What are the Symptoms of Hypochondria?
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Hypochondria is a very real condition for many people. It is a mental disorder experienced by both men and women. Hypochondriacs think that they are constantly experiencing medical illness, whether real or imagined. They also believe that any symptoms of illness that they have are attributable to serious medical ailments. Hypochondria can lead to severe anxiety in the sufferer and can also result in depression.
The symptoms of hypochondria usually follow a familiar pattern. The sufferer will develop an overpowering fear of illness. They have no control over this fear, and medical experts will not be able to reason with them.
The fear that hypochondria exerts is so great that any small ache or pain is treated as a major illness. The hypochondriac will think that the smallest pain can be attributed to an illness such as cancer or AIDS. The worry experienced by the sufferer is greatly out of proportion to the pain. A major symptom of hypochondria is the misdiagnosis of any slight ailment.
Recurrent visits to the doctor are often a sign of hypochondria. The sufferer may also change doctors if the doctor suspects hypochondria. The hypochondriac may begin to fear the doctor due to this diagnosis.
The worries of the hypochondriac can have severe ramifications in daily life. The hypochondriac may spend a lot of time away from work worrying about his or her imagined ill health. Anxiety levels increase due to this incessant worry, and real illnesses such as panic attacks and depression can be the result of hypochondria.
Many physical symptoms of illness can be triggered by hypochondria. Psycho-somatic symptoms may also be found in the condition. Many hypochondriacs are seriously concerned with their own death due to the condition, and many begin to make preparations for their death.
Another symptom of hypochondria is an obsessive need for information on diseases and illnesses. The hypochondriac will not believe the diagnoses of doctors and will try to find his or her own diagnosis of the perceived illness. Hypochondriacs spend a great a deal of the day worrying about their symptoms and talking to anyone who will listen to them about it.
Hypochondria affects at least 6% of people. Many people believe that bad posture is an explanation for hypochondria. The word hypochondria comes from Greek words meaning "below" and "the ribs". Hypochondria is a psychological problem that only professional treatment can cure.
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New: Discuss this ArticlePosted by: anon14416
My husband is a chronic complainer about his health. His imagined or real ailments always last much longer with him than with other people. I have suspected for years that he is simply a hypochondriac, but I am fearful of brushing aside something that might be a real symptom. He rarely contracts the ailment for which he complains of imagined symptoms. I am at my wits end. He gets mad at me for not taking his complaints seriously, but 30 years of it is a long time to deal with it. Is there any cure for this ailment? How long does it take? What is the cure rate? Thanks for any information you can share with me.
Posted by: corinne1961
Hi, I am a 47 year old female caring for an 83 year old grandmother. She has been labelled a "hypochondriac" since I can remember but has never been diagnosed as such. She not only constantly worries about everything from her scaly skin (it goes away when she uses lotion after bathing) to someone getting in her mailbox but also dramatizes about others and tries to connect a serious condition to them as well. Her Internal Medicine Doctor has confirmed that she has Osteoporosis and she has begun visiting a physical therapist, but throughout her life she has really been healthy. She has been on a handful of medications for bad nerves along with a few that are medically needed such as blood thinner and a diuretic for fluid retention, she also has a pacemaker. Her skin is fragile so it tears easily but this comes with old age, she however, blots the area thus keeping it bleeding (purposefully) to create a panic and get attention. My sister and I are beginning to think she may be bi-polar as well. This lady drives herself around, walks fine when she needs to (i.e. following the grocery store worker to find a product)and even the doctor says there is nothing else wrong with her (many times) Anyone experiencing these? She also has severe mood swings, one day she'll be all giddy and joking and in a split second turns into this evil person and says things that are nasty and mean and her body signals are threatening. Quite often brought on by her actions. Later, she will profusely apologize and say her nerves were getting the best of her and she doesn't know why she said or did those things. We're at our wits ends here in Grandma's land. anyone have advice???????? Thanks.
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