Health Anxiety or Hypochondria

Health anxiety or hypochondria is a type of anxiety that affects the way people feel about their health. They often become obsessed with their own health, assuming every symptom, sore throat, headache, ache, or pain is due to a serious illness or disease. Dr. Marji Prefontaine treats this type of anxiety through different methods, including counseling, medication, and education about what hypochondria is.

The common symptoms of health anxiety or hypochondria include:

• Believing minor symptoms can lead to a serious illness.


• Seeing doctors repeatedly for these minor symptoms.


• Having intense anxiety about having a serious disease.


• Switching doctors often because the previous one did not provide a diagnosis.


• Doing health research on an obsessive level.


• Checking vital signs frequently.


• Checking your body for sores or lumps frequently.


• Thinking you have a disease you read about.

Here at Relationship Center of Albuquerque, we treat different types of anxiety, including health anxiety or hypochondria. It is a common occurrence, even though many individuals feel there is nothing wrong with them on a psychological level. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, call our office at 505-821-1948 to schedule an appointment.