How do we handle hypochondria as a Christian?
What's helped me have episodes that were less intense, less often and shorter duration
This is one of a five part series. See other posts here.
I have no idea why God picked us to walk through life with health anxiety, but we aren’t going to waste it. Are you with me? We will allow this to draw us closer to God. Health anxiety can eclipse our days. I get discouraged thinking about how much time I’ve wasted fearing for my life and agonizing over my body.
If I’m honest, it feels unfair, too. But instead of sinking into despair, we’re bringing it to God and asking Him to use every bit of us, heal us, and hold us.
I’ve shared so many parts of my life online, and this is one of those areas that is so big in my day-to-day life but barely gets airtime. It’s time, though.
So, let me introduce myself by sharing some things I thought I’d had before.
A headache could only be a brain aneurysm.
Eye pain that was for sure a detached retina. (total coincidence my mom just had that at the time).
Rapid heartbeat was a heart attack.
Breast pain could only be cancer.
Stomach pain that was surely an erupting kidney, spleen, or liver.
Swollen feet meant I must be diabetic.
Spasms for a year pointed to multiple sclerosis.
And most recently, an ulcer on my tongue that would eventually turn into a tongue-eating disease.
And these are just some that I remember. I’ve had it all. Scratch that. I have only thought I’ve had them all. And scratch that, I didn’t just think it. I believed, to the depths of my core, that the only possible answer was a terrible diagnosis.
And it feels so counter to my faith in Jesus. Shouldn’t I have a better handle this? And that’s kind of the million-dollar question for those of us bombarded by hypochondriac thoughts.
How do we handle hypochondria as a Christian?
If you struggle with hypochondria or its more politically correct name, health anxiety, you’re in the right place. The Lord has used my own struggle to teach me so much about how to walk through it in a healthier way. I had plans to write a book, but it turns out it was waiting to become a Substack series instead.
It all started when I came across an interesting quote that has guided my search for how best to handle it (more on that in a second).
My goal with hypochondria is much like my goal was with being a grumpy mom (as documented here): to have episodes that were less intense, less often and shorter duration. This might be my thorn for life and something I’ll always deal with, but I have seen that it doesn’t have to be as debilitating as it has in the past.
