Health Anxiety Self-Check Checklist for Identifying Illness Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Health Anxiety Self-Check

This brief checklist helps you spot patterns of health-related worry like those in Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD).
For education only — not a diagnosis.
Think back over the past 6 months.
For each statement, pick how often it’s true for you:
0 = Never | 1 = Rarely | 2 = Often | 3 = Almost always
Crisis? Call 988 (U.S.) or go to the nearest ER.

Illness Preoccupation

  • 1. I keep thinking I might have a serious illness.
  • 2. When I feel a normal body ache, I assume it’s something dangerous.
  • 3. Reassurance from doctors only calms me for a short time.
  • 4. Even without symptoms, I fear hidden disease is growing inside me.

Health Anxiety & Alarm

  • 5. Health-related news or ads make me feel panicky.
  • 6. I notice small body sensations that others ignore.
  • 7. Worry about my health makes it hard to relax.
  • 8. I feel tense or on edge because of thoughts about illness.

Checking Behaviors

  • 9. I examine parts of my body multiple times a day.
  • 10. I google symptoms to see what disease I might have.
  • 11. I ask friends or family for health reassurance over and over.
  • 12. I seek medical tests even when doctors say I’m fine.

Avoidance Behaviors

  • 13. I avoid hospitals or clinics so I won’t hear bad news.
  • 14. I skip routine check-ups out of fear they’ll find something.
  • 15. I avoid people who are sick so I won’t “catch” their illness.
  • 16. I stay away from health-related TV shows, articles, or websites.

Persistence & Impact

  • 17. These worries have lasted at least six months.
  • 18. My health concerns distract me from work or school.
  • 19. My relationships suffer because I focus on illness.
  • 20. I’ve stopped enjoyable activities because of fear about my health.
Educational use only. This checklist cannot diagnose or replace a professional evaluation.
Privacy: Your responses stay on this device.
If you feel unsafe, call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.

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Disclaimer: The resources available on Therapist Aid do not replace therapy and are intended to be educational and informational in nature. These tools are intended to supplement treatment, and are not a replacement for counseling, therapy, or other treatment by appropriately trained and licensed professionals.

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