Health anxiety used to be most commonly known as hypochondria, which means that you may constantly fear that you’re ill or becoming ill, despite evidence that suggests the contrary. The DSM V no longer includes hypochondriasis as a diagnosis due to it’s derogatory nature; however, people that previously received this diagnosis are now being diagnosed as having illness anxiety disorder, which focuses on the fear and anxiety that accompanies a person equating uncomfortable or unusual physical sensations to being an indication of a serious medical condition. An example of this is when a person may see a discoloration in their skin that could be present due to unknowingly bumping into something, but immediately jumping to the conclusion that it could be melanoma, despite any other serious symptoms being present.
As you can imagine, health anxiety has become a common issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, but does not lessen the reality of people who experience it. Here are some signs of illness anxiety disorder to look out for:
Frequently searching the internet or medical journals for symptoms of serious illnesses and diseases.
Avoiding people, places, and activities, due to fear of compromising your health
Worrying that minor symptoms or certain body sensations mean that you have a serious illness.
Constantly feeling that doctors “missed something” when receiving negative test results.
Excessive worry or fear that you will struggle with a specific medical condition due to the condition being prevalent in your family.
Continuously checking your body for signs of illness or disease.
Frequently seeking medical attention for reassurance you do not have an illness or disease OR avoiding healthcare all together to avoid receiving a diagnosis of a serious illness or disease.
While you may experience one or more of these symptoms from time to time, it does not always mean that you struggle with illness anxiety disorder. If one or any of these symptoms become persistent and obsessive to the point that it causes distress and strains social, family, or occupational relationships, you may need to reach out to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider believes that you may struggle with illness anxiety disorder, they may refer you to a mental health professional to help you better manage your anxiety.
While not much is known about the pathology of illness anxiety disorder, being aware of risk factors may also aid in developing a treatment plan to prevent these overwhelming symptoms. Some risk factors include age (typically effects young adults and worsens with age), history of child abuse, experiencing serious childhood illness or watching a parent experience serious illness, history of experiencing a threat of having a serious illness that turned out to not be serious, and of course suffering with anxiety or worry in general. These somatic symptoms are real and can negatively impact your mental health. If you believe you may be experiencing these symptoms, reach out to the team at Niyyah! Our therapists are ready to help you manage anxiety and walk with you in finding recovery.