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A cognitive-behavioral model of illness anxiety. A feedback loop of thoughts of being sick and safety behaviors (avoidance or reassurance-seeking) causes worsening of illness anxiety over time. Cognitive, exposure, and behavioral therapies as well as strong therapeutic alliance can break the cycle and improve symptoms.
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We also introduced a simple cognitive model of illness anxiety (Figure 1): her fears of being sick or experiencing serious medication side effects made her anxious, so she either avoided the problem (e.g., by refusing medications) or sought reassurance, and the reward of her short-term relief only made her original thoughts stronger.
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