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GP urges people with health anxiety to ‘think like a doctor’ in helpful advice Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

GP urges people with health anxiety to ‘think like a doctor’ in helpful advice

By Ellissa Bain

It’s estimated that 4% to 5% of people have health anxiety, but it’s likely to be much higher in reality as many suffer silently. If you are one of those people, this GP’s tip could help.

Worrying you are ill, or that you are going to get ill, can severely impact and limit your daily life, but there is a simple trick to rationalize your thoughts when self-diagnosing symptoms.

Woman Suffering From Depression Sitting On Bed In Pajamas
Woman Suffering From Depression Sitting On Bed In Pajamas. Credit: Kseniya Ovchinnikova (Getty Images)

Doctor’s tip for people with health anxiety

Speaking on TikTok, Dr Martin Brunet told those prone to “catastrophic thoughts” who “always think the worst case scenario” to do one thing: think like a doctor. He then showed a tremor in his right hand and asked viewers to be the GP and diagnose his condition.

“Your first thought might well go to a worst-case scenario, something quite serious, and that’s absolutely fine, but if you’re someone who’s prone to catastrophizing or health anxiety, you will likely find your thoughts get stuck there,” he said.

The key to getting over health anxiety is to think about the bad outcome first, but then find an alternative “because this is how a GP thinks”.

When diagnosing a symptom, doctors usually think about the worst-case scenario to begin with, because they don’t want to miss something potentially dangerous. However, the difference is they “don’t get stuck there”.

If a doctor only thought about the worst-case scenario, they would be sending every single person to hospital for a minor headache or sore leg. So, they work out what other things could be causing the symptoms.

“They then need to think what are the alternatives? What’s the best fit? What’s a differential diagnosis? How else can I explain this?” Brunet said.

@doc_martin_gp

Often our thoughts get stuck on a worst case scenario, especially when it comes to health. The intense emotional feelings we get when we think about the worst case leads to such a feeling of threat that we can’t think of any other explanation for a problem until that threat is removed. And so we need to practise being able to think in a different way, which may not come easily at first! So, have a go at thinking about what could be causing my tremor! I really won’t be worried about what you come up with, and this is not a test about your ability to make a diagnosis, it’s an experiment in thinking broadly so that you can teach your mind to not get stuck in threat mode. Even if you know the cause for certain I’d like you to think of at least one alternative explanation, more if you can! The experiment here is to hypothesise and think of a differential diagnosis. When my trainees come to talk to me about a patient, I will often say to them, ‘what else do you think it could be?’ – even if they probably have the right diagnosis! As a GP I do need to consider worst case scenarios – we call this marginalising danger – and then, once I have ruled out anything dangerous, I can consider what are the most likely explanations, what best fits the symptoms and whether I need to find out any more information (through more questions, examination or tests) to work out the best fit. So have a go – I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, but whether you comment or not try to think of as many possible explanations for my tremor as you can, and then practise this way of thinking in other areas of your life! 😊👍 #catastrophising #anxiety #healthanxiety #tremor #gp #doctor #mentalhealth

♬ original sound – Martin Brunet

What else could be causing the hand tremor?

The doctor challenged everyone to put this tip into action and share what they think could be causing his hand tremor in the comments, ensuring there is always at least more than one differential.

One person wrote: “First thought (worst case): neurological/ Parkinsons. Differential: just been working out and muscles are fatigued?”

“First I thought Parkinsons and thought about how that would progress. Now Im thinking neuropathic damage – maybe nervousness – maybe you had an accident and are in physio whilst it regains strength,” said another.

A third person added: “Brain goes to worst case scenario of Parkinsons or motor neurone. Differential – low blood sugar, strained muscle?”

Thinking of alternative diagnoses will calm your mind and help you realize that the worst-case scenario isn’t the only option.

If your health anxiety is taking over your life, you should always see a doctor. They may recommend breathing exercises, therapy or medication to calm your anxiety.

Dr Martin Brunet is an NHS general practitioner and family�doctor based in Guildford, England, who has racked up thousands of online followers sharing tips on mental health and wellbeing.