Hypochondria Causes, Symptoms And Treatments: Understanding Illness Anxiety Disorder and Its Impact On Mental Health
“Hypochondria” is often seen as a somewhat outdated term used to describe health anxiety disorders. In the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the term “hypochondriasis” was replaced with two diagnoses: illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder.
The prevalence of health anxiety disorder
Although the term “hypochondriac” might be used to reference anyone who worries about their health, only 4% to 5% of people may be diagnosed with a health anxiety disorder, however, some professionals believe that it may often go undiagnosed. This type of anxiety can often be effectively treated with online or in-office cognitive behavioral therapy.
What is hypochondria?
As previously mentioned, hypochondria is often used to describe health anxiety disorders, such as illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder. There might be a significant overlap between the two conditions, as both tend to involve extreme concern over one’s health. However, there are a few key differences.
The differences between hypochondria and other disorders
Illness anxiety disorder
Illness anxiety disorder typically describes a mental health disorder involving significant anxiety over one’s own health, often accompanied by mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. For example, someone with illness anxiety disorder may believe developing a slight cough is a sign that they have lung cancer.
Somatic symptom disorder
Somatic symptom disorder often involves similar levels of anxious thoughts and behaviors, but this disorder is typically accompanied by at least one physical symptom as well. However, although there often isn’t a serious medical condition associated with the physical symptoms, the related anxiety might be debilitating or reduce a person’s quality of life.
Care-seeking vs. care-avoidant health anxiety
Health anxiety disorders can affect different people in different ways, even if they share similar symptoms. In most cases, someone with a health anxiety disorder falls into one of two categories:
- Care-seeking: Someone who constantly contacts medical professionals to discuss their symptoms, receive medical tests, and request treatment
- Care-avoidant: Someone who avoids seeing a medical professional for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness or who doesn’t trust doctors to take their symptoms seriously and give an accurate diagnosis
What triggers hypochondria or health anxiety?
For someone living with these conditions, health anxiety can be triggered by a number of situations, some of which include:
- Watching a movie or TV show where someone has a serious illness
- Reading about or researching an illness (this can be especially prevalent in students studying health sciences)
- Seeing someone else experience a serious illness
- Being diagnosed with a less serious medical condition
- Finding out your diagnosis is much less serious than originally thought
Potential causes of illness anxiety disorders
The reasons someone might develop health anxiety disorders can vary. However, researchers have identified several potential causes.
Childhood illness
If you experienced a serious or long-term illness during childhood, you could be more likely to develop a health anxiety disorder. This could involve worrying that the illness is returning or that you are developing symptoms of a different illness.
Family illness or illnesses
Although regular monitoring might be beneficial for genetic conditions that run in the family, watching family members experience serious illnesses could cause a person to develop unnecessary anxiety regarding their own health.
Health anxiety in family members
Growing up around people with illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder can increase a child’s risk of developing health anxiety disorders later in life. A 2017 study discovered that children raised by mothers living with extreme health anxiety, including health anxiety by proxy, tend to be more likely to experience symptoms of health anxiety later in life as well.
Stress
External stressors or having a personality that generally causes you to worry could contribute to health anxieties. You might have a difficult time accepting uncertainties within your own body, potentially leading you to believe you have a serious condition.
Trauma or abuse in childhood
Health anxiety disorder could be caused by traumatic experiences in childhood, including abuse and neglect. Research supports the theory that adverse experiences in childhood can increase the likelihood of developing health anxiety later in life.
Mental health conditions
Having a mental health disorder can contribute to a person’s development of health anxiety disorders. Conditions that commonly contribute to health anxiety can include depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of health anxiety disorders
Although they usually come with their own risks and complications, illness anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and other health anxiety disorders often share similar symptoms. Some signs that you or someone you love might be experiencing a health anxiety disorder might include the following:
- Constant or extreme worry about your health
- Being easily alarmed by potential symptoms of illnesses
- Believing the worst-case scenario for any symptom or sign of illness
- Frequently checking yourself for signs of illness
- Fearing that serious health conditions could be the cause of normal body sensations or mild symptoms
- Constantly researching illnesses, symptoms, and conditions
- Avoiding people, places, or activities due to potential health risks or fear of contracting an illness
- Tracking and obsessing over normal bodily functions, such as heart rate or blood pressure
- Frequently talking to others about your health and health worries
- Seeking reassurance from others about your health
- Making frequent doctor’s visits and requesting medical tests and examinations
- Finding little to no comfort from doctor’s visits or test results
- Avoiding doctor’s visits for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
- Believing that your doctor isn’t taking your symptoms seriously or isn’t properly diagnosing your condition
Risks associated with health anxiety disorders
At a clinical level, the health anxiety disorders commonly referred to as hypochondria can present several risks. If a health anxiety disorder goes untreated or unmanaged, you might experience the following:
- Unnecessary medical tests and procedures, which can put unnecessary stress on your body
- Strain on personal relationships due to friends and family no longer wanting to hear about your medical worries
- Frequent absences from school or work, which can impact performance or future prospects
- Financial troubles due to frequent and expensive medical appointments, tests, or procedures
- Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders
- Decreased quality of life from spending so much time and energy worrying about your health
How mental health professionals treat and manage hypochondriasis
If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of hypochondria and its associated health anxiety disorders, there are ways to manage your condition and relieve yourself of some of your health concerns.
Although you might make frequent visits to physical health doctors regarding your health, a mental health professional might be able to provide you with the support you need to manage your health anxieties and begin living life to the fullest.
