Illness Anxiety Disorder (formerly known as Hypochondriasis in older diagnostic criteria) involves excessive worry or fear of having a serious illness. Individuals often misinterpret normal bodily sensations or minor symptoms as signs of severe disease, despite medical evaluations indicating otherwise.
Key Points:
- Core Concern: Persistent preoccupation with having or developing a serious health condition, even in the absence of significant physical findings.
- Behavioral Patterns: Frequent reassurance-seeking (e.g., numerous doctor visits or online health research) or conversely, complete avoidance of medical settings out of fear of bad news.
- Emotional Impact: High anxiety, distress, and impairment in daily functioning.
- Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help challenge catastrophic health-related thoughts; sometimes SSRIs or SNRIs are used if anxiety is severe.
