Cyberchondria is a disorder in which a person searches excessively for health care information online, but rather than finding relief for their concerns, diagnoses themselves with a terrible disease and then feels more anxious. The distress caused by the preoccupation is intense enough to cause time lost from work or social obligations.
The disorder is similar to what used to be called Hypochondria. Hypochondriasis is no longer a diagnosis according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Instead, approximately 75% of individuals previously diagnosed with hypochondriasis are considered to have the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder. The remaining 25% have high health anxiety in the absence of somatic symptoms and are classified as having illness anxiety disorder.1
In cyberchondria, there is a preoccupation with having an illness and persistent concerns about one’s health. Medical exams by health professionals and diagnostic tests do not provide adequate assurance of good health. It is not uncommon to have an underlying mental health problem, such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression.
Signs of Cyberchondria
A key feature of cyberchondria is that the person worries about having a serious illness in spite of having minimal or no symptoms.
People with cyberchondria exhibit five characteristic traits:2
- A compulsive, unwanted searching for information
- Distress caused by the searching behavior, including worry and panic
- Excessive time used to search online
- Seeking reassurance from a qualified person or source
- Mistrust of medical professionals whose advice could be obtained in person
Typical signs that you might be experiencing cyberchondria include:4
- Your actual symptoms are minor or even absent
- You spend several hours per day searching online for information about minor health related symptoms that you’re experiencing
- You are fearful of having at least one serious illness, and possibly several
- Searching online causes you more fear and anxiety instead of relief
- You experience an increase in heart rate or sweating or other anxiety-related symptoms when searching
- You jump to the worst conclusions about your health condition
- You may have a minor harmless health condition which has been diagnosed, such as a benign cyst, but you worry excessively about the condition.
- You assume that what you find online is accurate and truthful.
When there are significant somatic symptoms, cyberchondria would not be the correct diagnosis. In the case of significant symptoms without a known medical cause, the diagnosis would likely be Somatic Symptom Disorder.3
Causes & Triggers for Cyberchondria
There are various causes and triggers for cyberchondria, ranging from single traumatic events to chronic unmanaged stress. It is estimated that in the US, up to 9% of the population has had some degree of anxiety related to physical symptoms. As many as 20% have anxiety about their health, regardless of symptoms.5
Common causes and triggers of cyberchondria include:3
- Being prone to worrying in general—roughly 71% of those with cyberchondria also have a Generalized Anxiety Disorder5
- Past trauma or tragedy, whether chronic or acute
- Chronic unmanaged stress
- Having a close relative (parent, sibling) with Cyberchondria or Illness Anxiety Disorder
- Heightened awareness of bodily sensations
- Personal or family history of serious illness
- Negative experience with a medical professional which led to lack of trust or confidence in physicians
- Any major life stressor
- History of having a serious illness, even if recovered from that illness
- Needing more attention from family or friends
6 Strategies for Coping With Cyberchondria
Coping with cyberchondria requires some self-compassion and a willingness to respond in a new way to health anxiety. Professional help is available for those with persistent or frequent symptoms or excessive anxiety. In addition to considering professional help, there are a number of coping skills that are helpful in getting through an episode of cyberchondria.
Here are six coping strategies that work well for those with cyberchondria:
1. Avoid Self-Shaming
Many individuals with cyberchondria feel embarrassed or ashamed about their tendency to believe that they have a serious illness. This embarrassment can worsen the anxiety and even exacerbate the physical, stress-related symptoms.
2. Be Compassionate to Yourself
Your health related fears come from anxiety that may be deep-seated and long-term. Such fears can be difficult to understand but they are valid feelings.
3. Practice Relaxation Skills
Effective relaxation skills can be self-taught. These include deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, and muscle-tension relaxation exercises.
4. Challenge Your Thoughts About Being Ill
Write down your concern and then write down the evidence against this concern.
5. Talk to Your Physician
Talk to your doctor about your concerns and the anxiety you experience. Get a medical opinion if your concerns persist rather than jump to conclusions about the worst case scenarios.
