Hypochondriac

Everyone worries about their health at times, but for some people, fears of being ill are so strong, even when they are in good health, that they find it hard to cope with their everyday life.

Someone who lives in fear of having a serious illness, despite medical tests never finding anything wrong, may have somatic symptom disorder, also known as illness anxiety disorder. The condition has also been known by other names, including hypochondria, or hypochondriasis.

Hypochondria or somatic symptom disorder is a persistent fear or belief that one has a serious, undiagnosed medical illness. It is a disorder is a mental health condition where a person worries excessively that they are sick, to the point where the anxiety itself is debilitating. Worrying about health becomes an illness.

Hypochondriac / Somatic symptom disorder is a chronic condition. How severe it is can depend on age, a person’s tendency to worry, and how much stress they are facing.

Symptoms

1. Fearing normal functions – for a person with hypochondria, normal bodily functions, such as heartbeats, sweating, and bowel movements can seem like symptoms of a serious illness or condition.

2. Fear of minor abnormalities – a runny nose, slightly swollen lymph nodes, or a small sore, can feel like serious problems.

3. Checking – regularly checking the body for signs of illness.

Hypochondria’s focus depends on the individual:

• Some people’s attention may focus on one particular organ, such as the lungs.
• They may just focus on one disease, such as cancer.
• Regularly talking about illness – somatic symptom disorder might cause people to talk excessively about their health.
• Doctor visits – they may make frequent visits to their physician.
• Infatuation – they can spend a lot of time searching the Internet for symptoms of possible illnesses.
• No relief from test results – if tests come back negative, the person may find no relief. In fact, it can make things even worse – the patient’s fears grow that no one believes them, and that the problem might never be successfully diagnosed and treated.
• Avoiding the doctor – some individuals with the disorder avoid medical attention through fear of finding out that they have a serious illness.
• Avoidance – they may avoid people, places, and activities that they believe could pose a health risk.

An overwhelming fear of disease that lasts for more than 6 months can be a sign of somatic symptom disorder.

Causes Of Hypochondriac

Having a related psychological disorder, such as OCD or depression, increases the risk of somatic symptom disorder.

The exact causes are not known, but certain factors are probably involved:

1. Belief – a misunderstanding of physical sensations, linked with a misunderstanding of how the body works.

2. Family – people who have a close relative with hypochondria are more likely to develop it themselves.

3. Personal history – people who have had bad health experiences in the past may be more prone to develop a disproportionate fear of growing ill again.

4. Links to other conditions – other psychiatric disorders have been linked to somatic symptom disorder. A high percentage of patients with hypochondria also have major depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder.

A person with hypochondria can spend months or years worrying about being ill, but they may also spend long periods in between not thinking about it. Patients whose disorder is transient are less likely to have psychiatric problems or severe anxiety disorder, and more likely to have medical issues.

Recovery is more common among people with a higher socio-economic status. If a patient has depression or anxiety, and these respond well to treatment, they, too, are more likely to see a good outcome.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine and paroxetine, can be helpful in treating hypochondria.

CBT can help the patient to rationalize their fears, and SSRIs can reduce the level of anxiety through medication.

Thank you for reading.