Hypochondria and COVID-19

Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

Sometimes, even the minuscule change in life leads to anxiety and depression for people. COVID-19 has caused a lasting impact on people’s physical as well as mental health. COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled a rise in a debilitating condition known as ‘hypochondria’- in which you have obsessive fears about health that become excessive.

Everyone feels a bit worried and anxious from time to time. These anxious thoughts help us recognize when we might encounter some kind of danger or hazard. Sometimes, anxious thoughts become problematic when we overvalue the possibility and severity of the threat as well as underestimate our ability to cope. This can result in overwhelming feelings and disrupt our lives.

Relationship between COVID-19 and Hypochondria

The pandemic has caused disaster in almost every aspect of human life. People have lost the lives of their loved ones, faced economic downturns, evictions, and loss of income. These have made the struggle during pandemics even more difficult for many people all over the globe. In the United States, more than 40 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and approximately 600,000 people have lost their lives to the virus.

A new post-COVID effect of the coronavirus across the country is “COVID Hypochondria.” Hypochondria is an anxiety disorder, which is a mental disorder in which a person has an overwhelming and intense fear that they have or will soon be diagnosed with a serious medical condition. There is a similar disorder known as Somatic Symptom Disorder, in which anxiety is caused due to symptoms that are already present. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought terrifying images of cramped hospitals, people on ventilators, and frantic doctors struggling to reach patients in front of us.

Hypochondria is categorized as below:

• Care-seeking: You may spend more time in a healthcare setting to seek advice from multiple specialists and request medical tests.
• Care-avoidant: You may avoid doctors and medical care. You might not trust doctors or you think they don’t take your symptoms seriously. This can create more fear and anxiety.

How Doctors Identify Hypochondria?

Doctors would identify certain symptoms of hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder that include:

• Avoiding people or places due to worry about catching the COVID-19 infection.
• Constantly researching COVID-19 symptoms.
• Exaggerating the symptoms as well as their severity such as cough as a sign of lung cancer.
• Increased level of anxiety about personal health.
• Obsession with monitoring normal body functions, like oxygen level and heart rate.
• Constantly share your symptoms and health status with doctors.
• Frequently checking for signs of COVID-19.
• Looking for reassurance from loved ones about your symptoms or health.
• Uneasiness with healthy body functions like shortness of breath or increased heart rate.

Managing Hypochondria around COVID-19

COVID-19 has effects on the respiratory system along with other organs of the body, including the brain. This is entirely normal for a person suffering from coronavirus infection to have feelings of stress or anxiety during the outbreak. But, if these feelings become obsessional and irrational, they can worsen the impact on a person’s mental health.

Some of the common obsessions of hypochondria and illness anxiety disorders can include:

• Over-thinking that cough must be a sign of lung cancer.
• Repetitively researching symptoms of illnesses.
• Asking for multiple doctor visits or calls, mostly on the same day, or for the same reason.
• Avoiding and cleaning certain objects as door handles thinking about contamination.
• Repeated checking of the body for symptoms of a COVID-19 infection.
• Denying going to the doctor for fear of receiving a diagnosis.

If you have hypochondria you may experience obsessions and anxieties more than usual during the COVID-19 outbreak. The healthcare provider would recommend people with hypochondria to follow these methods to cope with health anxiety:

• Maintain a diary of how obsessions present themselves, including your frequency of checking symptoms and calling doctors for reassurance as well as the frequency of their occurrence.
• Write balanced thoughts beside a list of health concerns.
• Keep yourself busy with other activities, like walking or calling a friend.
• Involve in activities that you have been avoiding due to health concerns, like gardening or jogging.
• Practice relaxation exercises, and mindfulness.

Your healthcare provider may work closely with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. This would help you manage the disorder in a better way. Along with help from a mental health professional, you will continue to receive regular care from your healthcare provider.

The mental health professional focus on improving quality of life by minimizing symptoms. The treatments would include:

• Antidepressants: These would help you feel less anxious and/or depressed.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): The professional will talk through your fears and anxieties and learn healthy ways to cope with them.

Symptoms that Require Medical Attention

Sometimes the symptoms you feel might indicate a serious condition. You should not always ignore the symptoms you feel. If you or someone you know is suffering from hypochondria or illness anxiety disorder can speak to a doctor or medical professional if they feel their health worries affect their quality of life. The doctor may provide medication for anxiety and provide information about psychological therapy.

Usually, people suffering from hypochondria are not at greater risk from COVID-19 itself. But, the stress and anxiety caused by hypochondria can cause concerning symptoms. As per the reports of 2016, researchers in the United States discovered that people with high levels of health anxiety had an increased risk of heart disease of about 70%.

If you are concerned about contracting COVID-19, you should be aware that the viral infection shares many symptoms with other conditions, such as the common cold.

Outlook

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread panic and uncertainty that has affected nearly every aspect of human life. The condition might worsen in the case of previously diagnosed anxiety disorders as well as others to suffer from new and overwhelming anxieties. Our team of caring and knowledgeable professionals will create a plan to help you take back control of your mental and emotional health. You would have access to a wide range of services to help tackle the effects of hypochondria. We also offer telehealth services to those who are concerned about coming into close contact with others.

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If you or anyone you know is suffering from the effects of Covid-19, our expert providers at Post Covid Centers will take care of your health and help you recover.

Call us on (469) 545-9983 to book a telehealth appointment for a home check-up.