The Reality of Health Anxiety

The day begins with you waking up and noticing a new bruise that you didn’t have before. It’s strange, but you ultimately decide to brush it off. The day goes on, and you notice a new red mark on your face. You’ve never seen anything like it before. You’re a bit more nervous now, but again, you forget about it. Later in the day, you discover a new bump on your arm, so naturally, now it’s time to start Googling. You begin looking up all these symptoms and go down a rabbit hole. You can’t stop thinking about these different health issues, and now, all of a sudden, as you’re Googling, you feel a pounding headache coming on.
Great—just add it to the list.

What is IAD?

Hypochondria, or IAD (illness anxiety disorder), is a disorder in which you are persistently anxious or worried about having some dire underlying medical issue from the smallest symptoms, or sometimes you don’t even have any symptoms—you’re just scared. If you have IAD, you may find yourself constantly checking yourself for some kind of symptom, going to the doctor often to seek reassurance or even mistaking symptoms such as an increased heart rate or sweating as signs of a major illness. This disorder may seem like a surprise to some. Why would you assume you have a chronic illness with no symptoms, you may ask? Well … we’re asking the same thing.

Why does IAD exist?

There is no definite reason as to why someone could experience these anxious feelings, but one of the main causes is that they have suffered from a traumatic serious health condition in the past. This can be watching a loved one suffer or experiencing the issue firsthand.

An alternate reason is simply a high level of anxiety. Those who have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder are much more likely to convince themselves they have contracted a serious illness. This can also be related to cognitive distortions. This is when you take a small symptom and immediately assume that symptom to be part of something much larger and more catastrophic.

Can this be fixed?

Just like any other mental disorder, there are a few different routes you can take to try to fix your thought process. The first way is cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT is said to be one of the most helpful treatments when it comes to hypochondria. CBT works to help you change your thought process so that if these minor health issues arise, you don’t immediately assume they are something worse than they are.

The second most effective way to help is taking medication (as prescribed by a psychiatrist). If you decide to look into this route, talk with a psychiatrist. They will suggest different SSRI medications (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), and the two of you can discuss which you think will be the best for your lifestyle.

Have you ever experienced health anxiety? Let us know on our Instagram @VALLEYmag!

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