Health Anxiety
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Excessive and persistent fear of having a serious illness, despite no medical evidence.
Health anxiety (formerly hypochondria) is a disorder where a person constantly fears having or developing a serious illness. Normal body sensations are interpreted as signs of serious disease.
Symptoms
- Persistent worry about one's health
- Monitoring body sensations and interpreting them as serious
- Repeatedly seeking medical attention or searching for health information online
- Doctor's reassurances don't relieve worry for long
- Googling illnesses and symptoms ("cyberchondria")
- Avoiding doctor visits for fear of bad news
Treatment
- CBT is the most effective treatment: changing symptom interpretation, reducing health information seeking, exposure to feared thoughts
- Medication: SSRIs can help relieve anxiety
- Psychoeducation: Understanding how anxiety produces physical symptoms