Hypochondriasis is a Real Human Disease Fueled by Health Anxiety

During my career as a pharmacist I have met people with hypochondriasis, but my best qualification for writing about it is personal experience. This article will explain hypochondriasis and health anxiety and discuss the causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatments for this real human disease.

What is Hypochondriasis?

Hypochondriasis is a chronic psychosomatic illness where the sufferer interprets normal body sensations as signs and symptoms of serious or life-threatening disease. The hypochondriac is not pretending and actually feels ill.

Risk Factors for Hypochondriasis

Having a close acquaintance or family member contract a serious or life-threatening disease is a risk factor for hypochondriasis.

My health anxiety involves fear of cancer. There is a very strong history of cancer in my family (and friends). When my mother was diagnosed, her doctor told me, "With your family history, you will probably get cancer eventually." Now, every body sensation makes me fear that I have cancer.

Another risk factor is holding a firm belief that being healthy means having no physical symptoms or sensations of any kind.

Signs and Symptoms

People with hypochondriasis turn normal sensations into catastrophes. A sinus headache may be interpreted as evidence of a brain tumor. Forgetting an appointment may be interpreted as Alzheimer's disease. Experiencing a stomach cramp may cause health anxiety about cancer.

Health anxiety causes the flight-or-fight reaction with rapid heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, heightened awareness, etc. All these contribute to a vicious cycle of health anxiety, more physical sensations, and more health anxiety.

Doctor shopping is a behavior that many hypochondriacs exhibit. They would be on the right track if they shopped for help with their underlying psychosomatic disorder, but they look instead for a diagnosis that will explain their physical symptoms. When they are told that no organic problem exists, they are not comforted, they mistrust the doctor, and they seek out a new one. They get frustrated with each practitioner, believing they are receiving inadequate care. Some even undergo exploratory surgery in their quest for a diagnosis.

The opposite of doctor shopping can occur when the hypochondriasis patient avoids doctors for fear of being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

Health anxiety causes negative thinking that is typical of hypochondriasis. There is constant focus on and talking about signs and symptoms of the feared disease. This puts a strain on relationships with family and friends.

Hypochondriasis sufferers are likely to frequently check their blood pressure or temperature or check their bodies for lumps or sores. They may constantly research their imagined disease or read about a disease and immediately believe that they have it.

Hypochondriasis causes such a fear of serious or life-threatening disease that when someone suggests seeing a mental-health practitioner, it is not taken seriously. They fear they might die of a physical disease while pursuing treatment for a mental illness.

Diagnosis of Hypochondriasis

Diagnosis involves an examination of thought patterns and behavior. A thorough physical examination, with lab and x-ray testing, is necessary to rule out underlying physical disease.

Diagnosis of hypochondriasis depends on a chronic history of preoccupation with body sensations and health anxiety, for at least 6 months, that negatively affects daily life, relationships, and career.

Treatment of Underlying Health Anxiety and Depression

As with most chronic disease, early treatment is important. The longer negative thinking about death and life-threatening disease goes on, the harder it is to treat.

Hypochondriasis can be treated with counseling to help the sufferer recognize triggers for fear and health anxiety. It can help with the compulsions to doctor shop and to research, focus on, and talk about disease.

Antidepressants are sometimes helpful in decreasing health anxiety and relieving depression, but they can cause side effects that the hypochondriasis sufferer often attributes to his imagined serious or life-threatening disease.

Education about hypochondriasis may help sufferers see that they are suffering from a real human disease and may help them understand why they have it.

As with any human disease, sufferers of this chronic psychosomatic illness can benefit from regular exercise, eating right, avoiding alcohol, and keeping doctor's appointments.

A Good Support System

A good support system starts with finding a good doctor that a person with hypochondriasis can trust and talk openly with. A doctor that understands hypochondriasis can recommend self-examination routines that are reasonable, helping the patient to avoid constant body vigilance.

Rather than talking to family and friends about signs and symptoms of a physical disease, people with hypochondriasis are encouraged to talk about their health anxiety. They can educate close acquaintances that this is a real human disease and ask for support and understanding.

Joining a hypochondriasis or health anxiety support group can be very helpful.

Summary

Hypochondriasis is a real human disease. This psychosomatic illness causes preoccupation with normal body sensations. This health anxiety causes a sort of fight or flight reaction which intensifies physical symptoms. Worsening physical symptoms worsens health anxiety, which worsens physical symptoms, and the cycle continues. The patient is not faking, but actually feels ill. When doctors fail to find underlying organic causes the hypochondriac sees it as incompetence and begins a chronic pattern of doctor shopping. This mental illness can be treated with counseling and medication and proper support, but early intervention is important.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic Staff. Hypochondria. Mayo Clinic

Art Dingley. Psychology Articles by Dr Art Dingley. It's All in Your Head. Main Department of Health and Human Services.

No author given. Hypochondria (Hypochondriasis). Bipolar Central.

No author given. Hypochondriasis. Cleveland Clinic.

No author given. Hypochondriasis. University of Maryland Medical Center.