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Hypochondriasis
A somatoform disorder characterized by chronic preoccupation and concern with one's physical health, often resulting in imagined illness or disease. The preoccupation is based on the misinterpretation of one or more bodily signs or symptoms and is more cognitively based than a conversion disorder. The preoccupation does not reach delusional intensity but generally persists despite medical evaluation and reassurance. Hypochondriasis is often viewed as an “obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder” because individuals are preoccupied or “obsessed” with an imagined illness, which creates high levels of anxiety, leading to a compulsive need for medical reassurance. Techniques used for treating obsessive-compulsive disorders are also effective for treating hypochondriasis. The prevalence of hypo-chondriasis is estimated to range between 4% and 9% in those seeking outpatient medical treatment, and it typically ...