Medically Unexplained Symptoms
Feeling anxious about a health condition no one seems to understand?
When we have a health condition that no one seems to understand this can lead to severe levels of anxiety and fears for the future. We might believe that if we can only find someone who can understand what our health issue is then we might be able to find a cure. So perhaps we begin by seeking medical help and we find we are passed from one expert to the next but without any understanding or explanation. We might then spend hours googling our symptoms or reading articles or talking to people about our health condition but without the answers we need. This can lead to ever increasing symptoms of anxiety and low mood.
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Symptoms associated with unexplained medical symptoms are:
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Feeling anxious, nervous and fearful for the future.
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Racing, worrisome or negative thoughts about whether you will every find a cure.
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Feeling compelled to keep searching for an answer, no matter how many hours in the day this takes up.
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Sleeping poorly because of racing thoughts or sleeping too much due to exhaustion.
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Feeling tired all the time with little energy to do things.
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Feeling low in mood or depressed.
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No interest in things or experiencing less pleasure in things you used to enjoy.
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Perhaps you find you are not able to concentrate on things as well because your mind is filled up with your worries.
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When we are really low we at times begin to think life is not worth living or that life has become so draining that we feel we would be quite happy to fall asleep and never wake up.​​​
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Treatment for Unexplained Medical Condtions
Often, when people with an unexplained medical condition are referred to a psychologist, they will think people believe the problem is in their head. As psychologists, we are not here to find a cure for your medical condition but to help you to find a life that is as enjoyable as it can be whilst living with the condition you have. That is not to say that we will assume that you will never find an answer or a cure but that we need to find a way to enjoy life alongside our search for answers.
During therapy we will look at the types of thoughts and behaviours that you do that actually lead to increased anxiety and low mood. People with chronic debilitating health conditions will carry out behaviours that actually make the situation worse. Some examples of this is where we avoid exercise because we feel exhausted; we may stop living because we become so focused on finding a cure; we may over work on days that we feel good and avoid activities on days we feel bad. We may begin to avoid pleasurable activities because we fear they will make the situation worse. As psychologists with can not cure the health issue but we can work with you to help you lead a more fulfilled life.
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Our psychologists can work with you to look at all of the different things that may be influencing your problem - this could be related to your history or things in your current life and we will provide you with understanding and strategies to help you back on to the path towards feeling better.
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Our team can provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychotherapy, or other therapies such as ACT, CFT, EMDR, CAT, Psychodynamic. Existential and Integrative Psychotherapy. Be in touch if you are not sure what you need or what you are looking for and we will match you with the right therapist for your problem.
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Meet The Team
At Dr Stuart Psychologists, all of our psychologists have extensive training to doctoral level and decades of experience in their field of expertise. You will be matched with a psychologist that has the knowledge and skill to help you understand and overcome your problem - not just in the short term but for good.