Are you a Google patient? You may develop cyberchondria!

Cyberchondria might be worsening your anxiety. The word comes from the words cyber and hypochondriasis. The condition describes an individual to excessively look up their health concerns on the internet.

Hypochondriasis lies on the extreme end of health concerns and can typically cause you to believe that you may develop an illness or disease. While hypochondriasis is a diagnosable condition, cyberchondria is a relatively new phenomenon.

Seeking information is literally on our tips! We can open our browser and look up any health-related information. While sometimes this can be very handy, information about your health is sensitive, individualized, and requires special attention. Recognizing that you are spending excessive time on the internet for information about your health is a red flag!

Cyberchondria can keep you in a constant state of panic and worry. (Image via Vecteezy/ zombiu26)

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What is cyberchondria and how does it affect your anxiety level?

Individuals with health anxiety often convince themselves that something is wrong with them. (Image via Vecteezy/ Valery Vasilyeu)

Hypochondriasis and catastrophic thinking are close relatives. Hypochondriasis makes us think of the worst possible outcome and leads to a loss of control. Cyberchondria is a way of coping that can help you feel a temporary sense of relief. By looking up symptoms online or potential treatments, many individuals are able to calm their nerves.

This specific type of hypochondriasis is on the rise because information has become readily available to us. With AI tools, you can get answers to the most complex problems in minutes. Unreliable self-diagnostic tools have become readily available and social media influence often makes us self-diagnose ourselves.

Unfortunately, while it may seem that this helps us, sooner or later it adds to our pre-existing level of anxiety. You may also end up spending a lot of time and resources meeting doctors. This may also exacerbate symptoms of health anxiety.

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What can you do to avoid cyberchondria?

What can we do to avoid the symptoms from worsening? (Image via Freepik/ Stockking)

Concerns about your health can be legitimate, but becoming your own doctor can become problematic and fuel negative thoughts. The first step is typically to become aware of your thoughts and behavioral patterns. It is important to be aware that not all information on the internet is accurate and much of it may not be applicable to you.

Seeking professional advice and taking it into consideration whenever your anxiety hits is very important. A lot of individuals with hyperchondriasis undergo a lot of tests and consultations. Even after this, they may believe that something is not right with them.

Something that can help at this time is the impact of these thoughts on your well-being and how much hindrance they cause in your life. Do the symptoms influence how you work or socialize? Do you spend most of the time thinking about these signs? Working with a therapist can help you manage your worries and reduce catastrophization.

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The problem with self-diagnosis and treatment through Dr. Google is that it may make matters worse by increasing anxiety levels. Seeking health advice online is good if it does not replace a real health professional.

It is good to be aware, but too much much delving into the internet may make one overdo or underdo the treatment.

One must know that online sources vary widely in credibility. Try not to find (and treat) new illnesses or health problems. Rather, use the internet for something more constructive and meaningful, like learning a new skill, how to meditate, how to cook, or how to incorporate basic exercise into your life.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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