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What is illness anxiety disorder?
- Illness anxiety disorder (IAD), also known as hypochondriasis or hypochondria, is a mental health disorder. Its main characteristic is an irrational fear of having an illness or becoming ill.
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Types of illness anxiety disorder
- People with IAD deal with their anxiety and fear of illness in two ways. The two categories are care-seeking and care-avoidant.
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Types of illness anxiety disorder: care-seeking
- Those who suffer from care-seeking IAD tend to spend a lot of time in healthcare settings. They seek medical attention, look for different specialists, get numerous medical tests done, etc.
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Types of illness anxiety disorder: care-avoidant
- Those with care-avoidant IAD tend to do the exact opposite. Their anxiety and fear manifests through avoidance of medical care. People with this type of IAD avoid going to healthcare providers at all costs, even when they might need them.
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How common is illness anxiety disorder?
- IAD is pretty rare. Many people have a healthy degree of anxiety about being or becoming ill, but are not full-blown hypochondriacs.
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5 / 30 Fotos
How common is illness anxiety disorder?
- IAD usually manifests in adulthood, but can affect all ages. The condition impacts both men and women.
© Shutterstock
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Symptoms
- Being constantly worried about having, or being in the imminent risk of developing, a serious illness usually translates into high levels of anxiety.
© Shutterstock
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Symptoms
- People with IAD tend to be hypervigilant about their bodies and any possible symptoms.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- Hypochondriacs may perform repetitive tasks as a preventative measure, including checking blood pressure and/or heart rate multiple times a day.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- People who suffer from IAD tend to be hyper aware of bodily functions and physical sensations, and look for any changes that may indicate a symptom of an illness.
© Shutterstock
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Symptoms
- People with IAD may avoid crowded places and contact with people in general, in an attempt to avoid contracting an illness.
© Shutterstock
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Symptoms
- Hypochondriacs may spend a great deal of time researching diseases and symptoms.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
What causes IAD?
- There isn’t an exact reason why some people develop illness anxiety disorder, but there are some factors that may make a person more prone to develop it.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- A family history of childhood trauma, including neglect and child abuse, is a risk factor.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- Physical or emotional abuse of any kind has been linked to some people with IAD.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- The same goes for high levels of stress and a history of mental health issues, including anxiety disorders.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- A negative experience with an illness and healthcare, which usually translates into a distrust of medical providers, has been associated with IAD.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- Having experienced a close family member with IAD may increase the risk of developing the disorder.
© Shutterstock
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Risk factors
- A history of serious illness in the family (e.g. cancer) or experiencing childhood illness can also make a person more prone to develop IAD.
© Shutterstock
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Risk factors
- In addition to family history and psychological factors, other elements can also play a part in hypochondria. For example, a person might believe that a disease is more widespread than it actually is, or that the risk of catching a certain disease is higher than it actually is.
© Shutterstock
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Diagnosis
- A primary healthcare provider will do the first evaluation. If IAD is suspected, they may refer the patient to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
© Shutterstock
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The difference between illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder
- Both include an unhealthy obsession with one’s health, but unlike IAD, people with somatic symptom disorder have real physical symptoms (though often medical tests are unable to detect any cause).
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The difference between illness anxiety disorder and nosophobia
- People with nosophobia are also afraid of getting sick, but those who struggle with this type of phobia often obsess with a specific disease. In fact, they may believe they already have symptoms of a life-threatening condition like cancer or AIDS.
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Related conditions
- It’s estimated that nearly 65% of people with IAD struggle with at least one other mental disorder.
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Related conditions
- Related conditions may include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder.
© Shutterstock
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Treatment
- Psychotherapy is usually recommended for those who suffer from IAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other approaches can be effective in managing the disorder.
© Shutterstock
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Treatment
- A combination of therapy and medication is sometimes needed. Depending on the person, antidepressants or other psychotropics may be prescribed to help manage symptoms.
© Shutterstock
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Treatment
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction through meditation, breathing techniques, journaling, and more may also be beneficial.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Outlook
- With the right treatment, living with illness anxiety disorder can be manageable. Given that IAD is usually a chronic condition, it’s important to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments to accommodate it (i.e. stress-reducing activities, etc.). Sources: (Health.com) (Cleveland Clinic)
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
What is illness anxiety disorder?
