Hypochondria: what is it in simple words?
Hypochondria or hypochondriacal syndrome is a mental disorder due to which a person plunges into a specific state and feels the symptoms of a particular disease. A person suffering from hypochondriacal disorder is constantly afraid of discovering one or another progressive disease.
A hypochondriac's illnesses vary from doctor's appointment to appointment or from time to time. And although qualified and practicing doctors convince such a person that he does not have this disease, the victim of hypochondriacal disorder continues to feel sick.
Hypochondria itself can be considered as an independent disease or as one of many symptoms that occur in many other disorders and diseases. If you believe statistics from open sources, then in one form or another, hypochondriacal syndrome as an independent disease is observed in almost 10% of the inhabitants of our planet.
American experts claim that about 20% of the world's population are familiar with the condition of hypochondria firsthand.
The results of a survey conducted by the American specialized publication Health indicate that 30–32% of people who sought help from doctors were not found to have any problems with physical health.
Among the same people who systematically call an ambulance, about 6–8% are victims of an already confirmed hypochondriacal disorder.
Many hypochondriacs, without observing any symptoms of a particular disease, sincerely believe that they still have this disease, it is just completely asymptomatic. If such people take tests and see negative results, then they begin to think that some kind of error occurred due to the fault of the doctor or laboratory workers. In some cases, victims of hypochondriasis are able to induce in themselves the symptoms of the disease, the presence of which they do not doubt.
Hypochondria affects both men and women equally, as this mental disorder does not favor one gender. Most often, the victims of hypochondriacal syndrome are anxious and very sensitive people with an easily excitable nervous system, who monitor their health too carefully. Hypochondria is often combined with mental illnesses such as panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, etc.
Being a somatization disorder, hypochondria is reversible, so with the right approach you can get rid of it. But we should not forget that constant testing takes a significant toll on the budget, and the body of a person in a hypochondriacal state undergoes real changes, which sooner or later cause serious disruptions in its normal functioning.
What will the doctor do with me?
It all depends on the severity of the disorder.
Ekaterina Dombrovskaya
Member of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists.
Mild forms of hypochondria are perfectly treated with psychotherapy. For severe illness and concomitant disorders, a psychiatrist may prescribe medications, usually antidepressants.
If medications are not needed, treatment will consist of psychotherapy sessions. For example, like this:
- Rational therapy - the psychotherapist appeals to the patient’s logic, convincingly convinces him of the absence of diseases, and points out errors in thinking.
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy - the psychotherapist teaches the patient to think and behave correctly, offers strategies for getting rid of fear.
- Biofeedback - using technology, the patient is provided with information about his physiological processes in real time. Based on the indicators, he learns to cope with his symptoms. For example, by learning to relax your muscles, you can overcome a panic state.
- Non-directive hypnosis is the introduction of the patient into a special state of consciousness. The person continues to perceive reality, but the focus shifts to internal experiences.
- Autotraining is self-relief of nervous and muscle tension through self-hypnosis techniques.
According to Dmitry Ferapontov, this is not an exhaustive list. A psychotherapist can use anything that will help the patient cope with negative thoughts and problems in different areas of life.
Alexey Karachinsky
Psychotherapist, author of the Telegram channel “Diary of a Psychotherapist”.
When we find solutions to real problems, hypochondria goes away. For many, this is an insight: “But I thought it was just my arm hurting or my heart pounding!”
Why does hypochondriacal disorder occur?
Psychotherapist Alexey Karachinsky argues that hypochondriacal syndrome should be considered as a consequence, and not as a cause. Although the impetus for the development of this insidious illness may be the death of a relative or loved one, a previously suffered serious illness or some other traumatic event, most often the true reason is hidden precisely in what worries and constantly worries the individual: problems in his personal life, unresolved work issues, difficulties in interacting with other members of society, fear of the past or future, etc.
Due to the fears and worries experienced, the psyche turns on a defense mechanism. A person, forgetting about the true problem, begins to experience fear of death. He constantly looks for symptoms of a variety of diseases and devotes almost all his personal time to this activity. All the thoughts of such a person are occupied only with the search for the next symptoms of the next disease.
