Health-Related OCD
Symptoms, Illness Anxiety, and Effective Treatment
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Health-related OCD, sometimes called health anxiety OCDillness-focused OCD, is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)in which individuals experience persistent and distressing fears about having or developing serious medical conditions.
Although concerns about health are normal, people with health-related OCD experience intrusive thoughts and overwhelming uncertainty about specific illnesses that are difficult to dismiss. These fears often lead to compulsive behaviors such as repeatedly checking the body for symptoms, researching symptoms and diseases online, seeking reassurance from doctors and loved ones, or avoiding their regular doctor appointments altogether.
Although concerns about health are normal, people with health-related OCD experience intrusive thoughts and overwhelming uncertainty about specific illnesses that are difficult to dismiss. These fears often lead to compulsive behaviors such as repeatedly checking the body for symptoms, researching symptoms and diseases online, seeking reassurance from doctors and loved ones, or avoiding their regular doctor appointments altogether.
Anxiety & OCD Treatment Specialists, health-related obsessions represent a significant portion of the OCD cases we treat. With proper treatment, specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, individuals can learn to break the cycle of obsessive fears and compulsive reassurance.
In-person sessions are provided in Tampa and virtual sessions are available throughout Florida and New York.
What Is Health-Related OCD?
Health-related OCD occurs when intrusive thoughts about illness become obsessions that trigger anxiety and compulsive behaviors. These obsessions can focus on virtually any medical condition.
Common feared illnesses may include:
Common feared illnesses may include:
- Cancer
- Heart attack or heart disease
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Rabies
- Brain-eating amoeba
- Blood-borne pathogens (such as HIV or hepatitis)
- Neurological disorders
- Rare diseases discovered through online research
- Microplastics
Because OCD thrives on uncertainty, individuals may constantly ask themselves questions such as:
- What if this symptom means something serious?
- What if doctors missed something?
- What if my case is unique?
- What if I develop a rare disease?
These intrusive thoughts can feel extremely convincing, even when medical reassurance has already been given. If fact, someone with a fear of cancer can get a full body MRI only to doubt the results within a few days. The relief felt from reassurance is brief.
Psychosomatic Symptoms in Health-Related OCD
One of the most confusing aspects of health anxiety OCD is the experience of psychosomatic symptoms. This means a person may develop real physical sensations that seem to match the feared illness, even though there is no underlying medical condition. Our brains are more powerful than we realize and for those who health-related OCD, you can’t trust whether your symptoms are cause for concern.
Because anxiety activates the body’s stress response, it can create physical sensations that mimic illness.
Examples may include:
Because anxiety activates the body’s stress response, it can create physical sensations that mimic illness.
Examples may include:
- Rapid or pounding heart rate when fearing a heart attack
- Dizziness or chest discomfort
- Tingling or numbness when fearing neurological disease
- Muscle twitching when fearing ALS
- Gastrointestinal discomfort or nausea
- Tremors
These sensations are real, but they are caused by anxiety and hyper-awareness of bodily sensations, not by the feared illness. Unfortunately, these symptoms often reinforce the OCD cycle by making the fear feel more believable, prompting the client to engage in more compulsions. The more compulsions done, the more psychosomatic symptoms experienced.
It is important to note that experiencing psychosomatic symptoms is not just an OCD phenomenon. Everyone experiences psychosomatic symptoms at times whether it’s a stress headache or upset stomach due to nerves. Psychosomatic symptoms are a part of our humanity and aren’t inherently bad. For someone who does not have OCD, these symptoms are a kind of wake-up call, a way for the brain to let the individual know that it’s under stress and finding a solution to that stress is needed.
It is important to note that experiencing psychosomatic symptoms is not just an OCD phenomenon. Everyone experiences psychosomatic symptoms at times whether it’s a stress headache or upset stomach due to nerves. Psychosomatic symptoms are a part of our humanity and aren’t inherently bad. For someone who does not have OCD, these symptoms are a kind of wake-up call, a way for the brain to let the individual know that it’s under stress and finding a solution to that stress is needed.
Common Compulsions in Health Anxiety OCD
Individuals with health-related OCD often engage in behaviors meant to reduce uncertainty or gain reassurance. Trying to find certainty causes suffering because certainty does not exist! At any point in your life, you can develop an illness that could prove fatal. Every human being alive has this reality, but someone afflicted with OCD obsesses about this uncertainty. While compulsions may provide temporary relief, they ultimately strengthen OCD over time.
