Illness Anxiety, the Pandemic, and How to Overcome This Mental Health Issue

What Is Illness Anxiety?

When someone coughs, sniffles, or sneezes, you feel uneasy. It's completely understandable to feel this way - especially in or after a pandemic. Even though an ache, pain, or potential exposure to an illness may make you uncomfortable, it doesn't necessarily signal an illness anxiety disorder.

Hypochondria is an unrealistic phobia of illness. People with this type of anxiety disorder worry about becoming ill or may believe minor symptoms are major physical problems. This disorder may cause you to seek out medical help from healthcare professionals, do your own research on symptoms, avoid some people or places, constantly check yourself for illness or significant symptoms, or prevent you from doing your daily activities.

Along with hyper-focused attention on your body and how it works, illness anxiety disorder can cause some people to exaggerate symptoms or overshare information about their health status and history. Beyond oversharing, illness anxiety may make you more likely to need reassurance from friends, family, or other loved ones.

Could the Pandemic Cause or Add to Illness Anxiety?

Simply stated - yes. But the emergence of COVID-19 isn't the only impact the pandemic could have had on people with illness anxiety. While you may have felt on high alert during out-of-the-house activities, constantly monitored yourself for symptoms (such as a fever or respiratory issues), or avoided some situations, an overall drop in case count or getting vaccinated may not have eliminated your anxiety-related symptoms.

Illness anxiety isn't a situational disorder. This means that while the pandemic may have triggered some symptoms, your anxiety isn't tied to the immediate threat of a viral disease. Instead, the anxiety may linger until you seek treatment for it.

While the extreme health-focused stress of the pandemic may have become a trigger, it isn't the only possible cause of this disorder. You may have had illness anxiety long before you heard the word COVID-19. 



There isn't one universal cause of illness anxiety. Possible reasons for this disorder may include limited understanding of the body's sensations, past experiences with a serious illness, exposure to family members with the same or a similar anxiety disorder, or a major life stressor.

Can You Treat Illness Anxiety?

Even though overall pandemic-related anxiety may have waned recently, you still may feel a serious sense of worry. Whether your worry is centered on a viral infection or any other type of illness, it is real to you, and it may interfere with anything from your job to going out with friends. This makes treatment an essential step towards freedom from your phobia.

Like other mental health disorders, illness anxiety is treatable. However, it is not something you need to or should treat yourself. There is help for illness anxiety. Treatment starts with a professional evaluation. Only a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist should assess an individual for an anxiety disorder. 

The specific type of treatment you need depends on several factors. These include your preferences and comfort level, the extent of the anxiety, and your professional's recommendations.

For example, psychotherapy, such as talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, can help some people to overcome this issue and conquer illness anxiety. Some people with illness anxiety may also benefit from medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants.

Do you need help with illness anxiety? Contact Heritage Mental Health Clinic for more information.