Living with Health Anxiety: How to Stop Worrying About Every Symptom

If you've ever convinced yourself a headache was a brain tumor or spent hours Googling symptoms only to feel even more anxious, you're not alone. In this episode, our host sits down with former Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) president Dr. Karen Lynn Cassiday to unpack the difference between usual concern about your health and clinical health anxiety (also known as illness anxiety disorder). Dr. Cassiday shares practical, evidence-based tools to help you break free from health anxiety, know when self-help is enough, recognize when it's time for therapy, and understand why this condition is highly treatable. Listeners will learn: why more medical tests don't always create peace of mind why online searching often makes health anxiety worse practical ways to reduce health anxiety without ignoring real medical concerns Whether you're constantly worried about your own health or watching someone you love manage these fears, this conversation offers reassurance grounded in science — not endless reassurance seeking. Educational funding for this episode has been provided by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Our guest, Dr. Karen Cassiday, is a lively, sought-after speaker and commentator on national media such as Nightline, The Today Show, Animal Planet, The Joy Behar Show, Huffington Post, public radio and many more. She is the host of the Moms Without Worry radio show featured on iHeart Radio. She is a TEDx speaker who shared her personal experience as a mother overcoming her own anxious perfectionism in the middle of Walt Disney World! She is the host of the Moms Without Worry radio show. She served as the President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and is the founder of the Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Chicago, the longest-running clinic to first use modern exposure-based treatment for anxiety disorders in the Chicago region. She is the author of The No Worries Guide to Raising Your Anxious Child and Freedom from Health Anxiety and Helping Children and Teens with Difficult-to-Treat OCD. She has also authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and media articles on overcoming anxiety. She won the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s prestigious Clinician of Distinction Award and is a Clinical Fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She is also a Diplomate and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Chicago OCD Foundation/Beyond OCD, and has been listed on numerous Who’s Who lists. She has published numerous scientific articles and articles on parenting and managing anxiety. She also has a long history training mental health professionals throughout the world. Dr. Cassiday has five children and two friendly but not so bright dogs. She loves travel, the outdoors and mental health volunteering. She attributes her sense of humor to the challenges of being mom, stepmom, and dogmom of a crew of colorful personalities who repeatedly remind her to stay humble. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.