Almost everyone worries about their health more than normal at some time or in certain situations. For example, many health science students often think they have the disease that was just explained to them in class. Or if someone hears about an illness, they often check their own body to see if they have the same symptoms.
The problem is when someone worries for a long time or in many situations, and this worry can lead to significant difficulties in daily life. These are people with hypochondria or, as it is now often called, illness anxiety disorder.
People with illness anxiety disorder interpret physical sensations that are not pathological as a sign of a serious illness. They think they are getting sick or are already sick and are constantly alert to these feelings. They often do not calm down following reassurance from a health care professional. This is where repeated consultations with professionals and the compulsive search for information about health and diseases usually come from. This often happens alongside the perception that the feared disease is advancing and that professionals are not paying enough attention to it.
A recent study in Sweden found that people with hypochondria have an increased risk of dying from natural causes and unnatural causes, such as suicide, compared to people without hypochondria. It is not known why, but it is possible that the chronic stress associated with hypochondria itself causes physiological changes (immunological, for example) that, in the long run, increase the likelihood of having more diseases. This seems to indicate that the excessive worry and alertness that people with this problem have does not achieve the goal of getting less sick.
A diagnosed disorder
Hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder can affect up to 2-3% of the general public. Also, it seems to go undetected or undiagnosed much more than with other mental disorders; so those who have it rarely receive specialised treatment.
Professionals recommend people with symptoms of hypochondria to consult a specialist, as there are currently effective interventions to help them. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is one of the most useful treatments. This is a form of psychological therapy where the person learns alternative ways of appraising and coping with their feared sensations.
However, it is not easy to find professionals specialising in this type of therapy. Medical treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can also help. These treatments are generally more accessible than cognitive behavioural therapy.
Information documented by:
Dr. Miquel A. Fullana, specialist in clinical psychology at the Psychiatry and Psychology Service of the Hospital Clinic Barcelona.
