What Is Health Anxiety? Understanding Illness Anxiety Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorder
You notice a new sensation in your body: maybe a headache, a bit of dizziness, or a flutter in your chest.
At first, you try to ignore it. But later that night, you Google your symptoms.
One search turns into ten.
Now you’re reading about serious conditions.
The next day, you schedule a doctor’s appointment. The workup is reassuring, and everything looks normal.
But the relief doesn’t last.
A few days later, the worry comes back. You start paying closer attention to your body. Every sensation feels significant. You seek another opinion. Maybe a specialist this time. More testing, more reassurance.
And still, the question lingers:
What if something is being missed?
If this cycle feels familiar, you may be experiencing health anxiety.
What Is “Health Anxiety”?
Health anxiety is not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5.
Instead, health anxiety is a broad, informal term that describes excessive worry about health. It exists on a spectrum:
On the mild end: occasional Googling symptoms or worrying after a doctor’s visit
On the severe end: persistent, impairing anxiety that meets criteria for a psychiatric disorder
At higher levels, health anxiety may be diagnosed as:
Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD): when distressing physical symptoms are present along with excessive worry about them
Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD): when anxiety about having a serious illness is the main issue, with little to no physical symptoms
So, health anxiety is the umbrella term, while IAD and SSD are specific clinical diagnoses.
Key Difference: Symptoms vs Anxiety About Symptoms
The main difference comes down to this:
Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD): Physical symptoms are real, distressing, and central
Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD): Physical symptoms are minimal or absent, but anxiety about illness is high
In other words:
SSD = “I feel something wrong in my body”
IAD = “What if something is seriously wrong with my body?”
What Is Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)?
Somatic symptom disorder involves:
One or more physical symptoms (pain, fatigue, GI issues, etc.)
Symptoms that are distressing or disrupt daily life
Excessive thoughts or anxiety about those symptoms
Spending a lot of time and energy focused on health concerns
The symptoms are real—but the level of worry and distress is out of proportion to what is medically found.
What Is Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD)?
Illness anxiety disorder looks different:
Little to no physical symptoms
Persistent fear of having or developing a serious illness
High levels of health anxiety
Frequent reassurance-seeking (doctor visits, Googling symptoms)
Reassurance does not reduce anxiety
The distress comes more from fear of the diagnosis, not the symptom itself
How They Show Up in Real Life
Here’s how this might look clinically:
SSD example: Ongoing stomach pain → constant worry, repeated doctor visits, difficulty functioning
IAD example: Occasional normal sensation (like dizziness) → fear of a brain tumor despite normal tests
In IAD, even normal body sensations can feel threatening.
Treatment for Health Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms
The good news: both conditions are treatable.
First-line treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps patients:
Understand the cycle of health anxiety
Reduce reassurance-seeking behaviors
Tolerate uncertainty about health
Reframe catastrophic thinking
About two-thirds of patients improve with CBT.
Other treatment options
Mindfulness-based therapies
Psychodynamic therapy
Medication (in some cases)
Takeaway
Health anxiety: broad term for excessive worry about health
SSD: distressing physical symptoms + excessive focus on them
IAD: minimal symptoms + intense fear of illness
