Health concerns can make your body feel like unfamiliar ground.
Some people notice it as constant worry about every new symptom.
Others feel it as grief for the body or the life they had before.
Some feel it most in waiting rooms, after being told nothing is wrong.
Maybe you feel:
- betrayed by your body
- on alert
- uncertain
- worn down
Your physical health and mental health are woven together.
Your whole self is responding to what your body is going through.
What are Health Concerns?
Health concerns are changes in your physical health, from a new symptom to a lifelong condition.
They can include a diagnosis, chronic illness, disability, unexplained symptoms or worry about your health.
Your mind and body are one system, so a health concern affects how you think, feel and relate.
Many people live with ongoing health concerns, and many carry them quietly.
It can look different across people and cultures, from pushing through or pulling back to constant checking.
A health concern touches every part of your life.
Signs and Symptoms of Health-Related Distress
Physical
- flare-ups
- low energy
- muscle tension
- trouble sleeping
Mental
- dread
- googling symptoms
- overthinking
- what-ifs
Emotional
- anger at your body
- grief
- guilt about resting
- worry
Social
- canceling plans
- hiding symptoms
- missing work
- saying you're fine
What Causes Health-Related Distress?
Health concerns can weigh on you from many directions at once:
- Your body: pain, fatigue, flare-ups and unpredictable symptoms can wear you down.
- Your experiences: a frightening diagnosis, a hospital stay or a hard medical event can stay with you.
- Your relationships: not being believed, by doctors or people close to you, can deepen the hurt.
- Your circumstances: long waits, costs, travel or missed work can add stress, especially in rural Alberta.
Worry and symptoms can build on each other, making it hard to settle.
Your distress makes sense, given what your body is carrying.
Health and Your Nervous System
A health concern can keep your nervous system watching your body for danger.
Every new ache or change can set off a wave of alarm.
How your body responds is shaped by past illness, past care and whether you’ve been believed.
Your mind and body are one system, so what you’re told about your body can change how you feel.
Clear, hopeful messages can ease symptoms, while frightening or dismissive ones can make them worse.
Your nervous system is working to protect you.
Your body can settle a little more when it feels heard and safe.
Health and Trauma
What if your health and your history are connected?
Trauma can affect your health, from sleep and digestion to pain and immunity.
Living on alert for a long time can wear on your body in ways that are easy to miss.
Medical care can also feel threatening, from exams and procedures to being touched without a choice.
Health concerns after trauma can look like avoiding appointments, downplaying symptoms or needing control.
Each of these once helped you protect yourself when you felt powerless.
With choice and respect, care can start to feel safer.
Ways to Care for Yourself
Listen to your body
Notice what your body is asking for, like rest, water, movement or warmth. Spend some time there.
Go at today’s pace
Some days you have more energy and some days you have less. Let it be enough, without comparing.
Find what feels okay
Find one thing that helps you feel a little bit okay. Maybe it's sunshine, music, movies or time in nature.
Miss what’s changed
Let yourself miss what your body used to do, and who you were then. Let the tears or anger come.
When to Get Help
You might tell yourself therapy can’t change your health, so why bother.
But living with illness affects much more than your body.
It might be time to reach out if your health:
- brings fear or constant worry
- has changed who you are
- leaves you feeling dismissed
- isn’t getting better
You don't need a diagnosis to reach out.
When you feel stuck, it’s time to get help.
Therapy can help you alongside any medical care you’re receiving.
Questions About Health Concerns
Why do I panic before appointments?
Why do I feel betrayed by my body?
Why do I downplay my symptoms?
Why does every symptom scare me?
What is health anxiety?
Can stress make physical symptoms worse?
What if doctors can’t find a cause?
Can therapy help with chronic illness?
Resources for Health Concerns in Alberta
If you're in crisis, call or text 988 any time, day or night. For more crisis lines across Alberta, visit our crisis support page.
Support Lines
- Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642. Free support and referrals for anyone in Alberta, 24/7.
- 211 Alberta: Call or text 211, or chat online, to find local supports, including help with costs and transportation.
- Health Link: 811. Talk to a nurse any time about new or worrying symptoms.
Learn and Practice
- Better Choices, Better Health: Free AHS workshops for living with chronic health conditions, online or in person.
- MyHealth Alberta: Look up conditions and treatments on Alberta's trusted health information site.
- Togetherall: Free, anonymous online peer support, moderated around the clock, for Albertans 16 and older.
Related Topics in This Library
Concerns
Where would you like to go next?
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