Ep. 226 Overcoming Health Anxiety with Ken and Maria

SUMMARY: Overcoming Health Anxiety is possible! Today, we interview Ken Goodman and his client Maria on overcoming hpyochondria using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast, you will learn key concepts of health anxiety and how to overcome their health anxiety.
In This Episode: What it is like to have health anxiety The key concepts of treating Hypochondria Tips for managing fears of death and cancer. A step-by-step approach to overcoming health anxiety. Links To Things I Talk About: www.kengoodmantherapy.com/ Quiet Mind Solutions ERP School: www.cbtschool.com/erp-school-lp
Episode Sponsor: This episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit is brought to you by CBTschool.com. CBTschool.com is a psychoeducation platform that provides courses and other online resources for people with anxiety, OCD, and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. Go to cbtschool.com to learn more.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION
This is Your Anxiety Toolkit - Episode 226.
Welcome back, everybody. If you have health anxiety, hypochondria, health anxiety disorder, or you know of somebody who has health anxiety, you are going to love this episode. I mean, love, love, love this episode.
Today, we have Ken Goodman, who’s on the show. He’s a clinician who’s here with his patient and they’re sharing a success story, a recovery story of health anxiety, and it is so good. I am so honored to have both of them on. It was so fun to actually interview other people and the way they’re doing it, and look at the steps that were taken in order to overcome health anxiety. And this is the overcoming health anxiety story of all stories. It is so, so good. I’m not going to waste your time going and telling you how good it is. I’m just going to let you listen to it because I know you’re here to get the good stuff.
Before we do that, I wanted to do the “I did a hard thing” and this one is from Dave. It says:
“I’ve been trying to get back into meditating regularly. I was sitting at a desk this morning, reviewing my work emails. And I told myself, before I get even further in my day, I need to meditate. I did a guided meditation, even though I felt a strong pull inside to go back to work. I kept getting caught up in my thoughts, but I just kept telling myself it doesn’t need to be a perfect meditation. I said the goal today is just to be able to sit without being busy for three minutes. Nothing more. It was hard, but I did it.”
Dave, thank you so much for the submission of the “I did a hard thing” segment, because I think that meditation is so important. In fact, I keep promising myself I’m going to implement it more into this podcast. And Dave has really looked at some of the struggles people have with meditation. And look at him, go, it’s so amazing. Totally did it. So amazing. Dave, thank you so, so, so much. I love it. If you want to submit, you may submit your “I did a hard thing” by going to KimberleyQuinlan-lmft.com. If you go to the podcast page, there is a submission page right on the website. And from there, let’s just go straight to the show. I hope you enjoy it.

Kimberley: Welcome. I am so excited for this episode. Welcome, Ken and welcome, Maria.
Ken: Thank you for having me.
Maria: Hi, Kimberley.
Kimberley: So, as you guys, we’ve already chatted, but I really want to hear. This is really quite unique and we get to see the perspective of a client and the therapist. If I could do one of these every single week, I would. I think it’s so cool. So, thank you so much for coming on and sharing. We’re going to talk about health anxiety. And so, Maria, we’re going to go back and forth here, but do you want to share a little bit about your experience with health anxiety?
Maria: Yes. I think I’ve had health anxiety probably for like 15, 20 years and not known about it. Looking back now, everything comes clear when you see the multiple pictures that you’ve taken of certain lumps and whatever five years ago. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I have so many pictures that I’ve taken and so many different things.” But yeah, I’ve been struggling for a while I think, and had multiple doctor’s appointments. Until I realized that I had health anxiety, it was an everyday struggle, I think.
Ken: Well, you came to me and you were mostly worried at the time about ticks and Lyme disease and skin cancer, but you told me that for the previous 15 years or so, you were worried about other things. What are those things?
Maria: Well, I was mostly completely obsessed with moles on my skin and them being cancerous. And I was scared of ticks....

[@germansanroman7649]

i love and I have watched/listened to all Kim´s episodes but this is definitely one of my favourite ones. I love the dinamic of interviewing a patient and a therapist at the same time and what the heck, the topic is "my thing". Love all the work you´re doing with your poscast,book and CBT academy. And your incredible kindness. Thank you for your incredible work!

[@tomlehmann306]

The physical sensations are driving me crazy, been having brief chest pains that send me off thinking I’m going to have a heart attack. Have had normal ekg and echo, but anytime I have a stomach ache or I feel my arm weak or chest pain I spiral

[@aaronandrus6623]

Yes… that’s what I’m currently dealing with as I Type this comment!!!!!
If only the daily sensations and minor aches would stop, I’d probably feel at least some sort of peace or relief!!!
Health anxiety is literally ruining my life!!!!!

[@tomlehmann306]

@@aaronandrus6623 it’s gotten better because I’ve gotten used to it. It still makes me anxious but I don’t panic anymore since it’s been happening for months. It’s getting really old though, but I would say I’m in a better place than I was months ago. They say if you’ve been having chest pains or tightness for months having nothing to do with exertion it’s very unlikely to be the heart. I think I’m having some gastro issues or it’s just anxiety