Fear of contracting a disease (nosophobia)

A fear of contracting a disease can show up when you read about an illness, notice a symptom or are near someone who is unwell. It can fill your days with worry and checking. It is close to health anxiety, and it can be helped.

What it feels like

• Searching symptoms online again and again
• Avoiding people, places or news about illness
• Feeling sure that a harmless sign is serious

Please note: If you have a symptom that worries you, please see your GP so you can be checked and put your mind at rest.

Common questions

Is this the same as health anxiety?

They are very close. Both involve a strong worry about becoming seriously ill, often with a lot of checking and reassurance seeking. The fear itself can cause real physical sensations, which can make it feel even more convincing.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices