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We all have concerns about our health which can be hard to get off our minds. If these thoughts become severe, it could signal a condition such as hypochondriasis or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

How Hypochondriasis and OCD Differ

There are several differences between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and hypochondriasis. Some of the more common differences include are listed here.

Focus on Obsessions vs Specific Concerns

The biggest difference between OCD and hypochondriasis is the focus of the person’s worry and anxiety. People with OCD haveobsessionsthat relate to a variety of themes, such as contamination, sexuality, religion, personal harm, or morals.

In contrast, people withhypochondriasishave obsession-like concerns primarily related to their health. These concerns often have to do with developing a serious medical condition, such as cancer. (Nosophobia, or “cyberchondria,” is the fear of having aspecificdisease.)

Preoccupation With Physical Sensations

People with hypochondriasis are often preoccupied or even consumed with bodily symptoms that can be quite vague, like “my heart is tired," or very specific, such as “my throat is always sore." People with OCD are generally less preoccupied with physical sensations.

Type of Help Sought: Medical vs. Psychological

Awareness and Insight

In general, people with hypochondriasis have less awareness orinsightas to the irrationality of their fears than people with OCD. A person with OCD will often seek psychological treatment after recognizing the symptoms. A person with hypochondriasis, in contrast, will often have a medical professional recommend psychological treatment.

How Hypochondriasis and OCD Are Similar

Though the differences between OCD and hypochondriasis exceed the similarities, there are some characteristics that remain similar between the two. Important similarities are listed below.

Ways of Reducing Anxiety

OCD and Excessive Reassurance Seeking

Impact on Life, Relationships, and Work

For both those who are living with OCD and those with hypochondriasis, the distress and worry are often so intense that there is a severe impact on interpersonal relationships and/or performance at school or work.

Safety Behaviors

Whether a person has OCD or hypochondriasis, safety behaviors, such as checking or seeking reassurance, are used to prevent a feared outcome, or to reduce distress and anxiety. The safety behaviors feel good and are therefore used again and again.

Safety behaviors actually maintain the fear and anxiety they are supposed to prevent because they keep the person from having new experiences that could help disprove their worries. For example, constantly running to the doctor for reassurance at the first sign of a stomachache does not allow a person with hypochondriasis to learn that dangerous symptoms often go away on their own.

For someone with OCD, constantly ordering shirts in the closet to prevent the death of a loved one will never allow them to learn that their loved one will be OK despite having not performed the ritual. For this reason,psychological therapiesfor both OCD and hypochondriasis specifically target these kinds of rituals and compulsions.

A Word From Verywell

Only a qualified mental health professional shoulddiagnosea complex illness, such as OCD or hypochondriasis. Extensive assessment is often required to arrive at the correct diagnosis. The treatment you receive is very much tied to your diagnosis, so it is essential that you are diagnosed correctly.

If you feel that you are experiencing symptoms of either OCD or hypochondriasis, speak with your family doctor or a mental health professional.

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1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis).Additional ReadingRomero-Sanchiz, P., Nogueira-Arjona, R., Godoy-Avila, A., Gavino-Lazaro, A., and M. Freeston.Differences in Clinical Intrusive Thoughts Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Hypochondria.Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.Stein, D., Kogan, C., Atmaca, M. et al.The Classification of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the ICD-11.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:663-74.Torres, A., Fontenelle, L., Shavitt, R., et al.Comorbidity Variation in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder According to Symptom Dimensions: Results from a Large Multicentre Clinical Sample.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:508-16.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis).Additional ReadingRomero-Sanchiz, P., Nogueira-Arjona, R., Godoy-Avila, A., Gavino-Lazaro, A., and M. Freeston.Differences in Clinical Intrusive Thoughts Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Hypochondria.Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.Stein, D., Kogan, C., Atmaca, M. et al.The Classification of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the ICD-11.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:663-74.Torres, A., Fontenelle, L., Shavitt, R., et al.Comorbidity Variation in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder According to Symptom Dimensions: Results from a Large Multicentre Clinical Sample.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:508-16.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cleveland Clinic.Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis).

Romero-Sanchiz, P., Nogueira-Arjona, R., Godoy-Avila, A., Gavino-Lazaro, A., and M. Freeston.Differences in Clinical Intrusive Thoughts Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Hypochondria.Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.Stein, D., Kogan, C., Atmaca, M. et al.The Classification of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the ICD-11.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:663-74.Torres, A., Fontenelle, L., Shavitt, R., et al.Comorbidity Variation in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder According to Symptom Dimensions: Results from a Large Multicentre Clinical Sample.Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016. 190:508-16.

Romero-Sanchiz, P., Nogueira-Arjona, R., Godoy-Avila, A., Gavino-Lazaro, A., and M. Freeston.Differences in Clinical Intrusive Thoughts Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Hypochondria.Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.

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