serious,” as “This discomfort is likely temporary, and I can monitor it calmly.”
Healing Is a Journey, Not a Destination
You’re not alone if you struggle with intense worry about your health. Research published by StatPearls shows that millions of people worldwide face similar challenges.
The good news is you can take significant strides toward overcoming health anxiety and ease your bipolar symptoms along the way.
But healing from hypochondria is a journey; you won’t arrive all at once. You’ll need to practice patience, perseverance, and self-compassion. I encourage you to be kind to yourself. Try mindfulness, DBT, and CBT techniques. Don’t be afraid to seek support from mental health professionals and loved ones.
I can tell you from experience that it’s possible to reclaim your peace of mind, reduce the intensity of your fears, and live a life filled with the joy and fulfillment you deserve.
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Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
- Illness Anxiety Disorder. Mayo Clinic. April 19, 2021.
- Essential Tremor. Mayo Clinic. March 29, 2023.
- French JH et al. Illness Anxiety Disorder. StatPearls. July 16, 2023.
- 6 Ways to Reduce Suffering With Radical Acceptance. UW Medicine. November 25, 2024.