- Illness anxiety disorder (IAD), also known as hypochondriasis or hypochondria, is a mental health disorder. Its main characteristic is an irrational fear of having an illness or becoming ill.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Types of illness anxiety disorder
- People with IAD deal with their anxiety and fear of illness in two ways. The two categories are care-seeking and care-avoidant.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Types of illness anxiety disorder: care-seeking
- Those who suffer from care-seeking IAD tend to spend a lot of time in healthcare settings. They seek medical attention, look for different specialists, get numerous medical tests done, etc.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Types of illness anxiety disorder: care-avoidant
- Those with care-avoidant IAD tend to do the exact opposite. Their anxiety and fear manifests through avoidance of medical care. People with this type of IAD avoid going to healthcare providers at all costs, even when they might need them.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
How common is illness anxiety disorder?
- IAD is pretty rare. Many people have a healthy degree of anxiety about being or becoming ill, but are not full-blown hypochondriacs.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
How common is illness anxiety disorder?
- IAD usually manifests in adulthood, but can affect all ages. The condition impacts both men and women.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- Being constantly worried about having, or being in the imminent risk of developing, a serious illness usually translates into high levels of anxiety.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- People with IAD tend to be hypervigilant about their bodies and any possible symptoms.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- Hypochondriacs may perform repetitive tasks as a preventative measure, including checking blood pressure and/or heart rate multiple times a day.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- People who suffer from IAD tend to be hyper aware of bodily functions and physical sensations, and look for any changes that may indicate a symptom of an illness.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- People with IAD may avoid crowded places and contact with people in general, in an attempt to avoid contracting an illness.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Symptoms
- Hypochondriacs may spend a great deal of time researching diseases and symptoms.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
What causes IAD?
- There isn’t an exact reason why some people develop illness anxiety disorder, but there are some factors that may make a person more prone to develop it.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- A family history of childhood trauma, including neglect and child abuse, is a risk factor.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- Physical or emotional abuse of any kind has been linked to some people with IAD.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- The same goes for high levels of stress and a history of mental health issues, including anxiety disorders.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- A negative experience with an illness and healthcare, which usually translates into a distrust of medical providers, has been associated with IAD.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- Having experienced a close family member with IAD may increase the risk of developing the disorder.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- A history of serious illness in the family (e.g. cancer) or experiencing childhood illness can also make a person more prone to develop IAD.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Risk factors
- In addition to family history and psychological factors, other elements can also play a part in hypochondria. For example, a person might believe that a disease is more widespread than it actually is, or that the risk of catching a certain disease is higher than it actually is.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Diagnosis
- A primary healthcare provider will do the first evaluation. If IAD is suspected, they may refer the patient to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
The difference between illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder
- Both include an unhealthy obsession with one’s health, but unlike IAD, people with somatic symptom disorder have real physical symptoms (though often medical tests are unable to detect any cause).
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
The difference between illness anxiety disorder and nosophobia
- People with nosophobia are also afraid of getting sick, but those who struggle with this type of phobia often obsess with a specific disease. In fact, they may believe they already have symptoms of a life-threatening condition like cancer or AIDS.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Related conditions
- It’s estimated that nearly 65% of people with IAD struggle with at least one other mental disorder.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Related conditions
- Related conditions may include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Treatment
- Psychotherapy is usually recommended for those who suffer from IAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other approaches can be effective in managing the disorder.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Treatment
- A combination of therapy and medication is sometimes needed. Depending on the person, antidepressants or other psychotropics may be prescribed to help manage symptoms.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Treatment
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction through meditation, breathing techniques, journaling, and more may also be beneficial.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Outlook
- With the right treatment, living with illness anxiety disorder can be manageable. Given that IAD is usually a chronic condition, it’s important to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments to accommodate it (i.e. stress-reducing activities, etc.). Sources: (Health.com) (Cleveland Clinic)
© Shutterstock
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Hypochondria: are you afraid of getting sick?
All about hypochondria, or illness anxiety disorder
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It's safe to say that no one likes to be sick, so it's natural for us to have a healthy degree of fear and anxiety about it. Some people, however, do suffer from a mental health disorder that exacerbates this fear and manifests in unhealthy ways. We're talking about illness anxiety disorder (IAD), also known as hypochondriasis or hypochondria. Indeed, having an irrational fear of being, or becoming, ill can really have a negative impact on one's life.
In this gallery, we explain what illness anxiety disorder really is, as well as its symptoms, risk factors, and possible treatments. Click on to learn all about IAD.
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