I Keep Asking People to Reassure Me About My Health
“Do you think this looks normal?”
“Do you think this looks normal?”
“Are you sure the doctor would have noticed?”
“Would you be worried if this were you?”
Reassurance can bring immediate relief when you are frightened about your health. The difficulty is that the relief may last minutes or hours rather than resolving the worry.
The NHS identifies repeatedly asking people for reassurance as a common feature of health anxiety.
Look at what happens after the answer
Suppose somebody tells you they are not worried.
Do you feel settled and move on, or does your mind produce a new condition: “But they aren’t a doctor”, “They didn’t look properly”, “Maybe I described it wrong”?
If each answer creates another question, the problem may no longer be a lack of reassurance. It may be the need to achieve certainty through reassurance.
Friends and family can accidentally become part of the cycle
People who care about you naturally want to reduce your distress.
They may repeatedly examine something, search online for you or promise that nothing is wrong.
But they cannot provide a medical diagnosis, and repeatedly asking them to do so can gradually make health anxiety part of the relationship.
Ask for emotional support instead of a medical verdict
There is a difference between saying “Tell me this isn’t serious” and “I’m having a strong health-anxiety moment and could use some company while it passes.”
The second request does not ask another person to diagnose you.
You might ask them to take a walk with you, talk about something else or remind you of the plan you have already made with your healthcare professional.
Keep genuine medical questions with healthcare professionals
If you have a new, changing, persistent or concerning symptom, or do not understand medical advice you have received, speak to an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
MH360, friends and relatives should not become substitute diagnostic services.
If the medical question has been addressed but the need for repeated reassurance continues, that is useful information to discuss with a mental-health professional.
Support can help you tolerate uncertainty differently
Health anxiety treatment does not depend on somebody finally finding the perfect sentence that guarantees you will never become ill.
Talking therapy can help people examine the thoughts and behaviours that keep anxiety going. NHS Talking Therapies in England specifically includes health anxiety.
The aim is to make reassurance less necessary, not to find an unlimited supply of it.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important health anxiety and medical information
This guide provides general information about health anxiety and mental wellbeing only. MH360 is not a medical diagnosis service and cannot assess physical symptoms, diagnose medical conditions, interpret medical tests or provide advice about whether a symptom may indicate a particular medical condition.
New, changing, persistent or concerning physical symptoms, questions about an existing medical condition, and concerns about medical tests or treatment should be discussed with your GP, NHS service or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Do not use this guide to decide whether a physical symptom needs medical assessment or to replace medical advice you have been given. If you are unsure whether a symptom needs medical attention, seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
If worry about your health is persistent, is taking over significant amounts of your time, or is affecting everyday life, speak to your GP or an appropriately qualified mental-health professional. Adults in England can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, which includes support for health anxiety.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger or there is a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.