Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis)
Health anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis, is a mental health condition characterized by excessive and persistent worries about having a serious illness, despite medical reassurance that there is no underlying medical condition. People with health anxiety may become excessively preoccupied with bodily sensations, misinterpret normal bodily sensations as signs of a serious illness, and experience significant distress and impairment in their daily lives.
Although it is natural to be concerned about our health and wellbeing, individuals with health anxiety have an intense and irrational fear of being sick, even when there is no evidence to support their beliefs. This can lead to excessive worry, reassurance seeking, safety behaviors, and significant interference in their personal and professional lives.
The symptoms of health anxiety can include frequent visits to doctors or other healthcare professionals, spending excessive amounts of time researching symptoms or medical conditions, and significant anxiety or panic attacks related to health concerns. People with health anxiety may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, chest tightness, and stomach upset.
How do I find out if I have Health Anxiety?
For Health Anxiety, you must first see a medical doctor to make sure there is not a physical cause for your symptoms. Once you have done that, the best way to confirm whether or not you have health anxiety is by meeting one-on-one with a mental health professional (i.e. a therapist or a psychiatrist). Short of that, you can still get a good idea about the diagnosis from the DSM-V.
The DSM-V (short for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, version 5) contains the criteria that psychiatrists such as myself use to make a diagnosis. The criteria attempt to be objective and clear-cut, but, in practice, we have to use a lot of judgment to decide whether or not a patient meets each of the criteria. The DSM-V criteria are copyright protected, but if you google “DSM-V Illness Anxiety Disorder” or “DSM-V Somatic Symptom Disorder” you will find similar criteria to assist you.
What are the treatments for Health Anxiety?
Generally speaking, psychotherapy and medications are the most effective treatments for Health Anxiety. Doing both together is usually the most effective, but either one can work alone.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (i.e. the therapy described on this website) is the most effective and the most well-researched form of psychotherapy for the treatment of Health Anxiety (and, for that matter, all of the anxiety disorders). It is a collection of techniques which usually take 5-7 sessions to learn. Full treatment usually lasts several weeks or several months in order to completely eliminate symptoms.
There are many other forms of psychotherapy which can also be effective for Health Anxiety. If a particular therapist’s approach and personality appeal to you, then they are likely to be helpful regardless of the type of therapy that they practice.
Medications are also highly effective for Health Anxiety (the more so when they are combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The best way to learn about medication options, and whether or not they are right for you, is to have a one-on-one evaluation with a qualified medical professional (such as your primary medical doctor and/or a psychiatrist).