Anxiety Disorder: How Prevalent an Illness?

[Vince Carter]

...this happens here on the forum...how can we help these guys? Can we help?

Illness anxiety disorder (IAD) is a recent term for what used to be diagnosed as hypochondriasis, or hypochondria. People diagnosed with IAD strongly believe they have a serious or life-threatening illness despite having no, or only mild, symptoms. Yet IAD patients’ concerns are to them very real. Even if they go to doctors and no illnesses are found, they are generally not reassured and their obsessive worry continues. IAD can also trigger worries in people who do have a physical illness that they are sicker than they really are. The disorder is not about the presence or absence of illness, but the psychological reaction.

 

[CoastWatcher]

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18% of the population suffers with an anxiety disorder. Less than half of those people receive any treatment.

https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics#

 

[Vince]

There's so many reasons why people have anxiety, I'm sure it's super hard to cure or treat.

 

[Saul]

Sounds like another name for hypochondria. I wonder why they renamed it? Maybe they want to call everything a disorder to keep it uniform. To me, it does not sound like anxiety at all. It sounds more like the people believe they have an illness when they don't, or that they are sicker than they are. Neither of these has anything to do with anxiety in my opinion. I could cause or trigger anxiety in some people, but the underlying issue is not anxiety but a false belief.

To the OP, IMO, this is a good web site.

https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/anxiety.htm

 

[Vince]

I believe worry can cause anxiety. When you worry I can cause so many problems, I would think the major one would be lost of sleep.

 

[Jinzang]

As I've suggested before, meditation works well for anxiety, but it's not a quick fix. Breathing exercises also work well, and quickly, but should be taught by someone who knows what they are doing, because if they're done incorrectly can cause problems.

 

[Vince Carter]

Sounds like another name for hypochondria. I wonder why they renamed it? Maybe they want to call everything a disorder to keep it uniform. To me, it does not sound like anxiety at all. It sounds more like the people believe they have an illness when they don't, or that they are sicker than they are. Neither of these has anything to do with anxiety in my opinion. I could cause or trigger anxiety in some people, but the underlying issue is not anxiety but a false belief.

This is where I was headed with this, Saul. By the time some one has a laundry list of symptoms but no labs to back anything up, no medical diagnosis, no medical condition, it was called Hypocondria. But my observation on the forum is that its more and more prevalent, this Illness Anxiety Disorder....there's a subset here that everything they read is a new problem they have. It's really tough, frustrating, trying to reach and help them when they're in this state of mind.

 

[Saul]

This is where I was headed with this, Saul. By the time some one has a laundry list of symptoms but no labs to back anything up, no medical diagnosis, no medical condition, it was called Hypocondria. But my observation on the forum is that its more and more prevalent, this Illness Anxiety Disorder....there's a subset here that everything they read is a new problem they have. It's really tough, frustrating, trying to reach and help them when they're in this state of mind.

I agree. There is great advice given on this forum regarding what to do, or what test to run, or that they they are fine and not to worry, but they don't give it up. Maybe a sticky (like we need another) that helps them understand that they are displaying possible IAD. Sometimes it does help to have other point out to you, in a nice way, that your concerns are unfounded and continued concern is out of the ordinary.

 

[sting]

Does TRT effect it one way or another ?

 

[CoastWatcher]

Does TRT effect it one way or another ?

TRT can certainly mitigate some symptoms of anxiety, as well as depression.

 

[Jinzang]

Anxiety can be a symptom of low testosterone, but not all anxiety is caused by low testosterone. For example, Noah has one of the most widely followed channels on TRT on YouTube suffers from anxiety and depression, but the TRT did not resolve it. Please don't think that TRT will resolve every issue that can be connected with low testosterone. In my case, I suffered from insomnia before I went on TRT and still do.

I also want to say that there are non-drug methods for dealing with anxiety that work as well or better than the commonly prescribed drugs. Vigorous exercise is one and there are others. I'm not saying drugs should never be used, but non-drug methods should be tried first.