The Worried Well

By Nick Jacobs

How many of us are Worried Well—individuals who are generally healthy but consistently dealing with persistent fears and anxieties about their well-being? While it’s wise for all of us to be cautious and aware of those practices and influences that contribute to our good health, the Worried Well often find themselves teetering on a delicate edge between being health-conscious or hypochondriac. 

As one friend used to tell me, “If you think you’re healthy, it’s only because you haven’t had enough tests.”

We all face that inevitable expiration date, but by using different psychological tricks, rationalizations, or stories, we prevent our own mental and emotional debilitation regarding this often scary topic by ignoring the fact that our time on earth is incalculable but finite. None of us want to experience the fate of a June bug on a windshield, but as with that little pest our presence in this human form must end.

Some of us deal with this ultimate destiny by living life on the edge; others hide in a cocoon of their own making. We all ultimately have those moments where a fleeting pain in our chest, our head or our gut has us convinced that life is coming to an end now. Should I go to the Emergency Room, wait to see if the pain subsides or resign myself to the idea my time has come?

Those truly possessed by this constant agonizing find themselves relentlessly pursuing health-related information and constantly monitoring bodily signs. Despite their lack of significant health concerns, the Worried Well may often perceive even minor discomforts as signs of impending doom while others ignore them completely and do just fine. 

The challenge of living like this is that “Dr. Google” can drive us crazy, and the introduction of industry-based influence money into the scientific community has produced more contradictory articles on things like cholesterol, bacon, and sugar substitutes so that confusion abounds. So we often simply step back and say, “Something’s gonna kill me. I might as well enjoy myself, eat what I want or (some other rationalization.)” 

As kids, we were coerced to eat as much hydrogenated fat-laced margarine as possible and convinced that smoking was good. But times change. Fat became bad. So the sugar producers worked to de-emphasize the negative impacts caused by overconsumption. Tobacco was finally identified as lethal. Now excessive sitting is discouraged. 

A Mediterranean diet, some form of moderate exercise, stress management and socializing can extend our lives, while loneliness can shorten them. As the Worried Well, we have options now that we never had, and “good science” has made extensive leaps and bounds by providing us with information that will allow us not to worry so much. 

We know we can get a colonoscopy to help prevent or avoid colon cancer. We can control our blood pressure through diet, exercise, medication and mindfulness practices. We can get an MRI (MRA) or ultrasound to see if our carotid arteries are okay and potentially prevent a stroke. We have cardiac scanning, EKGs, PET/CTs, and Thallium Stress tests to evaluate our hearts and on and on. But how much is too much? What are the appropriate tests at each stage of our lives? When does too much exercise lead to more problems than to a beautiful long life filled with quality and happiness?

It’s our goal to engage professionals to address these and many other options intended to inform you as a consumer of healthcare and practitioner of wellness and prevention. We’d like you not to suffer from being the “Worried Well.” More importantly, we’d love for you to embrace the practices that will most assuredly lead to happiness and quality longevity instead of fear and trepidation. Let’s be realistic about probability and statistics. Nothing is guaranteed, but not much absolute either. Live your life one day at a time. Don’t worry, be happy. And Carpe Diem.