Hypochondriasis Research Paper

Hypochondriasis, also known as Illness Anxiety Disorder, is a disorder in which an individual is obsessed with the idea that they have a serious, life threatening illness, even though they have only mild symptoms. Individuals with this disorder’s fear of having an illness is very real to them even with an absence of legitimate symptoms. In many cases, hypochondriac individuals still have persistent fear even after a doctor assures them that they have nothing to be worried about. Often times, this obsession with contracting an illness is related to one system of the body in particular.
There are many symptoms of Illness Anxiety Disorder, or hypochondriasis. Some include excessive worry about having or contracting a serious illness, high levels of anxiety over their health status, an absence of or very mild physical symptoms, and repeatedly checking for body for signs of disease. People with Hypochondriasis often interpret normal sensations as symptoms for a particular disorder. In order for a person to be diagnosed with Illness Anxiety Disorder they must have an extreme fear of having an illness for at least six months, and their fear of illness must not be due to another previously diagnosed …show more content…
Hypochondriasis has many causes ranging from biological factors, social/environmental factors, and psychological factors. The main causing factors are major life stress, a severe health symptom that is believed to threaten one’s health-such as chest pain, memory issues etc.- a history of abuse, a history of childhood illness, and having other mental disorders. Hypochondriasis is diagnosed by the patient and patient’s close family and friend’s descriptions of the symptoms. It can also be diagnosed based on the individual’s medical complaints and medical