Hypochondriasis [ Illness anxiety disorder ] Health anxiety disorder [Fear of having illness]
Hypochondriasis is a fear of having serious dreadful illness. In simple words it is characterized by excessive fear of or preoccupation with a serious illness, despite medical testing and reassurance to the contrary.
Hypochondriasis is a disabling and exhausting psychiatric disorder, which can be characterized by unexplainable beliefs and a fear of having a lethal disease. Individuals with hypochondriasis typically would check for health-related information online frequently, which is regarded as the major cause leading to the occurrence and development of hypochondriasis
Recent surveys revealed a growing proportion of individuals affected by hypochondriasis ranging from 3.4% in the Australian population
It usually starts in early adulthood and may show up after the person or someone they know has gone through an illness or after they’ve lost someone to a serious medical condition. About two-thirds of hypochondriacs have a co-existing psychiatric disorder, such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or major depression. Hypochondria symptoms can vary, depending on factors such as stress, age, and whether the person is already an extreme worrier.
Hypochondriac symptoms may include:
- Regularly checking themselves for any sign of illness
- Fearing that anything from a runny nose to a gurgle in their gut is the sign of a serious illness
- Making frequent visits to their doctor
- Conversely, avoiding the doctor due to fear that the doctor will find they have a dreaded disease or serious illness
- Talking excessively about their health
- Spending a lot of time online, researching their symptoms
- May focus on just one thing: a certain disease (example: cancer) or a certain body part (example: the lungs if they cough). Or, they may fear any disease or might become focused on a trending disease (example: during flu season, they may be convinced that a sniffle means they’re coming down with the flu)
- Are unconvinced that their negative medical tests are correct, then worry that they have something undiagnosed and that no one will be able to find it and cure them
- Avoiding people or places they fear may cause them to get sick
Health anxiety can actually have its own symptoms because it’s possible for the person to have stomachaches, dizziness, or pain as a result of their overwhelming anxiety. In fact, illness anxiety can take over a hypochondriac’s life to the point that worrying and living in fear are so stressful, the person can become debilitated.
You may be wondering what triggers hypochondria. Although there really isn’t an exact cause, we do know that people with illness anxiety are more likely to have a family member who is also a hypochondriac. The person with health anxiety may have gone through a serious illness and fear that their bad experience may be repeated. They may be going through major life stress or have had a serious illness during childhood. Or, they may already be suffering from a mental health condition and their hypochondria may be part of it.
Given the nature of somatic symptoms and obsessive fears of medical diseases, patients with hypochondriasis will repeatedly present to primary care and specialty physicians.
The exact causes of hypchondriasis remain unclear but most likely involve multifactorial etiologies including psychological, social and neurobiological origins. Successful management of hypochondriasis begins with the establishment of a solid therapeutic alliance. Throughout the treatment process, use of reassurances, further investigations and specific treatments must be carefully selected. An appreciation for the continuum of hypochondriasis from excessive health concern to psychosis can also help guide treatment. Judicious use of reassurance could be helpful in the elderly and those who have suffered life-threatening diseases such as malignancies. However, antipsychotics might be considered in those with hypochondriacal psychosis. For most
patients, antidepressants, CBT and other psychotherapies have been shown to be effective. Collaboration with and referral to mental health
professionals are additional options. Again, the patient–physician alliance should be utilized to guide therapy