Common compulsions include:
Common compulsions include:
- Repeatedly researching symptoms or diseases online (information seeking)
- Excessively checking the body for physical changes (using tools to check vitals or touching the body to find lumps)
- Seeking reassurance from doctors, friends, or family members
- Perseverating to others about health concerns even when not getting reassurance
- Repeated medical testing despite normal results
- Monitoring heart rate, breathing, or other bodily sensations
- Avoiding news stories or conversations about illness
These behaviors temporarily reduce anxiety but prevent the brain from learning that uncertainty about health is safe to tolerate.
Fear of Medication in Health-Related OCD
Many individuals with health-related OCD also experience fears about taking medications that could help treat OCD and anxiety. OCD wants to sabotage your efforts at getting better so what better way to do that than make you fearful of taking the very medication that will decrease your OCD symptomology!
Because the person is highly focused on potential health risks, they may worry about:
Because the person is highly focused on potential health risks, they may worry about:
- Medication side effects
- Long-term health consequences
- Allergic reactions
- Rare complications mentioned in medication warnings
- Stigma associated with taking a psychiatric medication
When individuals with health-related OCD do begin medication, they usually notice an increase in psychosomatic symptoms related to anxiety about the medication, especially in the early stages. This does not mean the medication is harmful; rather, it reflects the same mind-body interaction that occurs with other health-related fears. It’s important to not allow fear to dictate your decisions about taking medication or remaining on medication. As you do your exposure therapy, the psychosomatic symptoms will go away.
Effective Treatment for Health-Related OCD
The most effective treatment for health-related OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard therapy for all domains of OCD.ERP helps individuals gradually face the uncertainty around health concerns while reducing compulsive behaviors such as reassurance seeking, avoidance, information seeking online, talking about health, or body checking.
ERP for health-related OCD may involve:
ERP for health-related OCD may involve:
- Reducing symptom checking behaviors
- Limiting reassurance seeking
- Gradually decreasing medical research and internet searching
- Learning to tolerate uncertainty about health
- Practicing exposure exercises related to illness fears (more specific examples of exposures are given during your first session)
Over time, ERP helps the brain learn that uncertainty about health does not require compulsive behaviors, allowing anxiety and obsessive thoughts to lose their power. Exposures will remove the threat associated with your intrusive thoughts.
Anxiety & OCD Treatment Specialists, we specialize in evidence-based OCD treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help individuals regain control over intrusive health fears and compulsive behaviors.
Anxiety & OCD Treatment Specialists, we specialize in evidence-based OCD treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help individuals regain control over intrusive health fears and compulsive behaviors.
When to Seek Treatment for Health Anxiety OCD
If fears about illness are consuming significant mental energy, causing repeated reassurance seeking, or interfering with daily life, it may be helpful to seek treatment from a therapist who specializes in OCD and ERP therapy
With the right treatment, individuals can learn to:
With the right treatment, individuals can learn to:
- Reduce obsessive thoughts about illness
- Stop compulsive behaviors such as symptom checking and reassurance seeking
- Develop a healthier relationship with uncertainty
- Regain confidence in their ability to manage anxiety
- Remove their OCD from their relationships where reassurance seeking is hijacking family dynamics
Recovery from health-related OCD is possible with the right support and treatment. It’s true! If you are struggling with OCD, your symptoms can go in remission. Get the help you deserve and give us a call for a free consultation today!
Give us a call for a free consultation today!
(813) 812-4940
Recovery and remission are possible, and effective treatment is available.
FAQ: Health-Related OCD
What is health-related OCD?
Health-related OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which individuals experience intrusive fears about serious illnesses and engage in compulsive behaviors such as symptom checking, information seeking online, avoidance, talking about health, reassurance seeking, and more.
Is health anxiety the same as OCD?
Health anxiety is a subtype of OCD. The individual has obsessions related to health and complete compulsions, such as repeated reassurance seeking, checking symptoms, or researching diseases.
Why do people with health OCD feel physical symptoms?
Anxiety activates the body’s stress response, which can create real physical sensations such as dizziness, muscle tension, or a rapid heartbeat. These psychosomatic symptoms can mimic illness and reinforce OCD fears. Yes, your brain is that powerful!
What is the best treatment for health-related OCD?
The most effective treatment is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps individuals reduce compulsive behaviors and learn to tolerate uncertainty. ERP is the gold standard treatment for all subtypes of OCD.
What is the duration of treatment?
We typically tell prospective clients that if they are still functioning, give us 8-10 sessions. ERP moves quickly and the exposures done with the provider are done daily as homework. Ultimately, treatment duration depends on symptom severity, client insight, client compliance with treatment, and whether the client is on medication. The use of the appropriate medication is not a requirement to seek treatment at Anxiety & OCD Treatment Specialists, however, we will be transparent if we think you would benefit from medication.
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Treatment is available via video conference or phone in New York, and via video, phone,
or in-person sessions in Tampa, Florida.
or in-person sessions in Tampa, Florida.