10. You Should Always Consult a Medical Professional
You should never take the words you see online as confirmation of anything health-wise. While it's understandable that you just want to know what's going on with your body and why you feel the way you do, the only way you'll get a definitive answer is if you see a doctor. Plus, the more time you waste consulting Dr. Google, the more you prolong getting a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
If you recognize that you have this tendency of googling your symptoms, it may be hard to stop—but it's important you do. Let's take a look at 10 ways to break this habit.
1. Start a Health Journal
If you don't already have a health journal, you may want to consider starting one. This allows you to keep track of your symptoms, conditions, diagnoses, and medical history. This can also be useful if you suffer from health anxiety, as you can record any sensations you feel and monitor whether they get worse or go away on their own.
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2. Put Your Phone Away
When you start feeling that ache in your head or a tickle in your throat, do yourself a favor—put your phone away. Don't run to your computer, either. As much as it's in your habit to catastrophize, most of the time, it's your anxiety that's amplifying the symptoms you feel.
3. Block Health Websites
If you can't be away from your devices, you can also choose to block certain websites you frequently visit for health. This may include medical blogs, social media forums, or any other health platforms. Instead of browsing online for answers to your problem, make an appointment with your doctor.
4. Distract Yourself
If your symptoms are manifested by anxiety, distracting yourself may help. For example, if you hyperfocus on that tickle in your throat, thinking of all the possible scary things it could be, that tickle could turn into a full-on ache—which throws you back in the loop. Instead of feeding into your negative thoughts, go for a walk. Watch your favorite show. Do an activity you like. If the sensation passes, you'll know it was likely in your head. If it doesn't, call your doctor.
5. Take Deep Breaths
Before the anxiety takes over your rationality, try to calm yourself down by taking deep breaths. Follow a meditation video or find a breathing technique that works for you. One way is to breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, then out for eight. This may help slow your mind down and cut through the panic.
6. Set a Rule
Of course, just because you should avoid googling your symptoms doesn't mean you should avoid acknowledging these sensations at all.
If they persist or get increasingly more painful, call 911 or your doctor immediately. You may want to set up a 24-hour rule as well, giving yourself a full day to see if your symptoms resolve on their own. If they don't, then schedule an appointment with your physician.
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7. Shift Your Mindset
When symptoms suddenly appear, it's normal to be frightened. But because your anxiety around them may only exacerbate the situation, you may want to consider shifting your mindset. Why are you feeling this symptom? Could it be something you ate? Have you felt this way before? How did it resolve last time? Our bodies are complex and often do many strange things—like the odd muscle twitch—so instead of fearing a sensation, question it.
8. Understand That You Won't Get a Proper Diagnosis
If there's one thing that should convince you to stop googling your symptoms, it's the fact that you won't get a proper diagnosis this way. Again, you have a medical history that the internet knows nothing about, so it can only ever give a rough, general conclusion.
9. See a Doctor
Dr. Google isn't a licensed doctor, even if it's able to compile credible sources from medical professionals. It won't be able to know exactly what you're experiencing or why, so there's no point in asking it for confirmation.
The only way you'll get a proper answer is to see your doctor.
10. Reach Out to a Therapist
If you still find it hard to stop googling whenever you feel the odd symptom or two, you might want to reach out to a therapist as well, especially if you suffer from health anxiety. They'll be able to suggest techniques that can help you break out of the habit—and negative feedback loop—for good.
