What Is Illness Anxiety Disorder?

Diagnosis Criteria

Criteria for a diagnosis of IAD from the DSM-5 highlights being excessively concerned about having or contracting a serious illness, becoming easily alarmed about personal health, and having no physical symptoms (or quite mild ones). Other criteria include exhibiting excessive behaviors related to health, such as continually researching symptoms or checking the body for signs of illness or avoiding medical appointments for fear of a serious diagnosis. If the patient in question does have a physical illness, the DSM-5 states that the thoughts about the illness and the severity can be excessive (worrying is normal with an existing illness).

Furthermore, the excessive worry and symptoms must endure at least six months, even if the illness the individual is worried about has changed during these six months, to receive an IAD diagnosis. Finally, the individual's symptoms must not be better explained by another mental illness, such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or somatic symptom disorder.

Medical Treatment

One of the most popular forms of medical treatment for IAD is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is a type of psychotherapy (talk therapy). Individuals can undergo CBT privately or in a group setting. CBT can specifically help develop awareness of how these fears are affecting individuals and their behavior, and identify the specific worries about having (or contracting) a serious physical illness. With this increased awareness, CBT seeks to help patients develop strategies such as learning alternative ways to view and respond to body sensations, learning skills to tolerate stress and anxiety better, improving normal function, and reducing the frequency of checking the body for signs of illness. CBT will also address other potential mental illnesses, should they be present.

In certain cases, doctors might recommend medication to help alleviate IAD and its symptoms. Some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are commonly used as antidepressants, may help treat IAD. Other options for medications include those for other anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is important to discuss these medications and the potential side effects accompanying them with a physician.