For some people, hypochondria is an unconscious attempt to escape from troubles in their personal life or at work, responsibility for their own actions, unpleasant, boring or overly intrusive interlocutors. A person suffering from hypochondriacal disorder gets the opportunity to justify his reluctance to make adult decisions, take responsibility, perform reasonable and adequate actions, etc. In this case, a typical hypochondriac thinks like this: “How can I start looking for a normal job if I am constantly sick? I simply don’t have enough health for all this!”
What's wrong with you?
- Well, where did you get this from? It seems like everything is fine with you...
— My health has been failing me lately. I get scared.
In fact, everything is fine, nothing bad is happening. However, a constant stream of thoughts about health and its deterioration can haunt a person most of the time. This is called hypochondria. The word comes from ancient Greek and means “hypochondrium.” Since ancient times, this word has been used to describe a somatic disorder that occurs precisely in the area under the ribs. Over time, the word acquired its current meaning. If a person is fixated on his body, always inventing illnesses for himself, while not having problems (at least significant ones), he is a hypochondriac.
The main symptoms of hypochondriacal syndrome
If we consider hypochondria from a medical point of view, then to diagnose this mental disorder it is necessary that a person for 5–6 months has a persistent and sincere conviction that he has at least two or three serious physical diseases. The fact that a person has become a victim of hypochondriacal syndrome is also evidenced by the fact that during all this time he steadfastly refuses to accept evidence and assurances from doctors that he does not have these diseases. The hypochondriac constantly suffers and experiences a state of social maladjustment.
What other symptoms indicate that a person is a hypochondriac? This is a systematic malaise, diagnosis via the Internet, constant visits to the doctor without any objective need or complete avoidance of people in white coats, fear of developing inherited diseases, fear of communicating with sick people, too careful hygiene, desire to remove something from yourself (wisdom tooth, appendix, etc.) just for prevention, having a huge first aid kit, fear of death. Let's look at each of these symptoms in more detail!
✚ Systematic malaise
A hypochondriac constantly has something hurting, itching, aching, pulling, inflamed, itching, flaking, etc. In all this, the victim of hypochondriasis sees a symptom of some serious and incurable disease. If such a person coughs, he will automatically think that he is developing severe pneumonia. Such people mistake an ordinary headache for a fourth stage brain tumor, and intercostal neuralgia in the eyes of hypochondriacs turns into a pre-infarction condition.
The thought that something is definitely wrong with his health almost never leaves the mind of a hypochondriac. Such thoughts become the background of the daily existence of victims of hypochondriacal disorder and lead to constant stress, which greatly depletes the body and significantly reduces the quality of life.
✚ Making a diagnosis via the Internet
If a person regularly makes a new diagnosis via the Internet, then he is not an ordinary hypochondriac, but a cyberhypochondriac! People who constantly visit medical or highly specialized sites and look for symptoms of one or another “liked” disease are immersed in a state of cyberhypochondria.
A person can be called a cyberhypochondriac even if he visits medical portals more often than popular social networks.
Regular visits to doctors
If a person systematically visits doctors without any objective need and sincerely believes that the specialists are not sufficiently qualified, do their work negligently and irresponsibly, do not want to examine him properly and wish him to die as quickly as possible, then this indicates that that such a person is a hypochondriac.
He is hostile to those doctors who do not prescribe any serious and expensive medications to a hypochondriac and thinks that they simply want to get rid of him quickly. If a victim of hypochondriacal disorder, having taken tests, receives negative results, then he perceives this as a medical error, negligence or irresponsibility.
There is nothing wrong with checking everything again or consulting with another specialist. When this process drags on, and the opinions of experts completely coincide, but a person is completely unsatisfied with the current state of affairs, then such an individual can safely be called a hypochondriac. He, instead of calming down and starting to solve the problem that has arisen, as any normal person would do, runs around all the public and private clinics available to him. At some point, having visited the one hundred and twenty-fifth qualified doctor, the victim of hypochondriacal disorder begins to believe that she is sick with some unknown but deadly disease, which no specialist who has taken the Hippocratic Oath can recognize.
