Even people enjoy a good health can experience bothersome minor pains and aches from time to time. The majority of us have the tendency to simply ignore them or slowly learn to live with them. Nonetheless, for five to ten percent of the people who suffer from hypochondria these little aches are blown out of proportion into serious illnesses.
In their mind even a simple headache takes the form of a brain tumor. They will consider a cough to be a lung cancer and a minor indigestion will mean suffering from heart disease. Hypochondriacs are frequently dismissed as being neurotic time-wasters. However, their continued anxiety and fixation on their health can in fact prove to be as disabling as any other real physical disease.
In accordance to a clinical psychologist and the vice president of psychology at the Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, George Pratt, hypochondriacs are converted into their symptoms. Hypochondriacs are inappropriately anxious about their health to this extent that it comes in between their normal living and becomes a self-fulfilling prediction.
The majority of the symptoms that hypochondriacs experience are physical sensations due to depression or anxiety that forms part of hypochondria. The continued anxiety can discharge dangerous stress hormones and do actual physical harm.
The mere act of telling a hypochondriac that they are not really physically sick is never sufficient reassurance. They tend to doctor-hop, consulting different doctors in order to get the affirmation of their dreaded illness, thus only creating even more frustration and worry.
In line with a clinical psychologist from the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, Mission Valley, Jill Stoddard, hypochondriacs may get themselves examined for every disease they believe that they have, and feel temporarily reassured when the results are in their favor, but they will soon start to believe that they are yet affected by some other disease.
Moreover there is another side of hypochondria; it regards those people who are so scared that they are seriously ill that they will never approach a medical practitioner or get a test done for fear that they will not be able to hear and bear the bad news.
Hypochondria is thought to be a psychological disorder or a somatoform disorder that have physical symptoms. Both men and women can suffer from hypochondria. While this disorder can be developed at any age, in most cases it starts in early adulthood.
Even though this disorder does not appear to have any genetic connection, hypochondria may be set off by life events and experiences. It has been noticed that in situations when a close family member or someone very close dies or is very ill, an individual may begin to experience symptoms of hypochondria. In addition, when a loved one dies at a very early stage in life, the risk of suffering from hypochondria seems to increase. Estimates show that nearly ten percent of the total visits to primary-care physicians might be due to hypochondrical fears.
Moreover, nowadays with the Internet facility and medical research, hypochondriacs are able to search the Internet regarding any medical problem that they may feel they are experience. They can easily self-diagnose themselves with a few mouse clicks. This phenomenon is commonly termed as cyberchondria. That is not all, the commercials meant for the pharmaceuticals also do its best to name each possible side effect; as such, the hypochondriacs have thousands of diseases to obsess over! Pratt states that there are a number of people who spend their time searching and scanning for these for hours and hours. This can turn really devastating. While it is good to have a good awareness of health issues, one should not spend all his time preoccupying himself about them.
Part 1: Are Hypochondriacs Really Ill or are They Simply Sick in Their Head?
Source: Sign On San Diego
Thu, Feb 17, 2011
Anti Aging, Health And Aging