When a physical sign is present in Illness Anxiety Disorder, it is typically:

• A. An objectively abnormal neurological finding
• B. A non-specific yet serious symptom
• C. A normal physiological sensation, benign and self-limited dysfunction, or bodily discomfort not generally indicative of disease
• D. A major autoimmune marker

Answer: (C)

Illness Anxiety Disorder centers on worry about health rather than actual disease, so when a physical sign is present, it is usually not evidence of a real illness. The typical pattern is a normal physiological sensation or a benign, self-limited bodily discomfort that does not indicate disease. This reflects the core issue in the disorder: misinterpreting ordinary body signals as signs of serious illness. The other options point to objective disease markers or serious medical findings, which are not typical of this condition.