Individuals with health anxiety may avoid necessary medical visits due to fear of diagnosis, which exacerbates their anxiety and leads to negative health outcomes.
People who lean toward a care-avoidant subtype are particularly prone to neglect their health by avoiding preventive care, fearing the implications of potential diagnoses.
It's important to address health anxiety through strategies like fear hierarchies, which allow individuals to gradually face their fears and seek medical care.
Engaging in safety-seeking behaviors may offer temporary relief for those with health anxiety, but ultimately they perpetuate a cycle of avoidance and heightened anxiety.
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