How can you reduce anxiety about deadly diseases? 

Hello, and thank you for your question.  

Feeling anxiety about deadly diseases, also called health anxiety, is common. This type of anxiety often arises when we experience losses or when someone close to us becomes seriously ill. Health anxiety can be intense and may cause physical symptoms that at first glance can be mistaken for the illnesses we fear. For example, we may experience heart palpitations, stomach pain, difficulty breathing, or other physical reactions. Recurrent catastrophic thoughts are also common. Many people start avoiding situations or conversations that remind them of illness or death, which in the long run can reinforce the anxiety. 

There are several practical strategies that can help you manage this type of anxiety in everyday life. 

Acceptance is often an important part of coping. This does not mean you have to like or approve of the worry, but rather that you acknowledge that the feelings are there without trying to push them away or fight them. By practicing accepting that worry is a natural reaction, you can reduce its power over you. It may help to remind yourself that thoughts and feelings come and go, and that they do not have to define you or control your actions. Showing self-compassion when you feel worried, and reminding yourself that many people experience similar feelings, can make it easier to let go of self-criticism and give yourself space to feel better over time. 

Breathing and relaxation exercises can help signal calm to the body. By drawing your breath down into your stomach, you can slow down the fight-or-flight system and soothe the worry. Try sitting comfortably, inhaling slowly through your nose, holding your breath for a few seconds, and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. You can repeat this several times until your body starts to unwind. You can also try progressive muscle relaxation—tensing and relaxing different muscle groups—or short meditations that help you focus on the present moment and break the anxiety spiral. 

Physical activity has also been shown to be very helpful for anxiety. Regular walks, light exercise, or any kind of movement can reduce stress hormones and give your mind and body a natural pause. The important thing isn’t what you do, but finding something that feels good for you and that you can do regularly. By combining these strategies, you can gradually create more space for rest and calm, even when worry shows up. 

Another method that can help with health anxiety is exposure. This means gradually exposing yourself to the situations, thoughts, or conversations you usually avoid because of your worry, instead of escaping from them. By getting used to the discomfort in small steps, you can gradually loosen anxiety’s grip and realize that it often decreases over time. Start with less frightening situations and increase the difficulty when you feel ready. 

It is common for worry to lead to excessive googling of symptoms or illnesses, or excessive seeking of medical care. While understandable, these behaviors tend to maintain health anxiety. Limiting these behaviors, pausing for a moment to describe your worried thoughts, and then gently redirecting your attention to what is happening around you right now can be a more helpful strategy. 

If you feel that the anxiety becomes too heavy to handle on your own, it may be wise to seek support. You can contact your local health center, a psychologist, or a counselor, as well as counseling services that provide help for mental health concerns. If you study at a university or college in Sweden, you can turn to student health services for guidance. 

I hope this gives you a place to start. 

Licensed Psychotherapist / Student health counselor