Health Anxiety: Why You Can't Stop Googling Your Symptoms (and what to do instead!)
- caitlyn50
- Aug 12
- 3 min read
It starts with a twinge in your chest. Or maybe a slight headache. Before you know it, your mind jumps to the worst-case scenario:
“What if it’s cancer?”
“What if my doctor missed something?”
“What if I need to act now before it’s too late?”
So you do what many of us do in a moment of panic: You Google it. And that’s where the spiral begins.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. For many people, this is part of a pattern driven by Health Anxiety or Health OCD, and it’s more common than you think.
Why Is Googling Symptoms So Hard to Resist?
People often think of OCD as being only about hand-washing or organizing, but it can also show up as checking or reassurance seeking, and compulsive Googling is common.
In Health OCD, the brain latches onto fears about illness, symptoms, or misdiagnosis. You may feel an intense, urgent need to be absolutely certain you’re healthy. And when you feel that doubt, your brain urges you to do something to find relief.
Googling becomes a way to:
Get reassurance (“This doesn’t sound like anything serious... right?”)
Rule out worst-case scenarios
Find the one answer that will finally make you feel calm
But here’s the trap:Even if you feel better for a moment, that relief doesn’t last. Doubt creeps back in, and you find yourself searching again.This is the cycle that keeps you stuck.
Why Googling Doesn’t Work (and Makes Anxiety Worse)
Every time you Google symptoms, your brain learns that checking = safety. But over time, it also learns that doubt = danger. So even minor, explainable sensations, a fluttering heartbeat, a headache, a tingle, start to feel like threats. Your nervous system goes on high alert, and the cycle repeats:
Sensation → Anxiety → Google → Temporary relief → More doubt → More Googling
This not only keeps the anxiety going, it actually increases your sensitivity to bodily sensations and health-related fears.
What to Do Instead: The OCD Treatment That Helps
The good news? You don’t have to keep living in fear. Health OCD is highly treatable with evidence-based therapy.
The two most effective approaches I use in my practice are:
ERP helps you face uncertainty about health fears without falling into the trap of checking, Googling, or asking for reassurance. Instead of trying to feel sure, you learn to tolerate discomfort and break the ritual that fuels OCD.
I-CBT focuses on why the doubt feels so believable in the first place. If you’ve ever thought, “But this time feels different,” or “What if the doctor missed something,” I-CBT can help untangle the faulty reasoning that keeps Health OCD going.
Both approaches teach you how to feel more in control, without needing to Google your way to calm.
If You’ve Been Searching “OCD Therapist Near Me” , You’re in the Right Place
I specialize in treating Health Anxiety and Health OCD for adults, college students, and new parents. Whether you’re in Campbell, San Jose, or anywhere in California, we can work together online or in-person to break the cycle of fear and checking.
You deserve relief that lasts — not another search result.
Caitlyn Oscarson, LMFT
Licensed Therapist and Anxiety Expert
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