Excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness, disproportionate to any symptoms or medical findings. Also called illness anxiety disorder. Health anxiety is particularly common following life-threatening events such as cardiac arrest, and in people living with chronic conditions such as heart disease. For ICD patients, health anxiety can manifest as excessive monitoring of physical sensations, repeatedly checking the device, fear of every palpitation or twinge, frequent attendance at A&E, and difficulty trusting that the ICD is functioning correctly. Health anxiety exists on a spectrum — some degree of heightened awareness after a cardiac arrest is normal and expected — but when it significantly affects quality of life, psychological treatment such as CBT is effective.
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