Mental Health Moment – Illness Anxiety

Mental Health Moment graphic

Clinical psychologists Dr. Steven Taketa and Dr. Analu Sing, with UH West Oʻahu’s Counseling Services, will offer weekly mental health tips to students, faculty, and staff to cope through COVID-19 and these trying times:

In response to COVID-19, many of us are experiencing a healthy degree of concern about the potential of contracting this and other illnesses. However, for some people, the fear of illness or disability can be overwhelming. Many individuals with illness anxiety report that underlying their fear is a deeper sense of having to live a less than fulfilling life. In other words, people who are happy with their relationships, who feel like they are living a meaningful existence, and who believe that they are valuable to others, are also less likely to have an excessive fear of sickness or death. While mental health treatment cannot decrease your chances of contracting illnesses directly, it can be very effective in helping people to focus on life rather than being hindered by worry.

Image courtesy of UHWO Staff