Someone that you care about frequently complains about serious health problems that doctors can’t or won’t treat. Could your loved one be a hypochondriac? Hypochondria is a disruptive mental illness, but it’s also a treatable condition. When you have the facts you need, you can help your friend or family member find the professional care that will lead to true, lasting relief.
What is Hypochondria?
The clinical term for hypochondria is illness anxiety disorder. In the third and fourth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-3 and DSM-4), it was referred to as hypochondriasis.
In the current edition, (DSM-5), this condition is included in the Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders section. The conditions in this section all involve unhealthy psychological responses to physical symptoms.
In the case of hypochondria, the primary unhealthy response is extreme fear or worry about becoming severely ill, even though there is little or no evidence to support such concern.
For a hypochondriac, even typical physical sensations such as minor aches and pains can cause them to believe they have contracted a serious disease. Though their physical symptoms may be either mild or nonexistent, their psychological pain will be quite real.
What Causes Someone to Become a Hypochondriac?
Experts believe that many factors can increase a person’s risk of developing hypochondria, such as:
- Sudden death of a loved one
- History of serious illness or other trauma
- Being abused or neglected during childhood
- Being raised by overly protective parents
- Exposure to intense stress
- Difficulty accepting uncertainty
- Having anxiety, depression, or certain other co-occurring mental health concerns
An overreliance on online health information – such as frequently researching even mild symptoms and discovering that they could be associated with significant health problems – can contribute to this problem. Some sources describe this phenomenon as cyberchondria (though that is an informal term, not a clinical diagnosis).
Signs & Symptoms of Hypochondria
As established in the DSM-5, the diagnostic criteria for illness anxiety disorder (hypochondria) include:
- Being preoccupied with having or developing a serious illness
- Having no symptoms, mild symptoms, or simply a risk developing a condition, yet exhibiting disproportionate or excessive focus on having the condition
- Experiencing substantial anxiety about your health, which can include becoming easily alarmed at even minor changes in your body
- Performing a disproportionate amount of health-related behaviors, such as checking yourself over and over again for signs of illness
- Engaging in acts of “maladaptive avoidance,” such as refusing to visit a doctor’s office, clinic, hospital, or other healthcare facility
For someone to be diagnosed, these symptoms must have been present for at least six months, though their focus can shift from one medical condition to another during that period.
Problems that Hypochondriacs Face
Hypochondria can have a negative impact on virtually every aspect of a person’s life. Here are four examples of the types of problems that hypochondriacs may face:
- Excessive involvement with the medical system: There’s nothing wrong with seeking medical advice when you have a health concern. But people who have hypochondria sometimes take this to the extreme, which can be problematic for many reasons. For example, they are likely to become frustrated when they don’t get the answers they’re seeking, and the cost of frequent medical visits can put a strain on their finances.
- Disrupted relationships: Hypochondria doesn’t only affect hypochondriacs. People who care about or are dependent on them can also be affected. When someone becomes fixated on unfounded health problems, their ability to be fully present in their relationships can suffer. This can lead to conflicts with friends and family members, strained or ruined romantic relationships, and dysfunctional interactions with their children.
- Difficulties in school or at work. Unrelenting fears about their health can undermine a person’s ability to perform to expectation in school or on the job. This can put the individual at risk of academic setbacks, demotions, or even job loss. These effects can, in turn, be sources of additional stress, which can exacerbate the person’s emotional anguish.
- Medical problems: A person with a history of making doctor’s appointments for what turn out to be unnecessary reasons may be less likely to be believed when they describe symptoms of an actual medical condition. At the other end of the spectrum, some hypochondriacs refuse to enter doctor’s offices or hospitals, often out of a misguided fear of infection. This, too, can have harmful repercussions if they develop a condition that requires medical care.
Treatment for Hypochondria
It can be easy to dismiss a hypochondriac’s health-related fears by claiming it’s “all in their mind.” But this ignores two essential facts about this disorder:
- Though a person’s physical symptoms may not be significant, the psychological distress of hypochondria is real.
- Hypochondria is a treatable condition. When a person gets the help they need, they can regain control of their thoughts and learn to manage their symptoms.
Treatment can take many forms, depending on a host of personal factors. Elements of care that may be beneficial include:
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
- Somatic therapy
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- Holistic therapies
When seeking treatment for hypochondria, it’s important to find a provider that will thoroughly review the patient’s history, assess their symptoms and the impact those symptoms have had on their life, and then develop a customized plan just for them.
Contact Montare Behavioral Health to Treat Hypochondria Today
If someone in your life has been exhibiting the symptoms, Montare Behavioral Health is here to help.
Our network includes several trusted mental health treatment centers at convenient locations throughout Southern California and Arizona. At each of these facilities, your loved one can receive customized care and compassionate support from a team of highly skilled professionals.
We understand the many ways that hypochondria can prevent a person from living the full and satisfying life they deserve – and we’re committed to providing the focused solutions that can put them on the path toward a much healthier and more hopeful future.
To learn more about us, or to schedule a free assessment for your friend or family member, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
