Hypochondria

[Aqua82]

I am a 27 year old female and I have been a hypochondriac for quite some time. The "symptoms" that I feel every time makes me anxious even more. I have gone to a Psychiatrist to talk stuff up. I wasn't prescribed any medicine and my hypochondria was gone for a while. Now it's back. Has anybody had an experience with this disorder? :?

[summergirl10]

HI ya!!
im so glad you brought up this topic so i can talk about it with someone believe me you are not alone!!!
everyday i diagnose myself with something every day and the second i get a pain its straight onto google where i diagnose myself with some incurable disease!!
for instance i had a pain behind my left shoulder now my back is sore it probably is tired pains because im exhausted but i have convinced myself it is something to do with my heart!
i just think i need to talk to someone in the same boat!
what have you been experiening? do you find anything helps?
hope all is well!! :)

[Alvinmg]

Hi Aqua & Summergirl,

Don't worry you two are not alone with the hypochondria, I also get a fatal desease everyday. I start with a pimple and somehow make it into cancer... I know what you two are going through and I wish they had a magic bullet that could make us better. The mind is powerful and it can analyze what ever we want , good or bad. Although I think people like us go overboard with getting every desease that is on earth the opposite of us never believe they have any desease. They don't seek help until it's too late and the diagnosis is never good. At least we don't overlook anything so we find things out quickly. So, you see there is good in what we do but this does not make us feel better does it.

If either one of you want to talk more on this subject I'm willing to discuss what I try and do to help myself.

[Aqua82]

Hello there summergirl and Alvin! Thanks for your posts. It's very tiring being a hypochondriac. I don't even know where it started. One thing's for sure though, I really don't want to spend my whole life monitoring myself for lumps and sores and thinking of all sorts of diseases (some of which don't even exist).:shock: I think we have to get to the bottom of it so that we could overcome it. My Mom told me that I should focus on other things so I don't get too preoccupied with it.:) It really helped me when I read your posts. :D I am an anxious individual which worses my case. I would have weird symptoms which differ each day. When I came across this site: anxietycentre . com (you could check anxiety symptoms), I found out that the things I have been feeling are caused by my anxiety! It's kind of like the chicken and the egg because I am anxious that I'm sick and then I feel those odd things because I am anxious. :roll: Hope this helps you guys too. Thanks again for your posts!

[Aqua82]

I would usually check the Internet to research about the different symptoms that come about but I decided to search "Cure for Hypochondria" instead. I came across this and I hope it helps you too.


Hypochondria coping measures:

- Find a health care professional you trust and stick with him or her. Don't "doctor shop," or continually seek out new doctors or health care professionals to run more tests or perform more procedures. Scheduling regular follow-up visits with your health care professional can help offer reassurance that you're OK.

- For someone with hypochondria, the Internet is like being the proverbial kid in a candy store. Don't spend hours researching health information or looking up vague symptoms. Chances are, you'll find something you think you have, fueling your anxiety.

- Consumer magazines are often full of stories with dire warnings about "overlooked" or "misdiagnosed" diseases that are just waiting to strike you down. Avoid reading these stories. They may only increase your anxiety, especially if they include common or vague symptoms.

- Resist the urge to continually monitor your pulse or other vital signs or to check your body for signs of disease, such as lumps or sores. But because it's important to be aware of some signs and symptoms, talk to your doctor about what self-checks or self-exams are reasonable for you.

- Ask for support and patience from family and friends who know you have hypochondria. Talking openly to them may help defray their own frustrations about your health anxiety, and they may be able to help you keep perspective.

- Join a hypochondria or anxiety support group. You may bond with people who share common concerns, and you may also learn additional coping strategies.

[palow]

Your hypochondria is only the trigger for your anxiety. If it's not fear of cancer it will be fear of spiders, flying, open spaces or a million other choices.

The key to a cure is to not get hung up on the triggers. You need to be aware of the source. The source is years of accumulated stress from negative thinking patterns. You had all this stress backed up for years like a snow covered mountainside about to avalanche. Then some trigger came along and started your anxiety disorder.

The main negative thinking patterns that cause anxiety is worst-case scenario thinking, perfectionism and narcissism (constant preoccupation with yourself). Start thinking positively, lower your standards for yourself and those around you and start feeling concern for others, including (or maybe especially) the people who stress you out.

But you guys should seek out some help. Not drugs. Read some books by Claire Weekes, Chad Lejeune and Edmond Bourne. Get a cognitive behavioural therapist who specializes in anxiety or, if that's too expensive, an anxiety treatment programme off the internet. I sell the latter on my website (link below).

I know some people on this forum don't like marketers but I personally tried one and it worked. I have no idea why people have so much faith in antidepressants and think all the internet programmes are fake.

Patrick