Find a therapist for illness anxiety disorder (IAD) or hypochondria

IAD is characterised by a preoccupation with illness that is disproportionate to actual physical symptoms and does not ease with reassurance.

Common signs

• Persistent conviction of having or being at risk of a serious illness, despite medical testing or reassurance
• Intense anxiety triggered by reading about illness, hearing about others being sick, or noticing minor bodily changes
• Repeated medical consultations, multiple opinions, or extensive testing that provides only brief relief
• Conversely, complete avoidance of doctors, hospitals, or health-related information out of fear of what might be found
• Significant time spent researching symptoms, which typically increases rather than reduces anxiety
• The preoccupation shifting from one illness concern to another once a specific fear is addressed

Other common experiences

• Difficulty being reassured by clear medical results
• Impact on relationships, as others cannot provide the level of reassurance needed
• Co-occurring anxiety disorders or OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

Only a qualified mental health professional can assess whether these experiences meet the criteria for illness anxiety disorder and distinguish it from health anxiety, somatic symptom disorder, or OCD.

IAD responds well to structured psychological treatment, particularly approaches that target reassurance-seeking and the underlying intolerance of uncertainty about health.

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) CBT for IAD addresses the specific thoughts, checking, and reassurance-seeking behaviours that maintain the preoccupation, using exposure and response prevention to reduce compulsive patterns.
• ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) ACT helps build a different relationship with uncertainty about health, reducing the drive to seek certainty through repeated checking or medical visits.
• Mindfulness Mindfulness-based approaches build the capacity to notice health-related thoughts without immediately escalating them, reducing the automatic spiral from physical sensation to catastrophic interpretation.
• Schema therapy Schema therapy is useful when IAD is rooted in deeper core beliefs about vulnerability or danger, working at a more foundational level than symptom-focused approaches alone.

Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched.

It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set. Illness anxiety disorder can make the process of reaching out for help feel like another source of worry. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself. Get matched with a therapist who specialises in illness anxiety disorder, or browse the directory.