Description

Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms. Or you may believe that normal body sensations or minor symptoms are signs of a serious illness, despite the fact that a complete medical examination does not reveal a serious medical condition.

You may experience extreme anxiety that the sensations of the body, such as muscle contraction or fatigue, are associated with a serious illness. This excess anxiety — more than the physical symptom in and of itself — resulting in a severe distress that can alter your life.

Illness anxiety disorder is a long-term condition that can vary in severity. You can increase with age or during times of stress. But the psychological counseling (psychotherapy) and, sometimes, medication can help to alleviate their concerns.

Hypochondriasis

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American psychiatric Association, no longer includes the hypochondria — is also called hypochondriasis — as a diagnosis. Instead, people previously diagnosed with hypochondriasis may be diagnosed with the illness of anxiety disorder, in which the focus of the fear and the concern is awkward, or unusual physical sensations to be an indication of a serious medical condition.

On the other hand, somatic symptom disorder — a disorder — involves focusing on the deactivation of the nature of the physical symptoms, such as pain or dizziness, without the concern that these symptoms represent a specific disease.

Symptoms

Symptoms of illness anxiety disorder 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:

  • Concerned with the fact of having or getting a serious disease or health condition
  • Worry about the smaller of the symptoms or sensations in the body means that you have a serious illness
  • Being easy alarm about the state of your health
  • To find little or no consolation visits to the doctor or negative test results
  • Unduly concerned about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition, because it runs in your family
  • Having so much anxiety about the possible diseases that is difficult for you to function
  • Repeatedly checking his body for signs of illness or disease
  • Often make appointments with the doctor of confidence — or avoid medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
  • Avoid people, places, or activities because of fear of health risks
  • Constantly talking about your health and possible diseases
  • Often searching the internet for the causes of the symptom or disease

When to see a doctor

Because the symptoms can be related to problems of health, it is important to be evaluated by your primary care physician if this has not been done already. If your doctor believes you may have illness anxiety disorder, he or she may refer you to a mental health professional.

Caring for a loved one

Significant health anxiety can cause real distress to the person, and the peace of mind, is not always helpful. Sometimes, providing peace of mind can make things worse. This can be frustrating and cause stress on families and relationships. Encourage your loved one to consider the mental health of reference to learn ways of dealing with the disease of anxiety disorder.

Causes

The exact cause of the disease of anxiety disorder is not clear, however, these factors may play a role:

  • Beliefs. You may have a hard time tolerating the uncertainty about uncomfortable or unusual sensations in the body. This could give rise to interpret all the sensations of the body are severe, so that the search for evidence to confirm that you have a serious illness.
  • Of the family. You may be more prone to anxiety if you had parents who worried too much about your own health or the health.
  • The experience of the past. You may have had experience with serious illness in childhood, so that the physical sensations can be very scary for you.

Risk factors

Illness anxiety disorder usually begins in early or mid-adulthood and may worsen with age. Often for the elderly, health-related anxiety may focus on the fear of losing your memory.

Risk factors for the disease of anxiety disorder can include:

  • A time of great stress of life
  • The threat of a serious illness that turns out not to be serious
  • History of abuse as a child
  • A serious illness of the child or a parent with a serious illness
  • Personality traits, such as having a tendency to be a warrior
  • Excessive health-related internet use

Complications

Illness anxiety disorder may be associated with:

  • Relationship or family problems due to the excessive worry, you can frustrate the other
  • Work-related performance issues or excessive absences
  • Problems functioning in daily life, possibly even resulting in disability
  • Financial problems due to excess health care visits and medical expenses
  • Having another mental health disorder, such as symptom somatic disorder, other anxiety disorders, depression or a personality disorder

Prevention

Little is known about how to prevent illness anxiety disorder, but these tips can help.

  • If you have problems with anxiety, seek professional help as soon as possible to help stop the worsening of the symptoms and the deterioration of their quality of life.
  • Learn to recognize when you are stressed, and how this affects your body — and regularly practice stress management and relaxation techniques.
  • Stick to your plan of treatment to help prevent relapse or worsening of symptoms.

Diagnosis

To determine a diagnosis, it is likely that you will have a physical exam and tests your primary care provider recommends. The doctor can help determine if you have any medical condition that requires treatment and establish limits on the laboratory tests, imaging, and referrals to specialists.

