When Tragic Stories in the News Trigger Health Anxiety
Learn how to cope with scary health stories in a more balanced way.
Posted February 15, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
If you’ve seen the heartbreaking news about James Van Der Beek’s death from cancer, you may have noticed your anxiety spike.
Stories like this are tragic. They are unfair. They stir up a lot.
And for those of us with health anxiety, these stories activate our deepest fears. We are struck with the thought, what if this happens to me ? What if this happens to someone I love?
Let's talk about tunnel vision and why stories like this can pull us into it so quickly.
What is tunnel vision?
Tunnel vision happens when your mind zooms in on a single “threat cue” and filters out everything else.
In this case, the threat cue might be:
Your mind grabs onto these details and begins building a narrative:
Notice what’s happening. Your mind zooms in on one emotionally powerful data point and then inadvertently dismisses anything that contradicts it.
This is how tunnel vision strengthens core beliefs like:
The story becomes “evidence” for these types of unhelpful core beliefs. This, of course, only strengthens beliefs and, ultimately, increases health anxiety over time.
It is important to learn to be intentional about incorporating new information (including tragic stories) into our belief system in a more adaptive way. This means, instead of allowing black-and-white or rigid, fear -driven beliefs to take over, we actively look for evidence that supports a more nuanced and flexible perspective.
An example of a more balanced view might include the following points:
A few months ago, not far from my home, a 22-year-old woman was stopped at a red light when another car ran it and struck her. She died. It was devastating and so unfair that this young woman was robbed of her life. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks.
But does that mean it is likely to happen to me tomorrow? Or to you? No.
Tragic events are possible. They are not probable for each individual person simply because they can happen.
So how do we prevent tunnel vision from taking over when we hear stories like James Van Der Beek's? Here are some practical strategies.
- Recognize and call out the tunnel vision
Pause and ask: “Am I zooming in on threatening data in my environment and ignoring data that points to safety?” Just labeling it " this is tunnel vision ” can create psychological distance.
- Identify the activated core belief
Ask yourself: “What belief is this story reinforcing?”
Write the belief down. By writing it down, you give yourself the chance to correct it.
The anxiety makes you inclined to think in narrow, black-and-white ways ("everyone is dying"). We want to broaden the lens intentionally. Ask yourself: “What information am I ignoring right now?”
- Resist your knee-jerk reactions
After hearing news like this, you might feel urges to start engaging in those pesky safety behaviors. You know what I am talking about ... the seeking reassurance and body-checking behaviors.
You might be inclined to:
Remember, each time you resist the urge to do these things, you are doing a little exposure task and are giving yourself the opportunity to grow a bit more comfortable with uncertainty ( an essential goal in reducing health anxiety ).
You are teaching your brain: “ I can feel fear after hearing this story and live with it until it dissipates. I don't need to 'solve' the problem or attempt to find answers right now. "
- Incorporate the story into your mind adaptively
Instead of: “This proves I’m doomed.” Try: “This reminds me that life is uncertain and precious.”
And/or: “Yes, disease exists. And most diseases/medical conditions are manageable. Medicine, support, and resilience also exist."
Try to stay away from drawing the "black and white" conclusions that are tempting when you hear tragic health stories. Instead, try to incorporate a nuanced view of things. We can't eliminate sadness or tragedy. Unfortunately, it is a part of the world we live in.
What we can do is to reduce the tendency to turn one tragic story into a global rule about our own future or the future of our loved ones.
Tunnel vision steals perspective. Yes, we grieve for anyone going through something like this. And it is not to say that we won't face challenges or even a tragedy at some point. Many of you may have already. I know I have.
But living in constant anticipation of challenges or tragedy doesn't prevent it. It doesn't even help us prepare for it. It only robs us of the present moment. I always tell my clients that the more they can build up their confidence in their ability to cope with future life challenges, the less anxious they will be.
Over the next week, try to:
That small shift can prevent you from getting stuck in that anxiety cycle when you inevitably hear a sad or scary story.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.