I’ve been meaning to write a post about this for months. I encourage people with anxiety about becoming ill to contact me and discuss treatment.
I’m seeing an increase in MS concerns after Selma Blair courageously began posting her story on Instagram.
Symptoms of health and illness anxiety (historically referred to as hypochondria) include:
Often, people will not seek help for the condition because it typically does not interfere with their ability to function in daily life and is seen by family and friends as a quirk. Much of the intense emotional pain happens in one’s mind. In mild cases, rituals and googling can be under or around an hour a day. If more severe, a person will spend the majority of the day googling health fears and symptoms.