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ILLNESS ANXIETY DISORDER

Men's Health, Mental Health, Women's Health / By

ILLNESS ANXIETY DISORDER

  • Health anxiety is an obsessive and irrational worry about having a serious medical condition.
  • It’s also called illness anxiety and was formerly called hypochondria.
  • This condition is marked by a person’s imagination of physical symptoms of illness.
  • Or in other cases, it’s a person’s misinterpretation of minor or normal body sensations as serious disease symptoms despite reassurance by medical professionals that they don’t have an illness.
  • Illness anxiety disorder is a long-term condition that can fluctuate in severity.
  • It may increase with age or during times of stress.
  • Health anxiety most often occurs in early or middle adulthood and can worsen with age.
  • For older people, health anxiety may focus on a fear of developing memory problems.

Symptoms

  • Symptoms of illness anxiety disorder involve preoccupation with the idea that you’re seriously ill, based on normal body sensations (such as a noisy stomach) or minor signs (such as a minor rash).
    Signs and symptoms may include:
  • Being preoccupied with having or getting a serious disease or health condition
  • Avoiding people, places, or activities for fear of health risks
  • Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
  • Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
  • Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses
  • Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
  • Being easily alarmed about your health status
  • Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
  • Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it’s hard for you to function
  • Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
  • Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance — or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness

Causes

  • Experts aren’t sure of the exact causes of health anxiety, but they think the following factors may be involved:
  • Poor understanding of body sensations or diseases
  • You may think that a serious disease is causing your body’s sensations.
  • This leads you to look for evidence that confirms that you actually have a serious disease.
  • A family member or members who worried excessively about their health or your health.
  • You’ve had past experiences dealing with real serious illness in childhood.
  • So as an adult, the physical sensations you experience are frightening to you.

    Other risk factors for health anxiety include

  • a stressful event or situation
  • the possibility of a serious illness that turns out to not be serious
  • being abused as a child
  • having had a serious childhood illness or a parent with a serious illness
  • having a worrying personality
  • excessively checking your health on the internet

Diagnosis

  • Your doctor will perform a physical exam to rule out any health conditions you’re concerned about.
  • If you’re healthy, the doctor may refer you to a mental healthcare professional.
  • They will likely proceed by:
  • performing a psychological evaluation, which involves questions about your symptoms, stressful situations, family history, worries, and issues affecting your life
  • asking you to complete a psychological self-assessment or questionnaire
  • ask about your use of drugs, alcohol, or other substances

Treatments

Psychotherapy
  • The most common treatment for health anxiety is psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
  • CBT can be very effective in treating health anxiety because it teaches you skills that can help you manage your disorder.
  • You can participate in CBT individually or in a group.
  • Other forms of psychotherapy used include behavioral stress management and exposure therapy.
  • If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may recommend medication in addition to your other treatments.
Medication
  • Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are frequently used for this condition.
  • If you have a mood or anxiety disorder in addition to your anxiety, medications used to treat those conditions may also help.
  • Some medications for health anxiety come with serious risks and side effects.
  • It’s important to review your treatment options with your doctors thoroughly.