Identifying The Meaning Of Body Sensations
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Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
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Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Some forms of anxiety, such as panic disorder and health anxiety, are particularly concerned with body sensations and symptoms. According to the cognitive-behavioral conceptualizations of these conditions it is not the symptoms themselves that cause distress, but it is the sense (or meaning) we make of them. Individuals with high levels of anxiety sensitivity are particularly prone to making anxious or catastrophic predictions, which further exacerbate anxiety. The Identifying The Meaning Of Body Sensations worksheet helps clients to capture some of their anxious thoughts and predictions. It contains some worked examples as illustration.
Therapist Guidance
This worksheet can be used as a thought record to capture (anxious) cognitions regarding bodily symptoms.
References And Further Reading
- Barlow, D. H., Craske, M. G. (2007). Mastery of your anxiety and panic (Fourth edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Lee, K., Noda, Y., Nakano, Y., Ogawa, S., Kinoshita, Y., Funayama, T., & Furukawa, T. A. (2006). Interoceptive hypersensitivity and interoceptive exposure in patients with panic disorder: specificity and effectiveness. BMC Psychiatry, 6(1), 32.