Client’s Success Story

‘Case of Illness Anxiety Disorder’

When Amar (name changed) first reached out, he wasn’t seeking therapy in the traditional sense. He was searching for answers.

In his early thirties, Amar came across as composed and rational. But beneath his calm tone was a persistent fear.

“I’ve done all the tests,” he said during our first call. “But something still feels wrong. No one can tell me what it is.”

He had already consulted several specialists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and had undergone bloodwork, ECGs, and even an endoscopy. Aside from a diagnosed H. Pylori infection, all reports came back normal. Yet, his anxiety only intensified.

Every bodily sensation, chest tightness, throat dryness, digestive changes, triggered catastrophic thoughts: 

What if something’s been missed? 

What if it’s serious? 

Amar wasn’t just reacting to symptoms; he was trapped in a cycle of hypervigilance and fear.

The onset of these worries could be traced back to January 2024. While working out, he noticed a dry throat and chest discomfort, minor at first, but after Googling and self-checking, it spiraled into heart-related fears. Frequent travel and irregular meals worsened his digestion, further reinforcing his belief that something was deeply wrong.

Despite repeated reassurances from doctors, Amar couldn’t shake the dread. The tipping point came after a panic episode in June, when a doctor suggested, “This might be anxiety.”

That idea opened a door.

He came to therapy cautiously, not convinced, but curious. We didn’t rush to label his fear as “just anxiety.” Instead, we acknowledged the real distress he felt, while introducing the idea that maybe it wasn’t his body failing, but his mind overprotecting.

Together, we worked to interrupt the cycle that sustains Illness Anxiety Disorder:

Symptom → Fear → Reassurance → Brief relief → Symptom-checking → Renewed fear

Through cognitive reframing, grounding techniques, behavioral experiments, and psychoeducation, Amar slowly began to shift. The sensations didn’t vanish, but they no longer ruled his day. He started to separate his body’s messages from his mind’s catastrophic interpretations.

In one session, he shared,

“I still get scared sometimes… but now I know it’s a thought, not a fact.”

That was a turning point. Not the end of anxiety, but the beginning of insight.

Today, Amar still pays attention to his health, but not obsessively. He’s learned to live with uncertainty, to listen to his body without fearing it.

“Maybe I’ll never feel 100% sure,” he reflected in a closing session, “But that’s okay. I don’t need to live in fear to stay safe anymore.”

At Vibrant Aura, we offer a space where fears are heard without judgment, and healing unfolds with compassion and care,  just like it did for this client.

Also read about- https://thevibrantaura.in/index.php/2024/03/01/three-essential-areas-to-reset-and-calm-anxiety/