Overcoming Health Anxiety: Letting Go of Your Fear of Illness

Katherine Owens · Martin M. Antony

Jul 2011 · New Harbinger Publications

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If you experience troubling symptoms, it’s only natural to worry about your health. But if your anxiety persists even after doctors tell you they can find nothing wrong, it may be hurting you more than it helps. You might research medical conditions on the internet, exercise constantly, or check your body for signs of disease, all the while growing more and more consumed by worry. And that worry has consequences of its own—the never-ending cycle of anxiety can all but destroy your quality of life.

If you’re ready to stop being overly preoccupied with fears about your health, Overcoming Health Anxiety offers an evidence-based approach called cognitive behavioral therapy to help you get started. You’ll learn the difference between people with health anxiety and hypochondriacs, find the root of your health anxiety, and challenge illness-related thoughts. In time, you’ll drastically reduce your fears and enjoy a life free from recurring health-related worries.

This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

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Katherine M. B. Owens, PhD, is adjunct professor at the University of Regina and clinical lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan. Clinically, Owens serves as a senior psychologist in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region Mental Health Clinic and as a therapist in private practice. She practices, teaches, and supervises psychology and psychiatry students in the cognitive behavioral model, specializing in anxiety disorders, depression, and neuropsychological assessment. In her spare time, Owens volunteers as much as she can.

Martin M. Antony, PhD, is professor and director of graduate training at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. He is also director of research at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, and Past President of the Canadian Psychological Association. An award-winning researcher, Antony is coauthor of The Anti-Anxiety Workbook, When Perfect Isn't Good Enough, and more than twenty-five other books. His research, writing, and clinical practice focus on cognitive behavioral therapy and the treatment of anxiety disorders. He has been widely quoted in the American and Canadian media.