Hypochondria and cyberchondria: the many ways to worry about healthHypochondria and cyberchondria: the many ways to worry about health
All In The Mind
How do you know if you have health anxiety? For mental health nurse Sarah, she had real health concerns, but they were coupled with panic, spiralling worries and late nights googling her symptoms. So how can you tell if your concerns are causing more harm than good? Today, we're demystifying health anxiety. From the impact it has on individuals, to family and friends, to the flow on effects it can have on the medical system. And don't worry, there is good news - it is treatable, so we'll explore what to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by health anxiety. Guests: Sarah (pseudonym) Mental health nurse Professor Jill Newby Clinical psychologist University of New South Wales Black Dog Institute Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Producer: Rose Kerr Senior producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Isabella Tropiano More information/resources: CCI Health Anxiety This Way Up - Health Anxiety The Black Dog Institute is doing research on digital treatments for health anxiety. If you're interested in participating, you can find more information here.
29:37•18 Sept 2026
Health Anxiety, Cyberchondria and the Cost of Constant Worry
Episode Overview
- Health anxiety is a serious, disabling condition and can exist alongside genuine medical problems.
- Cyberchondria describes compulsive online symptom checking that increases anxiety rather than providing reassurance.
- Health anxiety often overlaps with OCD, generalised anxiety disorder and depression, and is more common in younger people and some gender groups.
- Modified cognitive behavioural therapy can significantly reduce health anxiety by shifting focus away from symptoms and unhelpful thoughts.
- Family and friends help most by validating the person’s distress, learning about the condition, and limiting repeated reassurance while supporting professional help.
“You can very much have a true serious health condition and still have health anxiety.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on "All In The Mind" zooms in on a different, but related, kind of struggle: health anxiety and its online cousin, cyberchondria. It’s aimed at anyone who’s ever lost hours to late‑night symptom searches, especially those already dealing with anxiety, trauma or other mental health issues alongside addiction or recovery.
You’ll hear the story of Sarah, a mental health nurse in Western Australia, whose real medical problems – including a misdiagnosed deep vein thrombosis and a complicated Covid experience – collided with spiralling worry. She explains how “you can very much have a true serious health condition and still have health anxiety,” and what that actually feels like in her body and day‑to‑day life.
Clinical psychologist Professor Jill Newby from UNSW breaks down the shift from the old term “hypochondria” to health or illness anxiety, and why the stigma around it is so damaging. She talks through common patterns: endless body‑checking, avoidance of doctors, or repeated tests that never feel reassuring.
Jill also introduces cyberchondria – that cycle of googling symptoms, getting more anxious, then googling some more – and how tools like search engines, AI chatbots and wearable tech can pour fuel on the fire. There’s plenty here for family and friends too. Both Sarah and Jill stress how crucial it is to believe someone’s distress, even if their fears seem irrational, while also not becoming a permanent reassurance machine.
The episode walks through practical strategies like limiting online searching, delaying the urge to check, and getting the right kind of therapy, especially modified cognitive behavioural therapy. If you’ve ever wondered whether your health worries are helping you stay safe or just making life smaller and more stressful, this thoughtful chat might be a good reality check and a starting point for change.
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