Hypochondria essay

Illness anxiety disorder also referred to as hypochondriasis is a serious medical condition whereby an individual is overwhelmed with fears of having developed a serious medical illness (Axelsson, Andersson, Ljótsson, Finn, & Hedman, 2016). People with such conditions may or may not have been diagnosed with an illness, but in most cases, there usually lacks the presence of any serious illness. In case there is any medical condition, the individual presents an overly excessive anxiety about the condition. From the cognitive-behavioral theory standpoint, patients with illness anxiety disorders tend to experience trouble because of pre-formed negative assessment of their health and wellness. Such poor assessment is normally due to certain reasons like prolonged mental trauma, social isolation and low self-esteem (Abramowitz & Braddock, 2006).

Reassurance temporarily makes them feel better after which they will go back to being worried about some new symptoms or the old ones. At times, the individual may repeatedly examine himself/herself and develop a maladaptive avoidance to some activities or situations he/she fears it might put their health at risk. In most cases, the disorder is easily triggered by stories of illness. Also, information garnered from the internet and media sources may increase the likelihood of misinterpreting benign signs and symptoms. For example, after the wide media coverage of the bird flu outbreak in the fall of 2005, many authors assessed a number of people who had hypochondriasis and were worried that their symptoms could be as a result of bird flu (Abramowitz & Braddock, 2006).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves the application of certain measures empirically demonstrates to wane maladaptive reasoning and behavioral patterns. There are also limitations to the cognitive-behavioral model in the treatment of illness anxiety disorders. For instance, the model tends to focus on the ability of the individual to change themselves and fails to address the wider issues in families or systems which may often have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the individual. Additionally, the CB approach may involve confronting the emotions and anxieties of the individual (Woolfolk & Allen, 2012). Thus, he/she may experience periods where he is emotionally uncomfortable or anxious. At times, people with illness anxiety disorders may experience self-discrimination whereby they turn the stereotypes about various mental disorders adopted by the public towards themselves.

Therefore, they assume a social rejection and believe they are not of any value. Additionally, discrimination tends to negatively impact on the confidence and self-esteem of the individual. This leads to high incidences of isolation, social withdrawal, and feelings of exclusion in individuals with mental disorders. Reflection This class has been particularly helpful in helping me understand more about anxiety disorders. I applied the cognitive-behavioral theory which helped inform the origin of illness anxiety disorder, its manifestation, and treatment. Furthermore, it challenged me to research on the limitations of the theory, the multicultural issues tied to anxiety disorders and the stigma linked to the condition. From my research and observations, illness anxiety disorder is manageable if not treatable. Thus, the affected individuals may be helped to overcome their sense of fear as a result of overexposure to information on an illness.