6. See the Bigger Picture
Realize that there is a lot of misleading information online. Some of it is actually presented in a way to grab your attention and increase your fear.
When & How to Get Professional Help
Cyberchondria can be diagnosed and treated by various healthcare professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. The person should start with their primary care physician in order to rule out underlying physical causes. There may be a referral to a medical specialist if the physician notes any significant symptoms.
It is possible to have cyberchondria as well as a legitimate medical condition. This could occur when the person’s anxiety about the medical condition is out of proportion to the seriousness of the illness.
After addressing any presenting symptoms, the primary care physician will likely refer the person to a mental health specialist. That provider will make recommendations about the form of therapy that will be helpful.
How to Get Help for a Loved One
When a loved one suffers from cyberchondria, it may be helpful to provide information which reduces their embarrassment about their health anxiety. Many people with cyberchondria feel shame or embarrassment which only worsens their level of anxiety. You might also help to encourage them to get help from a mental health provider, and offer your assistance in doing that.
Here are some tips for getting help for a loved one with cyberchondria:
- Encourage them to speak to their primary care physician about their symptoms.
- Encourage them to get help from a mental health professional for their anxiety.
- Offer them assistance in finding a qualified therapist to work with them.
- Offer to remind them of appointments with the therapist.
- Acknowledge that searching for some medical information online is a normal behavior
- PEW data shows that 61% of the population has done some searching online. 6 However, for some of those individuals. the level of anxiety is excessive and could be better managed
- Acknowledge that excessive online searching makes anxiety worse and can be managed with help
Common Co-Occurring Disorders
The treatment of cyberchondria is complicated by the fact that about two-thirds of people with this type of disorder are likely to have at least one other psychological disorder.3
Common coexisting disorders that occur alongside cyberchondria include:
- Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosis
- Certain Personality Disorders (Borderline, Histrionic).
Therapy Options for Cyberchondria & Underlying Conditions
Research has been done to determine the effectiveness of psychotherapy for the symptom identified as “health anxiety.” The following are some types of therapy which have been identified as effective treatments for health anxiety.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) has been demonstrated to be a useful addition to “usual services” for patients with health anxiety. Patients who participated in MBCT in addition to usual services showed significantly lower health anxiety than those who received only the usual services. This improvement was apparent immediately after treatment and also at a one year follow-up assessment.7
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy has been shown to be helpful in learning to respond appropriately to harmless or ambiguous signals from one’s body. Clients learn distraction techniques to help them refocus on thoughts unrelated to their health anxiety or symptoms. They also learn relaxation techniques to manage the anxiety and its physical manifestations.8
Medication
Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been helpful in managing the obsessive thoughts involved in Cyberchondria and Illness Anxiety Disorder. The basis for this treatment is the similarity between Cyberchondria/ Illness Anxiety Disorder and OCD. The same medications which are helpful in treating OCD may be helpful in reducing the obsessive and compulsive aspects of cyberchondria.9
Cyberchondria Statistics
The following statistics were taken from healthresearchfunding.org and were based upon a study of hypochondriasis.4 Although this is an outdated term currently, the statistics provide an overview of the prevalence and nature of health related anxiety.
Consider the following statistics regarding cyberchondria:
- The cost of unnecessary medical exams and diagnostic tests in the US alone has been estimated at $20 billion per year
- Up to 20% of the US population demonstrates some degree of health anxiety during their lifetimes
- 71% of people with Cyberchondria/ Illness Anxiety Disorder also have a Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- 45.2% of people with severe health related anxiety also have a Persistent Depressive Disorder
- 16.7% of people with severe health related anxiety also have Panic Disorder
- The prevalence of severe health related anxiety is roughly equal for men and women
- Signs of high health related anxiety usually begin in early adulthood
- 61% of US residents have searched for medical information online at some point in their lives
For Further Reading
The following sources provide information that is specific to Cyberchondria or to the very similar condition, Illness Anxiety Disorder:
Cyberchondria Infographics
