By: Kathy Hubbard
My sister-in-law spends an inordinate amount of time in doctors’ offices. But I was surprised when her internal medicine doctor told her, “Go home, relax, and try to think about something other than yourself and your health.” Whoa! And then, when she asked if she should schedule a follow-up appointment he said, “That’s not necessary. Goodbye.”
Needless to say, she was dismayed. I’ve been saying for years that most of her ailments are all in her head, but I’m not a medical professional and I do enjoy teasing her. Hypochondria, now called illness anxiety disorder. is listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, 5th edition (commonly called DSM-5) as a mental health issue.
Cleveland Clinic explains that “people with illness anxiety disorder fear that they have a serious medical condition or that they’re at high risk of becoming ill. They may also misinterpret typical body functions as signs of illness. To medical professionals, these fears might look unjustified or unrealistic because there’s no supporting evidence that the provider can find. But for people with illness anxiety disorder, their fears are very real to them. It’s not something they can control.”
They say that people with illness anxiety disorder typically fall into two categories. One is that they spend a lot of time seeking advice from multiple specialists and request medical tests; the other is that they avoid healthcare providers, not trusting that doctors will take them seriously.
People with this disorder often have symptoms that include, “Avoiding people or places due to worry about catching an illness; constantly researching diseases and symptoms; exaggerating symptoms and their severity; high level of anxiety about personal health; obsession with usual body functions, like your heart rate; oversharing your symptoms and health status with others; repeatedly checking for signs of illness, like taking your blood pressure or temperature; seeking reassurance from loved ones about your symptoms or health; uneasiness with healthy body functions, like gas or sweating,” Cleveland says.
Cleveland also says that healthcare experts don’t know why some people develop illness anxiety disorder and others don’t. However, they think one might be more prone to it if there’s a family history of childhood illness or serious illness in your family during childhood. Other factors include a child who has experienced trauma, abuse or neglect or those who have, or live with someone who has, other mental health issues, depression, stress, or trauma.
Cleveland says, “Treatment goals focus on improving quality of life by minimizing symptoms. Illness anxiety disorder treatment includes drugs like antidepressants or antianxiety medications, and mental health therapy, such as psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to talk through your fears and anxieties and learn healthy ways to cope.”
While researching hypochondria, I found two other disorders that need mentioning. They are Somatic Symptom Disorder and Conversion Disorder. I’ll let Cleveland explain:
“Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition in which a person feels significantly distressed about physical symptoms and has abnormal thoughts, feelings and behaviors in response to them. The disorder disrupts their daily functioning and quality of life.
“Although a person with somatic symptom disorder reports symptoms, the symptoms may have no medical explanation or be normal body sensations or discomfort. Even when there’s a medical cause, the person’s worry is out of proportion to the symptom.
“Functional neurological symptom disorder – better known as “conversion disorder” – is a mental health condition that causes physical symptoms. The symptoms happen because your brain “converts” the effects of a mental health issue into disruptions of your brain or nervous system. The symptoms are real but don’t match up with recognized brain-related conditions.”
As I said before, I’m not a healthcare professional, so I don’t know if my sister-in-law suffers from one of these conditions or not. She doesn’t live here, but based on what she’s told me, and what I’ve just read, I will urge her to consider behavioral healthcare.
Cleveland Clinic reminds us that mental health conditions are best treated as soon as symptoms appear. Bonner General Behavioral Health providers are adept at treating all forms of mental health issues. If you’re in need, ask your PC for a referral then call 208-265-1090 for an appointment.
Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on May 21, 2025.
