I Think I’m Hypochondiacal and Go to The Doctor Too Often: What Can I do?

I Think I’m Hypochondiacal and Go to The Doctor Too Often: What Can I do?

Medically reviewed by MyHSN Editorial Team; Last updated April 2026

It’s a Tuesday morning, you’ve noticed a slight tingling in your left little finger, or a new small spot on your face, and within twenty minutes, you’ve convinced yourself it’s a rare neurological or skin condition.

By lunch, you’re either making an appointment to see you GP (second time this week) or Googling for the relevant specialist to see.

If this cycle feels familiar, you aren’t ‘crazy’ or ‘attention-seeking.’ You are likely to be experiencing Health Anxiety (formerly known as hypochondriasis). It is an exhausting, expensive, and deeply isolating cycle. But the good news is, that it is also treatable.

We all have anxiety a little. It’s normal, and it passes. But it is an illness, if it becomes an unreasonable fear, which is not based on what is likely to be happening.

Understanding the ‘Reassurance Loop’

The core of health anxiety isn’t just a fear of getting sick. It’s an intolerance of uncertainty. When you go to the doctor, you receive a temporary ‘hit’ of relief when they tell you you’re fine.

However, that relief acts like a drug. It wears off, the anxiety returns, and you need a bigger ‘dose’ (more tests, more doctors) to feel safe again.

Common Signs You’re Over-using Medical Care

• Doctor Shopping: Seeking second or third opinions because you’re convinced the first doctor ‘missed something.’

• ‘Clean Bill’ Hangover: Feeling relieved for exactly two hours after a clear MRI before wondering if the machine was calibrated correctly.

• Body Scanning: Spending hours checking your pulse, skin, or lymph nodes for changes.

• ‘Cyberchondria’: Spending significant time on medical forums or symptom checkers.

Practical Steps to Break the Cycle

1. Implement a ‘Waiting Period’ – 2 Hour and 2 Week Rules 

• 2-Hour Rule: Unless you are experiencing a true emergency (difficulty breathing, chest pain, sudden loss of vision), commit to a 2-hour rule.
  • When a new symptom (e.g. mild-moderate pain) appears, wait two hours. Almost always, they will go away. In fact, most minor physical sensations—twitches, aches, or minor rashes—resolve on their own within that window.
  • During that time, engage in a distracting activity like calling a friend, going for a walk, or engaging in a hobby.
• 2-Week Rule: If a symptom is prolonged, but not life-threatening, again it will usually go away with time. Time is the best healer humans have.

2. Reduce Looking for Medical Information 

Information is often the fuel for health anxiety.

• Stop the ‘Dr. Google’ habit: Treat searching symptoms like an addiction. Every search reinforces the neural pathways of fear.

• The Rule of One: If you must see a doctor, have one trusted GP (Primary Care Physician (PCP) in the US). Let them be the ‘gatekeeper’ who decides if a specialist opinion is actually necessary (do not arrange these yourself). Wait longer to see them, rather than another GP you don’t know. That GP can also decide if you need tablets to help you deal with mood problems (e.g. SSRIs for depression) that might underlie your issues.

• Wean yourself off regular appointments with your trusted GP: If you are running on weekly appointments, ask for a deal with the trusted GP for a monthly longer (20-30 mins) one. Then, when you are keeping to that, change it to every two months, and finally every 3 months. Save up problems for the pre-arranged meetings. Write problems down. They don’t need urgent action.

3. Practice ‘Productive’ Observation

Instead of obsessing over what the symptom is, observe how your anxiety affects it.

Note: Anxiety can physically manifest as palpitations, shortness of breath, tingling, and digestive or bowel issues. The sensation is real, but the cause is your brain and mind, not a disease.

4. Categorise Your Thoughts

When a scary thought hits, label it. Say out loud: “I am having a thought that I have a heart condition.” This creates a small gap between the thought and reality, reminding you that a thought is not a diagnosis.

When to Seek a Different Kind of Doctor

If your ‘doctor-going’ habit is interfering with your finances or education, your relationships, or your ability to work, it’s time to pivot.

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This is the gold standard for health anxiety. It helps you identify the ‘catastrophic thinking’ patterns, and teaches you how to sit with physical discomfort without panicking.

• Counselling; Many people find CBT too intrusive. A gentle session with the same trusted counsellor, at least once a week, is often better. Then you can ‘save up’ symptoms to worry about, and describe them to the counsellor rather than book GP appointments. When you feel in control, back off to every two weeks, then monthly.

• ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): This involves gradually stopping the ‘safety behaviours’ (like checking your pulse or calling the doctor) until the anxiety naturally subsides.

A Final Reality Check – Over Investigation

Being ‘hyper-vigilant’ does not actually keep you safer. In fact, over-testing can lead to ‘incidentalomas’—tiny, harmless ‘abnormalities’ (actually normal variants) that everyone has; which then lead to invasive, unnecessary biopsies and more stress.

This often happens if you keep pushing for tests (e.g. ultrasound, CT/MRI, specialist blood tests) or procedures (endoscopy or colonoscopy) you don’t need. Trust your doctor (or physiotherapist etc) if they say you don’t need that investigation.

True health isn’t the absence of all physical sensations. It’s the ability to live your life even when your body makes a little noise. Be gentle with yourself. You’ve spent a long time trying to protect yourself from the worst-case scenario—it’s okay to start trusting your body again.