941: Healing from Health Anxiety: Trusting Your Body's Resilience Listener Q and A

In today's episode, Gina responds to a listener question regarding health anxiety. There is often much knowledge in our minds regarding our own personal history and how it can relate to health. Anxiety can often take advantage of our own self-knowledge and health related knowledge we have picked up in our lives, including through internet research. Listen in for the good news about the human body's awesome capacity for resilience and learn how to better tame your health and symptom related thinking and feel better today!Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors!https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/Thank you for supporting The Anxiety Coaches Podcast.Find even more peace and calm with our Supercast premium access membership! https://anxietycoaches.supercast.com/Here's what's included for $5/month:❤ New Ad-Free episodes every Sunday and Wednesday❤ Access to the entire Ad-free back-catalog with over 600 episodes❤ Premium meditations recorded with you in mind❤ And more fun surprises along the way!All this in your favorite podcast app!To learn more go to:https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.comJoin our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program Learn more about our One-on-One CoachingWhat is anxiety?Quote:Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.–Bryant McGillChapters0:00:24 Introduction and Listener Question on Healing from Anxiety0:02:39 Understanding the Resilience of the Human Body0:09:06 The Brain's Capacity for Healing and Restoration0:13:54 The Importance of Patience in Seeking Medical Care0:14:44 Avoiding the Pitfalls of Health Anxiety0:16:28 Overcoming Anxiety and Not Mistaking Symptoms for IllnessSummaryIn this episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, Gina Ryan discusses healing from anxiety and trusting the body's resilience. The topic stems from a listener question about health anxiety and the fear of developing dementia or Alzheimer's. Gina acknowledges that anxiety often lands on what we care about most and can lead to worrying about potential damage caused by stress and past substance abuse.Gina delves into specific ways the body can heal and recover, such as neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, reduced inflammation, restoration of neurotransmitter balance, and enhanced blood flow and oxygenation. Stress and alcohol abuse may disrupt the brain's neural connections and neurotransmitter balance, but the brain has the incredible capacity to reorganize and form new connections. Furthermore, reducing stress and alcohol consumption can decrease inflammation in the brain, promoting healing and restoration. Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle also aid in improving blood flow and oxygenation, supporting the brain healing process.Gina proceeds to discuss the manifestations of health anxiety, including excessive worrying about sickness or injury, frequent body checking, seeking reassurance from others, obsessive online searches, and avoiding anything related to serious illness. She advises against relying on internet searches and instead encourages seeking guidance from healthcare professionals or waiting to see if symptoms persist. Additionally, she highlights the common tendency to avoid activities out of fear and mistake anxiety symptoms for signs of illness. Keeping a journal to track behaviors such as body checking, reassurance seeking, and online searching can help reduce these habits over time.The main takeaway is to be mindful of thoughts about one's health and not give in to every fleeting worry. With practice, old habits can be broken, and a better mental state can be achieved. Gina concludes the episode by quoting Bryant McGill, reminding listeners that a calm mind is their ultimate weapon against challenges. She signs off with a farewell and best wishes until the next podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.