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🌿 Hypochondriasis
🌿 Hypochondriasis
Hypochondriasis is a mental health condition where a person has a persistent, excessive fear of having a serious illness, despite medical evaluations showing no significant disease.
The individual misinterprets normal body sensations or minor symptoms as signs of severe medical conditions.
Note:
In DSM-5, Hypochondriasis has been divided into:
- Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) — if significant physical symptoms are present.
- Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD) — if physical symptoms are minimal or absent, but health anxiety is high.
Common Symptoms:
- Persistent preoccupation with having a serious illness
- Repeated health-related behaviors (e.g., body checking, frequent doctor visits)
- Excessive reading or researching medical conditions (cyberchondria)
- Reassurance-seeking behavior
- Avoidance of hospitals or medical tests (in some cases)
- High anxiety over minor physical sensations (like heartbeats, headaches, etc.)
Duration:
Symptoms typically last 6 months or more.
Causes & Risk Factors:
- Personality traits: anxious, perfectionist, or obsessive tendencies
- History of serious illness in self or family
- Trauma, abuse, or neglect
- Comorbid anxiety or depression
- Excessive health-related information consumption (internet/media)
