Understanding Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD)

Do you constantly worry about suffering from a serious medical condition? You may be suffering from an illness anxiety disorder or IAD. This mental health condition can make you anxious and fearful of having a serious disease or developing one in the future. It can affect children and adults and get in the way of normal day-to-day activities. Read on to know more.

What is Illness Anxiety disorder?

IAD refers to a psychiatric disorder that causes excessive fear and anxiety about having or developing a serious disease. People with IAD opt for frequent physical examinations and worry constantly, even if their medical reports are normal. Even if they have no or minimum somatic symptoms, they pay excess attention to normal sensations in the body and misunderstand them as symptoms of a serious disease. This mental health condition is chronic in nature and may require psychotherapy and lifestyle modifications.

Symptoms of IAD include:

• Checking blood pressure, body temperature, etc., multiple times daily

• Avoiding medical tests and evaluation, fearing the outcome

• Being excessively cautious about health

• Feeling overly anxious noticing one or more symptoms of a disease

• Being anxious about getting diagnosed with a medical condition for more than six months

• Increase in anxiety or fear of a worse outcome. For example, a patient who was earlier anxious about suffering from high blood pressure may suddenly start fearing about suffering from a more serious medical condition, such as kidney disease.

What is the DSM-5 classification of anxiety disorders?

According to DSM-5 or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, these are the classifications of anxiety disorders —

1. Panic disorder

This is one of the most common mental health issues among kids and adults. A person diagnosed with panic disorder experiences extreme fear and anxiety during certain trying situations. He/she may also feel fearful and uncomfortable even during normal situations, i.e., when no obvious triggers exist. Some common symptoms include nausea, dizziness, rapid breathing, abdominal pain, fear of losing control, sweating, chills, etc.

2. Separation anxiety disorder

SAD is a mental health condition characterised by the fear of getting separated from a loved one. The condition can lead to sleeplessness, eating disorders, depression, panic attacks and other health issues. SAD can also make it difficult to go about normal day-to-day activities, such as studying or working.

3. Specific phobia

This is a condition in which a person feels anxious when exposed to something they fear. For example, some people have a phobia of animals, while others fear undergoing certain medical procedures.

4. Selective mutism

Some people, especially children, find it difficult to speak in certain social situations. The condition requires timely medical attention to prevent it from lasting into adulthood.

5. Social phobia

Also known as social anxiety disorder, social phobia is a condition in which a person feels extremely anxious during social interactions. People with social phobia tend to avoid social events for fear of interaction. This can have an impact on their work and relationships. Social phobia in children can affect their performance in school and extra-curricular activities.

6. Agoraphobia

This condition causes fear and anxiety in certain places and situations. For example, a person with agoraphobia may not want to leave their house or be in crowded places. Agoraphobia can also cause fear of travelling, being around strangers, using the elevator, going to movie theatres, etc. It can lead to extreme anxiety and panic attacks.

7. Generalised anxiety disorder

GAD is a mental health condition that makes a person fearful or anxious about everyday challenges. They are unable to control their worrying nature, and as a result, the condition usually lasts for several months to years. GAD can lead to concentration issues and affect the quality of life.

8. Substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder

Some people experience extreme levels of anxiety after taking drugs, alcohol or medication. This is called substance or medical-induced anxiety disorder. While some people experience this condition when intoxicated, it can occur during the withdrawal phase for others.

9. Anxiety due to a medical condition

If a medical condition causes excessive anxiety and panic attacks, it is called anxiety due to a medical condition. In this case, anxiety and panic attacks are the symptoms of a particular medical condition or physical health problem a person has been diagnosed with.

10. Other specified and unspecified anxiety disorders

These terms are used for phobias that don’t meet the full criteria for an anxiety disorder. However, the fears or phobias can be distressing enough to require medical attention.