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 fear of death, and getting more enjoyment from life, including:Step-by-step coverage of the assessment process and therapy sessionsClient worksheets and self-monitoring formsSpecific guidelines for treating health anxiety in children and the elderlyStrategies for handling impasses and setbacksUp-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.

Acknowledgments and Preface PART I: UNDERSTANDING HEALTH ANXIETY Chapter 1. Fear of Illness and Death Chapter 2. Etiological Factors Chapter 3. A Cognitive Behavioral Perspective PART II: ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF HEALTH ANXIETY Chapter 4. Treatment of Health Anxiety: What Are the Choices? Chapter 5. Assessment and Diagnostic Issues Chapter 6. Overview of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Chapter 7. Response Prevention and Coping with Physical Symptoms Chapter 8. Exposure to Feared Illnesses and Symptoms Chapter 9. Cognitive Interventions Chapter 10. Overcoming Fear of Death Chapter 11. Satisfaction and Enjoyment of Life Chapter 12. Pharmacological Treatment Chapter 13. Troubleshooting and Coping with Setbacks PART III: SPECIAL POPULATIONS Chapter 14. Health Anxiety and Somatization in Children Chapter 15. Health Anxiety in Illness and Aging REFERENCES