✚ Avoiding doctors
Systematic visits to medical institutions and complete avoidance of people in white coats are two extremes, which equally indicate that a person has first-hand knowledge of hypochondriacal syndrome.
A hypochondriac who distrusts doctors thinks that they don’t understand anything at all, don’t want to do anything and don’t strive to cure the patient, so it’s much easier and more effective to go to some medical portal and make a diagnosis yourself.
✚ Fear of developing inherited diseases
The hypochondriac not only constantly visits medical sites, but also looks for the same or similar symptoms or illnesses in his parents and other relatives. If a victim of hypochondria discovers some kind of disease in one of her loved ones, then she has no doubt that in the very near future this disease will be discovered in her too.
The words of doctors that almost all inherited diseases can be prevented, cured or their symptoms can be minimized are perceived by the hypochondriac with sarcasm and complete distrust. “These doctors, who are accustomed only to taking bribes and treating patients negligently, do not understand that I could die at any moment from the same disease that Uncle Kolya died from twenty years ago!” - such thoughts visit the head of a typical hypochondriac who is afraid of hereditary diseases.
✚ Fear of communicating with sick people
For many hypochondriacs, the prospect of communicating with sick people brings mortal horror. The victim of hypochondriacal disorder is not very interested in what exactly the person is suffering from: a common cold, pneumonia or arthritis.
It is difficult to understand the logic of a hypochondriac, but it is possible. He is afraid of contracting his disease from a sick person (and it does not matter whether the disease is contagious or not), since he sincerely believes that this disease will necessarily take on the most dangerous form for health and life.
✚ Too much hygiene
The thought of constantly being in contact with potentially dirty and infectious objects drives a hypochondriac to madness. He washes his hands with soap a hundred times a day or treats them with sanitizers, and constantly thinks that banknotes, like handrails on public transport, are teeming with germs, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms.
✚ The desire to cut or remove something for the purpose of prevention
The appendix or wisdom tooth is perceived by a hypochondriac as a time bomb that can explode at any moment. Although doctors claim that the appendix is inflamed in one in ten thousand people, and a wisdom tooth can be gotten rid of at any time, the victim of hypochondriacal syndrome does not take such assurances seriously.
✚ Availability of a huge first aid kit
Most hypochondriacs have a huge home medicine cabinet, the assortment of which would be the envy of a small pharmacy in some rural area. Without this first aid kit, a victim of hypochondriacal disorder will not be able to go on vacation, a business trip, an overnight stay with friends, or a business trip.
✚ Fear of death
Almost all hypochondriacs think that they have some kind of deadly disease that no doctor is yet able to not only cure, but also diagnose.
People suffering from hypochondriacal disorder cannot understand that almost all diseases arise from nerves. And hypochondriacs are constantly nervous, since “twisting” themselves into the presence of a particular disease is not in vain, but becomes the cause of such symptoms of constant psychological stress as arrhythmia, skin rashes, difficulty breathing, etc.
WHO SHOULD YOU REALLY TURN TO IF YOU HAVE HYPOCHONDRIA?
In fact, if excessive concern about your health begins to interfere with your quality of life, then you should definitely contact a specialist. As a rule, psychologists and psychotherapists help cope with hypochondria, but in some severe cases - psychiatrists. Psychotherapy mainly helps, but some patients need to take antidepressants.
If you understand that you are close to hypochondria, the surest way to solve the problem is to find a good somatic doctor whom you trust. There will be much more benefit to your health if you do only those examinations that your doctor has prescribed, rather than running around public and private medical institutions and looking for non-existent diseases.
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One day in the life of a hypochondriac: what feelings does the victim of this insidious disorder experience?
Any tingling or minimal muscle spasm causes panic in the hypochondriac Ruslan. If something pierces somewhere in the chest, the man immediately thinks that he is having a heart attack. If the headache does not go away immediately after taking the pill, then Ruslan begins to imagine that a huge tumor has formed in his brain, due to which he will soon die. The victim of hypochondriasis flatly refuses to call an ambulance, since the doctors who come to the call will simply give him some kind of injection and, without really explaining anything, drive off to another patient.