Your primary care provider may also refer you to a mental health professional. He or she can:

  • To conduct a psychological evaluation to talk about your symptoms, stress, family history, fears or concerns, and the way that your anxiety is negatively impacting your life
  • Fill out a psychological self-assessment or questionnaire
  • Ask about the consumption of alcohol, drugs, or other substances
  • To determine if your illness concern would be better explained by another mental disorder, such as symptom somatic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to help manage the anxiety about their health and improve their ability to function in daily life. Psychotherapy — also called talk therapy — can be useful for the disease of anxiety disorder. Sometimes, medications can be added.

Psychotherapy

Because the physical sensations may be related to emotional disorders and health anxiety, psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — can be an effective treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you learn skills to manage the disease of anxiety disorder and find different ways to manage your other concerns that excessive medical testing, or the avoidance of medical care.

CBT can help you to:

  • Identify your fears and beliefs about having a serious medical illness
  • Learn alternative ways to view their body sensations working to change unhelpful thoughts
  • Be more aware of how your worries affect you and your behavior
  • Change the way you respond to your body sensations and symptoms
  • Learn skills to cope with and tolerate the anxiety and stress
  • Reduce avoidance of situations and activities because of physical sensations
  • Reduce the behaviors of the frequency of checking your body for signs of disease, and on several occasions in search of tranquility
  • Improve daily functioning in the home, at work, in relationships and social situations
  • Address other mental health disorders, such as depression

Other therapies, such as the behavior of the stress management and exposure therapy can also be useful.

Drugs

Antidepressants, such as selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Ssris) can help treat the disease of anxiety disorder. Medications to treat mood or anxiety disorders, if present, can also help.

Talk with your doctor about medication options and the possible side effects and risks.

Lifestyle and home remedies

In addition to the profession of treatment for the disease of anxiety disorder, these self-care measures can help:

  • Work with your provider. Work with your primary care provider or mental health professional to determine a regular schedule of visits to discuss your concerns and to build a relationship of trust. Discuss the creation of reasonable limits on the tests, assessments, and referrals to specialists. Avoid seeking advice from several doctors or emergency room visits that can make your attention more difficult to coordinate, and can be subject to duplicate the tests.
  • Practice stress management and relaxation techniques. Learn stress management and relaxation methods, such as progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce anxiety.
  • Be physically active. A graduate of this programme of activity can have a calming effect on your mood, reduce anxiety and help improve their physical performance.
  • Participate in the activities. Stay involved in your work, as well as social and family activities, you can provide support.
  • Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. The use of substances can make your attention more difficult. Talk with your primary care provider if you need help to stop smoking.
  • To avoid searching the internet for possible diseases. The vast amount of health information that may or may not be related to your situation can cause confusion and anxiety. If you have symptoms that concern you, talk with your primary care provider at your next appointment.

Preparing for your appointment

In addition to his medical assessment, your primary care physician may refer you to a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist for evaluation and treatment.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment, and what to expect from your primary care provider or mental health professional.

What you can do

  • Its symptoms, including the first time it happened, how they affect your daily life and what you do to try to manage them
  • Key personal information, including the traumatic events of his past, and any stressful major events
  • Medical information, including the physical or mental health that you have
  • The drugs, vitamins, herbs and other supplements you are taking and the dose
  • Questions to ask your doctor

Ask a trusted family member or friend to go with you to your appointment, if possible, to give support and help to remember the information.

Questions to ask your mental health professional may include:

  • I have the disease of anxiety disorder?
  • What treatment approach do you recommend?
  • It would be the therapy will be useful in my case?
  • If you're going to recommend the therapy, how frequently do I need and for how long?
  • If you are recommending medications, there are possible side effects?
  • How long should I take the medicine?
  • How will you control if the treatment is working?
  • There are self-care steps you can take to help manage my condition?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What sites do you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask any other questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your primary care provider or mental health professional may ask:

  • What are your symptoms, and when it happens for the first time?
  • How do your symptoms affect your life, as in school, at work and in personal relationships?
  • Do you or any of your close relatives has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder?
  • Have you been diagnosed with any medical condition?
  • Make use of alcohol or recreational drugs? What's the frequency?
  • Do you get regular physical activity?

Your primary care provider or mental health professional will ask more questions based on your responses, symptoms, and needs. Prepare and anticipate the questions will help you make the most of your appointment time.

Symptoms and treatment of a Disease, disorder, anxiety