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Why Google Makes Anxiety Worse

Let me guess—you felt a twinge, a rash, a flutter in your chest… and before you knew it, you were deep in a Google rabbit hole.

Ten minutes later, you’re convinced it’s something serious, and your heart’s racing for all the wrong reasons.

If this sounds familiar, you’re far from alone. Many people with anxiety—especially health anxiety—find themselves caught in this loop. And there’s a good reason for it.

When you search symptoms online, search engines don’t tailor results to you.

They simply show what’s most clicked or alarming. That means harmless, everyday symptoms often appear alongside rare, serious illnesses. Your brain, wired to spot danger, zooms straight in on the scariest possibility.

This is called confirmation bias—once you’re worried about something, your mind hunts for proof it’s true. Reading worst-case scenarios ramps up your stress response (racing heart, tense muscles, churning stomach), and before you know it, those anxiety sensations feel like more “evidence” something’s wrong.

Back to Google you go.

The tricky part? It feels convincing because your brain can paint vivid pictures. Even if the odds are tiny, anxiety can make “unlikely” feel like “inevitable.”

But here’s the good news: you can break the cycle without ignoring your health.

Here are five small changes that make a big difference:

  1. The 48-hour rule – No symptom searches for two days. Most minor things shift or improve in that time.
  2. Stick to trusted sources – If you must check, go to NHS or GP-approved sites, and set a timer before you start.
  3. Pause before panicking – Drink water, eat something, rest, or move gently—then reassess how you feel.
  4. Ground yourself – A few slow breaths or focusing on your surroundings can calm the urge to “check.”
  5. Ask a human, not Google – Your GP or NHS 111 will give you clear, relevant advice without the fear spiral.

Your mind is trying to protect you. Stepping back from the search bar gives it a chance to do that job with calm, not panic.

You’ve got this.

www.wendydignan.co.uk

Don’t just take my word for it...

Known as the best psychologist around, Wendy’s an obvious choice to be featured on the show’

Cheshire Housewives

As an ex-athlete I’ve always advocated the benefits of keeping in shape physically, but it’s just as important to look after your mental wellbeing. Book a session with Wendy, she’s the person to help you look after your brain just as you would your body.

Graham Bell

5 x Olympic Skier and presenter of BBC Ski Sunday.

Amazing!

Rachel Lugo

Cheshire Housewives

Dare to dream big and Wendy’s THE person to help get you there.

Sam Bailey

X Factor winner with a long list of sell out tour successes under her belt.

The most exciting thing in the world is getting a chance to tear it all up and start again. Keep all the things you want and throw out everything you don’t. Wendy will help you do just that!

Becky Sheeran

Beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogging sensation Becky Sheeran (TalkBeckyTalk)

It’s great to have a leading psychotherapist such as Wendy in the Cheshire area, outside of her Harley Street practice. After publicly raising awareness of mental health issues and myself recovering from depression, I know how immensely life-changing expert intervention can be.

Jason Jarrett

Retired ex-professional football who played for Bury, Wigan, Stoke, Preston, Norwich, Leicester and Brighton during a 14 year career. After leaving professional football, Jason battled depression and recovered with the help of therapy and family support.

Wendy is great at what she does; she made me feel at ease immediately and really helped me work through some issues.

Tara Costello

It’s funny but from the minute I met her I felt so relaxed and she was so easy to talk to. Thank you!

Stevie Brown

Wendy isn’t only really good at what she does, she’s also really easy to talk to.

Gabriel Wilson

I want to thank you Wendy from the bottom of my heart for guiding me through what must have been the most difficult time of my life.

Raza Syed

I was told she was the best and they were right.

Noelle Dray

Although I consider myself a confident person, I was really nervous when I met Wendy for the first time. I had only emailed her before so it was really nerve wracking walking up the stairs to her office. I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I have ever done. Wendy is really normal, no in fact she isn’t normal as she is unfailingly bright and smiley even when she has to listen to me moan on about how awful my life was. It feels like having a chat with somebody who just gets you and you can trust with things you have never trusted anybody else with before. The magic bit comes when things you have talked about just pop up into your head and you start to do things differently. Wendy once joked about not having a magic wand, but I think she has.

Paul Hendry

I came to Wendy with a set of problems I have never been able to fully explain to anyone, which included grief, many family issues and alcohol problems. Wendy truly has an active listening style and absorbs everything you are saying, whilst not making you feel analysed, it is an incredible skill. She astounded me at how she got to the crux of the issues so fast. So much so that we both agreed I only needed one session with her, obviously this may not be the case with everyone but I would confidently recommend her to anyone, regardless of your problems. There was no awkwardness or even clock watching, she is wonderful at what she does, take the plunge and make an appointment, you will not regret it. Life is a direction not a destination and she will get you on the path again.

JB

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