Types of treatment for hypochodriasis
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapeutic intervention that can be used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders. CBT is primarily based on the idea that mental health conditions can develop due to unhelpful ways of thinking and resulting behavior patterns. By learning to identify these unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and taking steps to change the way you think, you may be able to relieve symptoms of mental health conditions.
Studies supporting cognitive behavioral therapy
In some cases, psychiatrists may pair CBT with an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication as well. Always consult your doctor before beginning, changing, or discontinuing any medications.
Benefits of online therapy
For those experiencing health anxiety, it may be difficult to have regular in-person sessions with a therapist. Fear of contracting an illness might make you wary or prevent you from leaving the house altogether. Additionally, being in close contact with a therapist face-to-face might contribute to health anxieties. In those cases, online therapy can be a helpful alternative for those looking to receive treatment, as sessions can be completed from the comfort of your own home.
Effectiveness of online therapy
A randomized noninferiority clinical trial compared internet CBT to face-to-face CBT for those living with health anxiety. After 12 weeks of CBT treatment delivered either over the internet or face-to-face, researchers concluded that there seemed to be no significant differences between the two formats. The study also noted that being able to deliver internet-based CBT “has potential to increase access to evidence-based treatment for health anxiety.”
Takeaway
How can I stop my hypochondria?
To treat hypochondria, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional about a treatment plan that may be effective for you. In some cases, psychotherapy like CBT, can be effective and can be used in conjunction with antidepressant or antianxiety medication. Hypochondria is considered an ongoing condition, and while you may never be completely free of it, you can learn how to manage symptoms for an improved quality of life.
What is the cause of hypochondria?
Experts are not sure what causes hypochondria, but they believe it may be due to a combination of factors, including serious childhood illness, extreme stress or trauma, and mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
Can hypochondria cause actual symptoms?
Yes. People with hypochondria can have extreme anxiety responses, which can cause physical symptoms. Some of the physical manifestations of anxiety may include:
Headache
Nausea
Stomach pain
Shakiness
Shortness of breath
Rapid heart rate
What can be mistaken for hypochondria?
Anxiety disorders can be mistaken for hypochondria as they can have many symptoms that overlap. The primary distinguishing factor between the two is that people with hypochondria are anxious about health and illness while those with anxiety disorders may have anxiety related to a number of things.
Hychondria may also be confused with Munchausen’s syndrome as both can cause people to insist that they are ill. The primary difference between these two conditions is that people with Munchausen’s syndrome may go to extremes like lying about their symptoms, manipulating medical tests and exams, inflicting symptoms upon themselves, and seeing numerous doctors in different regions to get care.
Is hypochondriac a mental illness?
Yes, illness anxiety disorder, previously known as hypochondriasis, is a mental health condition outlined in the DSM-5. Diagnostic criteria includes excessive worry about developing a life-threatening or debilitating illness, an absence of physical symptoms or the presence of mild physical symptoms, and excessive anxiety about health. People with this condition may seek care, or they may avoid it.
What are the top 10 medications for anxiety?
Ten of the most common medications for treating anxiety include:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRIs)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOIs)
Mixed antidepressants
GABAergic drugs
Benzodiazepines
Antipsychotics
Beta-blockers
Antihistamines
Will hypochondria go away?
Hypochondria is considered a chronic mental illness. While people with this condition can have periods where their symptoms wax and wane, there is no cure. That said, hypochondria is manageable. Treatment plans may include medication and/or psychotherapy, and people with the condition can learn how to manage symptoms.
Is hypochondria a form of OCD?
No. Hypochondria is now known as illness anxiety disorder, and it is not a form of OCD, but there are some similarities between the two. Some experts have argued that it can be challenging to distinguish between someone with hypochondria and someone with OCD as both can experience obtrusive thoughts that are only temporarily relieved by performing certain behaviors. While someone with OCD may engage in rituals like handwashing or counting, someone with hypochondria may check their body methodically or compare their body with information they find online.
Can your mind create symptoms?
In some cases, anxiety can cause physical symptoms, including nausea, headaches, shortness or breath, rapid heart rate, and stomach pain.
Another mental health condition that can cause physical symptoms is somatic symptom disorder. People with somatic symptom disorder feel exaggerated anxiety about physical symptoms, with symptoms so severe that they can impact the person’s ability to function in their daily life. They may believe that common illnesses are life-threatening, and getting a clean bill of health from a medical professional is not enough to reassure them.
People with somatic symptom disorder are experiencing real symptoms that may or may not be caused by a medical problem, but in many cases, no explanation for these symptoms can be found.
Symptoms can include fatigue, pain, weakness, or shortness of breath and can be mild or severe. They may experience extreme anxiety, believe that minor symptoms are signs of a serious disease, and seek out medical testing but not believe the results if they are normal.
How to reduce anxiety immediately?
Regardless of why you are experiencing anxiety, there are some things you can do in the moment that can help you manage your symptoms.
Breathing techniques, like diaphragmatic breathing, can help you slow down the body’s fight or flight response and tell your body that everything is okay.
Try guided imagery. Think of somewhere you enjoy or that brings you comfort and picture in your mind as vividly as you can. For example, if you enjoy being in the woods, close your eyes and imagine walking on a trail, looking up at the trees and noticing the sun shining through the leaves. Imagine you’re smelling the earth around you, or that you’re passing a patch of wildflowers and catch the scent of them in the air. Listen to the birds chirping around you. Take slow, deep breaths throughout the process.
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