Mental health matters for navigating anxiety during your diagnostics phase

‍Title: Mental Health Matters: Navigating Anxiety During Your Diagnostic Phase
By Dr. Susan Baker | Rheumatologist in Beverly Hills

Understanding the Mental Toll of the Diagnostic Journey

For patients in the early stages of an autoimmune or chronic illness, the search for answers can be just as distressing as the symptoms themselves. Long wait times, inconclusive labs, and not feeling believed by healthcare providers can generate a specific form of anxiety: diagnostic uncertainty.

Research published in BMJ Open found that individuals navigating undiagnosed chronic conditions frequently experience psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hypervigilance¹. This emotional toll is compounded by physical discomfort, social isolation, and a lack of control — a perfect storm for mental health strain.

‍

The Connection Between Anxiety and Autoimmunity

Emerging studies show that chronic stress and anxiety can influence immune system behavior. Heightened cortisol and disrupted circadian rhythms may worsen inflammation, delay healing, and even intensify autoimmune flares². Patients experiencing anxiety during the diagnostic phase may also see more pronounced symptoms of fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances.

This is why Dr. Susan Baker prioritizes compassionate communication and emotional validation during early consultations. "Being seen and heard," she notes, "is often the first step toward both clarity and healing."

‍

Evidence-Based Tools to Support Your Mental Health

While a diagnosis brings some clarity, managing anxiety in the before phase is just as important. Here are tools shown to help reduce emotional strain and increase resilience during the diagnostic process:

Self-Care Tools for Managing Diagnostic Anxiety:

• 🧠 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Proven to reduce health-related anxiety and catastrophizing³
• ✍️ Journaling: Helps process fears, track symptoms, and identify patterns
• 💨 Breathwork & Meditation: Just 10 minutes a day of deep breathing can lower cortisol and improve focus
• 📅 Establishing Micro-Routines: Creates a sense of stability and control, even when answers are unclear
• 👥 Support Groups or Peer Forums: Reduces isolation and validates your experience

Apps like Insight Timer, Moodpath, and CBT-based programs like Bloom can be helpful digital companions.

‍

A Note from Dr. Baker

If you are still waiting for answers, I want you to know: this phase is hard, and your feelings are valid.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many patients who endured years of vague symptoms, contradictory test results, and confusion before ever getting a diagnosis. There are often stages to this journey — the physical symptoms, the internal questioning, the fear of not being taken seriously, the deep desire to just have a name for what’s happening.

These experiences can be exhausting — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You may feel like you’re fighting invisible battles every day. You may start to question yourself, especially if you've heard “your labs are normal” or “you look fine” too many times. But your body is telling a story. And that story deserves to be heard.

At my practice in Beverly Hills, I work with patients to listen not just to lab results but to the lived experience. The diagnostic process isn’t just about gathering data — it’s about building trust, context, and clarity. We walk that path together, step by step.

If you’re in the unknown right now, please know you are not alone. You are already doing something brave by continuing to seek answers.

‍

Sources: Footnotes

1. Werner A, Malterud K. (2003). “It is hard work behaving as a credible patient.” BMJ Open. ↩
2. Dhabhar FS. (2014). Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Immunologic Research. ↩
3. Henningsen P, et al. (2007). Management of somatoform disorders with CBT. The Lancet. ↩

‍