Hello, my peaceful warriors, and welcome to today's episode of the Health Anxiety Podcast Show.

If you're listening right now, chances are you've struggled with health anxiety or you know someone who has.

And if you've ever felt ashamed of it, you're definitely not alone.

Today, we're diving into a topic that doesn't get talked about enough, and that is the shame of

health anxiety. We'll be exploring why so many of us feel like we can't open up about it, how that shame can make things worse, and most importantly, how we can start letting go of that guilt and realize that it's okay to struggle.

So grab your favorite cup of tea, get comfortable,

and let's chat. Welcome to the Health Anxiety Podcast show being brought to you by The Anxiety Guy.com. I'm Dennis Simsec, your host, and together we are going to navigate the health anxiety

healing process, replacing fear with knowledge and transforming uncertainty into strength. Let's embark on a path towards a healthier mindset and a healthier life.

Let's go.

And for this podcast episode, I want to start with a confession, my friends.

For a long time, I was embarrassed about my health anxiety.

I know that might sound strange to some of you.

I mean, it's just anxiety, right? So why the shame? Well, I often felt like my worries about my health weren't real enough to be taken seriously.

I'd experience something like a little ache here, a tightness there,

and immediately my mind would spiral into thoughts of something far, far worse. Things around, what if this is cancer or what

if I'm having a heart attack? But here's the thing. Health anxiety isn't just about the physical

symptoms. It's also about how you feel inside, that nagging voice telling you that you

shouldn't talk about it because it's somehow not as important as, say, a cold or a flu. We often feel

like we're supposed to just get over it, or that our anxiety isn't

serious enough to ask for help. But those feelings, they're real, and I'm here to tell you

that it's okay for you to feel them.

When I first started noticing my anxiety around health, I didn't know what it was.

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