Health anxiety

What is health anxiety?

With health anxiety, ordinary sensations feel like warning signs. A headache becomes a tumour. A skipped heartbeat becomes heart disease. You see a doctor, you feel better for a day or two, and then the worry comes back, often about something new. It's tiring.

Key things to know

In the DSM-5, it's called illness anxiety disorder, or somatic symptom disorder when physical symptoms are the main concern. Both involve worry that lasts 6 months or more. Checking your body, searching symptoms on Google, and asking for more tests all bring quick relief. That relief is what keeps it going. The old name was hypochondriasis, which the DSM-5 replaced in 2013.

• Ordinary sensations get read as signs of serious disease.
• Reassurance works for a short time, then the doubt returns.
• Searching symptoms online usually makes it worse.
• CBT helps you cut back checking and test the fearful thoughts.
• One trusted doctor beats many repeat visits.

What helps

CBT has good evidence here. It changes how you read your body's signals and slowly cuts back checking and reassurance seeking. Seeing one regular doctor, instead of many, helps too. Real symptoms still deserve care. You're aiming for balance, not ignoring your body.

How SelfMind can help

SelfMind is an AI companion for everyday mental health support: a private place to talk through what you are feeling, in Hindi, English or Hinglish, at any hour. It is not therapy and not a crisis service; it works alongside professional care, never in place of it. You can try it free, no account needed.

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How Stressed Are You Right Now?. A short check-in related to health anxiety, with a personal result at the end. 2 minutes, free, no signup.

Related terms

• Anxiety disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Catastrophising
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)