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Hypochondria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Hypochondriasis)
Jump to: navigation, search
For the anatomical term, see hypochondrium.

Hypochondria (or hypochondriasis, sometimes referred to as health anxiety or health phobia) is a somatoform disorder in which one has the unfounded belief that one is suffering from a serious illness. Hypochondria is often characterized by irrational fears of being diseased/dying, obsessions over minor bodily symptoms or imperfections, doubt and disbelief in doctors' diagnosis, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis and preoccupation with one's body. Hypochondriacs often require constant reassurance, sometimes from multiple doctors, family and friends.

Hypochondria is often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, and can also be brought on by stress.

Contents

[hide]

bullet 1 Etymology
bullet 2 Effects
bullet 3 Treatment
bullet 4 Tips for hypochondriacs
bullet 5 Factors contributing to hypochondria
bullet 6 External links

[edit] Etymology

The term hypochondria comes from the Greek hypo- (below) and chondros (cartilage - of the breast bone). The term was originally used to describe unidentifiable stomach pains. It was thought by ancient Greek physicians that such pains were caused by the movement of the spleen, an organ located near the hypochondrium (the upper region of the abdomen just below the ribs on either side of the epigastrium).

During the 19th century the term evolved to be the male counterpart to hysteria.

 

[edit] Effects

Hypochondria can cause one or more of the following effects:

bullet Anxiety attacks or panic attacks
bullet Depression
bullet Fear of impending doom
bullet Loss of appetite
bullet Decreased libido
bullet Increased self-consciousness
bullet Decreased motivation in life.
bullet Numbness in certain parts of the body (forehead, hands, etc)
bullet Chronic fatigue

 

[edit] Treatment

There is some evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressants can alleviate severe hypochondria.

 

[edit] Tips for hypochondriacs

Sufferers of hypochondria may benefit from one or more of the following exercises:

bullet Keeping a journal describing what led to the anxiety attacks or panic
bullet Talking with friends or family members, and taking a different perspective on the symptoms
bullet Tracking the triggering factors of anxiety, and avoiding them (e.g. self-diagnosis, reading about symptoms)
bullet Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and positive outlook.

 

[edit] Factors contributing to hypochondria

Cyberchondria is a colloquial term for hypochondria in individuals who have researched medical conditions on the internet. The media and the internet often contribute to hypochondria, as articles, TV shows and advertisements regarding serious illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis (some of the common diseases hypochondriacs think they have) often portray these diseases as being random, obscure and somewhat inevitable. This only allows the hypochondriac to reinforce the idea that they actually have that illness. It is not uncommon that deaths in family members or friends can trigger hypochondria in certain individuals. Similarly, when approaching the age of a parent's premature death from disease, many otherwise healthy, happy individuals fall prey to hypochondria. These individuals believe they are suffering from the same disease that caused their parent's death, sometimes causing panic attacks with corresponding symptoms.

Major disease outbreaks or predicted pandemics can also contribute to hypochondria. Statistics regarding certain illnesses, such as cancer, will give hypochondriacs the illusion that they are more likely to develop the disease.

 

[edit] External links

bullet Hypochondria Info and Forums at The Hypochondriac.com
bullet Hypochondriac Journal Non-professional blog forum
bullet Hypochondria Forum at Psych Forums
bullet Hypochondria at Medical News Today
bullet Hypochondria at HealthDiaries.com
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypochondria"
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Text Box:              BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER *ADD YOUR SITE  *  ASK A QUESTION              Hypochondria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Hypochondriasis) Jump to: navigation, search For the anatomical term, see hypochondrium. Hypochondria (or hypochondriasis, sometimes referred to as health anxiety or health phobia) is a somatoform disorder in which one has the unfounded belief that one is suffering from a serious illness. Hypochondria is often characterized by irrational fears of being diseased/dying, obsessions over minor bodily symptoms or imperfections, doubt and disbelief in doctors' diagnosis, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis and preoccupation with one's body. Hypochondriacs often require constant reassurance, sometimes from multiple doctors, family and friends. Hypochondria is often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, and can also be brought on by stress. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 Effects 3 Treatment 4 Tips for hypochondriacs 5 Factors contributing to hypochondria 6 External links [edit] Etymology The term hypochondria comes from the Greek hypo- (below) and chondros (cartilage - of the breast bone). The term was originally used to describe unidentifiable stomach pains. It was thought by ancient Greek physicians that such pains were caused by the movement of the spleen, an organ located near the hypochondrium (the upper region of the abdomen just below the ribs on either side of the epigastrium). During the 19th century the term evolved to be the male counterpart to hysteria. [edit] Effects Hypochondria can cause one or more of the following effects: Anxiety attacks or panic attacks Depression Fear of impending doom Loss of appetite Decreased libido Increased self-consciousness Decreased motivation in life. Numbness in certain parts of the body (forehead, hands, etc) Chronic fatigue [edit] Treatment There is some evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antidepressants can alleviate severe hypochondria. [edit] Tips for hypochondriacs Sufferers of hypochondria may benefit from one or more of the following exercises: Keeping a journal describing what led to the anxiety attacks or panic Talking with friends or family members, and taking a different perspective on the symptoms Tracking the triggering factors of anxiety, and avoiding them (e.g. self-diagnosis, reading about symptoms) Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and positive outlook. [edit] Factors contributing to hypochondria Cyberchondria is a colloquial term for hypochondria in individuals who have researched medical conditions on the internet. The media and the internet often contribute to hypochondria, as articles, TV shows and advertisements regarding serious illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis (some of the common diseases hypochondriacs think they have) often portray these diseases as being random, obscure and somewhat inevitable. This only allows the hypochondriac to reinforce the idea that they actually have that illness. It is not uncommon that deaths in family members or friends can trigger hypochondria in certain individuals. Similarly, when approaching the age of a parent's premature death from disease, many otherwise healthy, happy individuals fall prey to hypochondria. These individuals believe they are suffering from the same disease that caused their parent's death, sometimes causing panic attacks with corresponding symptoms. Major disease outbreaks or predicted pandemics can also contribute to hypochondria. Statistics regarding certain illnesses, such as cancer, will give hypochondriacs the illusion that they are more likely to develop the disease. [edit] External links Hypochondria Info and Forums at The Hypochondriac.com Hypochondriac Journal Non-professional blog forum Hypochondria Forum at Psych Forums Hypochondria at Medical News Today Hypochondria at HealthDiaries.com Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypochondria" Category: Somatoform disorders Views Article Discussion Edit this page History Personal tools Sign in / create account Navigation Main Page Community Portal Featured articles Current events Recent changes Random article Help Contact Wikipedia Donations Search   Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this article In other languages Deutsch Espaol Italiano עברית Lietuvių Nederlands Polski Portugus Русский Slovenčina Suomi Svenska This page was last modified 01:42, 10 November 2006. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers