A specialist in anxiety disorders provides the first self-help guide for readers who are excessively concerned about their health. Most of us have felt the need to scratch when a friend shows us their new rash, or felt a twinge of uneasiness about a hoarse throat after hearing a report of a deadly new virus on the evening news. But for 4 to 9 percent of the population, repeated doctors' reassurances and all the medical tests on the menu can't cure their debilitating worries about their health. Although many of those who suffer from a full-fledged case of what psychologist George Zgourides terms "health anxiety syndrome" are eventually able to identify their preoccupation as unfounded, psychologist George D. Zgourides has used his expertise in treating anxiety disorders to develop a much more effective approach. In Stop Worrying about Your Heath! he helps readers to counter their obsession with physical illness through tested cognitive-behavioral strategies. Readers learn how to identify the causes underlying their excessive worry, counteract irrational self-talk about minor, everyday physical symptoms, and accept and redefine their experience of these symptoms. Zgourides also offers helpful advice for readers who decide to seek therapeutic support and suggests some useful approaches for gaining emotional support from family, friends, and other sufferers.