A man almost constantly thinks about illnesses and cannot relax. In his free time from work, Ruslan monitors medical websites and tries to make the correct diagnosis for himself. He does not go to clinics, because there only endless lines await him, constant swearing and boorish attitude. And the fear is so unbearable that he simply does not have the strength to make an appointment with a doctor and wait for his turn.
It is very difficult for Ruslan to trust that the laboratory will interpret the tests correctly. Once upon a time, a man decided to double-check the test results and, armed with a table found on the Internet, got down to business. Having stumbled upon several inconsistencies, he was once again convinced that there is definitely no need to trust people in white coats, because they only dream of sending as many patients as possible to the grave!
After checking the tests, Ruslan fell into a terrible depression. Having taken leave from work, he did not leave the apartment for two weeks and did not communicate with other people. But even at home, the man was unable to feel well, as he was constantly on medical websites and looking for information about the next symptom that he suddenly discovered.
How to get rid of hypochondria yourself: some practical and effective tips!
You can get rid of hypochondria not only with the help of qualified psychiatrists or psychotherapists, but also on your own. If you follow the recommendations of experts, then this is not so difficult! We bring to your attention some effective and practical tips.
✔ Tip #1. Start controlling your mind
A person who knows how to control his consciousness will never become a victim of hypochondriacal syndrome. To learn how to do this, you should use spiritual practices such as asceticism, meditation, affirmations, yoga, etc.
Properly chosen practice not only teaches a person to take control of his own consciousness, but can also significantly improve the quality of his daily life.
✔ Tip #2. Review your daily routine
A disrupted daily routine and systematic lack of sleep negatively affect a person and can cause hypochondria. Those people who sleep little or poorly are constantly in a bad mood, cannot concentrate on important matters, and experience a feeling of increased anxiety.
To get rid of hypochondria, you need to train yourself to fall asleep and wake up at the same time. It is much easier for a well-slept and rested person to cope with fears and destructive thoughts!
✔ Tip #3. Engage in self-analysis and search for the original source of the problem
To find the root cause of the problem, you need to ask yourself one very simple question: “What has been bothering me the most lately?” An honest answer to this question will help the hypochondriac understand himself and get rid of the insidious disorder.
Hypochondriacal syndrome occurs not only as a result of some vivid and memorable traumatic phenomenon or event. It often happens that the problem has existed for so long that the psyche of such an individual, having activated defense mechanisms, managed to repress it into the subconscious. Toxic relationships, problems at work, etc. can also trigger hypochondria.
✔ Tip #4. Increase your level of physical activity
Physical activity helps to get rid of stress, feelings of increased anxiety and unnecessary worries. It helps to improve not only physical fitness, but also mood. For those people who want to forget about hypochondria once and for all, experts advise joining a gym or starting training at home with their own weight.
If you have absolutely no time to go to the gym or do home workouts, then you should take leisurely walks more often, replace elevator rides with walking up the stairs, and start practicing running or race walking.
✔ Tip #5. Stop wasting time visiting medical websites
Very often, victims of hypochondria cannot understand that a lot of unreliable and unverified information from dubious sources is published on the Internet every day. Many diseases are characterized by vague and vague symptoms such as headache, fatigue, general weakness, etc. Therefore, it is not surprising that only a qualified doctor can make a correct diagnosis based on these symptoms.
To get rid of cyberhypochondria, you need to stop wasting time visiting medical sites and overcome any urge to self-diagnose.
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Try to sometimes take on the role of another person.
Psychologists often recommend an effective exercise - to get rid of obsessive thoughts, you need to try to get out of your habitual behavior. Imagine that you are not you, but, for example, an extreme athlete, try to think on behalf of his character all day. Think and think the way you would do in his place in one case or another. By “trying on” someone else’s experience, you will discover a lot of interesting things, and you may even be able to change your usual behavior.
