Treating Health Anxiety and Fear of Death
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Never has our culture been more aware of personal and global health hazards, from both within and without. While most people may feel some anxiety in this regard, some have an unbearable sense of dread that prevents them from functioning.Chronic health anxiety—heightened fears of illness, disease, and death—is a central feature of hypochondriasis, of course, but can also present as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and other diagnoses. Treating Health Anxiety offers the professional reader not only an understanding of this condition, but also an easily implemented cognitive/behavioral program for reducing fear of illness, overcoming the fear of death, and getting more enjoyment from life, including:-Step-by-step coverage of the assessment process and therapy sessions-Patient worksheets and self-monitoring forms-Specific guidelines for treating health anxiety in children and the elderly-Strategies for handling impasses and setbacks -Up-to-date guide to pharmacotherapy for health anxiety.As media attention to health issues increases, client fears of illness won’t go away any time soon. Treating Health Anxiety gives prescribing and non-prescribing clinicians (as well as the counselors and social workers who encounter the problem) the tools to reduce both the fears and the medical costs that so often accompany them.
Understanding Health AnxietyFear of Illness and Death 3Etiological Factors 21A Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective 35Assessment and Treatment of Health AnxietyTreatment: What Are the Choices? 53Assessment 69Overview of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment 83Response Prevention and Coping with Physical Symptoms 95Exposure 113Cognitive Interventions 129Overcoming Fear of Death 147Satisfaction and Enjoyment of Life 161Pharmacological Treatment 175Troubleshooting and Special Issues in Treatment 185Special PopulationsHealth Anxiety and Somatization in Children 199Health Anxiety in Illness and Aging 213References 227Resources 249Author Index 253Subject Index 263
