Hypochondriasis

The diagnostic criteria for hypochondriasis also require that the patient’s concern about illness persist for at least six months and cause clinically significant distress or functional impairment.

To define hypochondriasis, also known as hypochondria, in medical terminology, is generally defined as abnormal preoccupation with one’s health and a fear of having or getting a disease despite physical evidence to the contrary.

You may experience extreme anxiety that body sensations, such as muscle twitching or fatigue, are associated with a specific, serious illness. Therefore, this excessive anxiety — rather than the physical symptom itself — results in severe distress that can disrupt your life.

Specifically,iIllness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis) is a long-term condition that can fluctuate in severity. It may increase with age or during times of stress. But psychological counseling (psychotherapy) and sometimes medication can help ease your worries.

Hypochondriasis Symptoms

In particular, symptoms of hypochondriasis involve preoccupation with the idea that you’re seriously ill, based on normal body sensations (such as a noisy stomach) or minor signs (such as a minor rash). Signs and symptoms may include:

Firstly, being preoccupied with having or getting a serious disease or health condition
Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
Being easily alarmed about your health status
Fourthly, in hypochondriasis, you find little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it’s hard for you to function
In hypochondriasis, you repeatedly check your body for signs of illness or disease
In addition, frequently making medical appointments for reassurance — or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
Finally, frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses

Hypochondriasis Treatments

 Exposure Therapy for Hypochondriasis

Hypochondriasis is the excessive worry about becoming seriously ill. Consequently, one of the most effective ways to improve health anxiety is to engage in exposure exercises to help one:

Reduce the fear of physiological sensations or symptoms; and
In hypochondriasis, try to reduce the use of “safety behaviors,” or the things one does when they are anxious about their health.

 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Hypochondria

In the long run, hypochondriasis is often characterized by seemingly irrational beliefs or concerns about a health symptom or condition. CBT helps people identify those beliefs and replace them with more rational and realistic thoughts. Hence, CBT one of the most common and best-studied forms of psychotherapy.

CBT can help you with hypochondriasis:

Firstly, identify your fears and beliefs about having a serious medical disease
Learn alternate ways to view your body sensations by working to change unhelpful thoughts
Become more aware of how your worries affect you and your behavior
Fourthly, change the way you respond to your body sensations and symptoms
Learn skills to cope with and tolerate anxiety and stress
For hypochondriasis, it can reduce avoidance of situations and activities due to physical sensations
Additionally, hypochondriacs reduce behaviors of frequently checking your body for signs of illness and repeatedly seeking reassurance
Improve daily functioning at home, at work, in relationships and in social situations
Address other mental health disorders, such as depression
Lastly, other therapies such as behavioral stress management and exposure therapy also may be helpful.

 Supplements

You may consider the following supplements for hypochondriasis:

At length, a daily multivitamin, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, D, the B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, may reduce inflammation and improve immunity.Consequently, Omega-3 fatty acids interact with blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin) and aspirin. Speak with your provider.
For hypochondriasis, melatonin may improve sleep. However, there are no studies on the safety of long-term therapy with melatonin. Ask your provider about potential prescription interactions which can be numerous and can even include birth control pills.

Causes of Hypochondriasis

What Causes It? At the present time, the exact cause of hypochondriasis is not known. Some of the causes include:

Firstly, disturbance in perception such that normal sensations are magnified.
Having learned apparent benefits of being sick, such as receiving attention. Hypochondriasis may occur in an individual who had a childhood illness or had a sibling with a childhood illness.
May be related to another psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. Hypochondriasis may develop from, or be a sign of, one of these other disorders.
Additionally, Beliefs. You may have a difficult time tolerating uncertainty over uncomfortable or unusual body sensations. This could lead you to misinterpret that all body sensations are serious, so you search for evidence to confirm that you have a serious disease.
Family. You may be more likely to have health anxiety if you had parents who worried too much about their own health or your health.
Finally, Past experience. In hypochondriasis, you may have had experience with serious illness in childhood, so physical sensations may be frightening to you.

What are the types of illness anxiety disorder?

Someone with illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis) generally fits into one of these categories:

Care-seeking: You spend a lot of time in a healthcare setting. Comparatively, you seek advice from multiple specialists and request medical tests.

Care-avoidant: You avoid doctors and medical care. Equally, you might not trust doctors or you think they don’t take your symptoms seriously. This can create more fear and anxiety.

Self-help for Hypochondriasis

Keep a diary

Note how often you check your body, ask people for reassurance, or look at health information. All in all, try to gradually reduce how often you do these things over a week.

For hypochondriasis, challenge your thoughts

Draw a table with 2 columns. Write your health worries in the 1st column, then more balanced thoughts in the 2nd. For example, in the 1st column you may write, “I’m worried about these headaches” and in the 2nd, “Headaches can often be a sign of stress”.

Keep busy with other things

For hypochondriasis, when you get the urge to check your body, for example, distract yourself by going for a walk or calling a friend.

Get back to normal activities

Therefore, try to gradually start doing things you’ve been avoiding because of your health worries, such as sports or socializing.

For hypochondriasis, try to relax

Altogether, try breathing exercises for stress or visit the Mind website for some relaxation exercises.