The inner-itch you just can’t scratch.
Anyone who has ever lived with health anxiety knows that it’s easy to get caught in a cycle. It feels endless. It usually begins with a small trigger — maybe you notice a twinge in your chest, a strange sensation in your stomach, or a new mark on your skin. Instead of brushing it off, your mind jumps straight to the very worst-case scenario: “What if this is something serious?”
That thought creates worry. Worry will then create its own physical symptoms which may confirm that there is something going on — a racing heart, a tight chest, or a dizzy feeling. Classic anxiety sensations. Suddenly, the worry feels even more real and that inner voice says, “See? There really is something wrong!”
To calm the fear, you look for comfort. You might Google your symptoms, check your body over and over, or ask someone to reassure you. And for a short time, it works — you feel calmer. That is unless you stumble across the worst possible diagnosis the internet algorithm thinks you need to see! The best case scenario for the loop is that you feel relieved and then confirm with a doctor when possible. But that only eases the anxiety for a moment; it doesn’t last. The next time a new sensation shows up, your brain remembers the old fear, and the cycle starts again.
‘False comfort’ is a bit like scratching an itch. The scratch gives relief for a second, but soon the itch comes back stronger, making you want to scratch even more. False comfort is when we take ourselves away from something or eliminate a likely source. A false self that defends us from an uncomfortable state. The trouble is it might be that by listening you eliminate the itchy jumper. Then you eliminate jumpers in general. Before you know it you’re eliminating shirts, fabric, clothes. The initial anxiety/event/trauma/belief remains untouched.
Checking symptoms or seeking reassurance works in the same way — it feels soothing in the moment, but it feeds the anxiety loop. Addressing the initial discomfort is key here.
The way out begins with recognising what’s happening. When you notice yourself reaching for false comfort, pause and remind yourself: “This urge to check is part of the loop — it won’t truly help me in the long run.” Instead, try to sit with the ‘itch’…that is to say, the uncertainty, even for a short while. Over time, your brain learns that not every sensation is a threat, and that you can feel discomfort without chasing answers right away. We all have experience this is true regarding the itch…sometimes you can sit with it and it goes away. Other times, for whatever reason, we just can’t resist that itch and we fall into the frantic scratching.
Breaking the loop isn’t about ignoring your health, but about stepping out of the false comfort trap. Each time you resist the urge to check, you’re teaching your mind a new lesson: I can handle this feeling without feeding the cycle. And that’s how real comfort — the kind that lasts — begins to grow.
