What's Up with Hypochondria?

[Kid Omega]

Why do I start having anxiety attacks every time I read the symptoms for a disease?

Is it because my Mom took me to get a strep test every time I coughed?

Seriously... what's up with Hypochondria?

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Seriously... what's up with Hypochondria?

I don't know, but since you mentioned it, all I can think of is that I think I've got it too.

[Paradox]

The people I know that I consider hyphchondriacs seem to either fit in the "worrys about EVERYTHING" category or the "has a great unsatisfied subconscious need for attention" category.

What Kid Omega seems to be experiencing seems merely normal suggestion and will probably go away if ignored.

[boolean]

I thought I had that once.

It turned out it was all in my head.

[Paradox]

It might be a tumor...

;)

[Kid Omega]

The people I know that I consider hyphchondriacs seem to either fit in the "worrys about EVERYTHING" category or the "has a great unsatisfied subconscious need for attention" category.

What Kid Omega seems to be experiencing seems merely normal suggestion and will probably go away if ignored.

Hey Dox!

I am probably also a bit in the "worries about EVERYTHING" camp.

On an unrelated note, it cracks me up that you responded to me in third person... I may adopt that habit in future conversations....

-a

[JeffreyWKramer]

Why do I start having anxiety attacks every time I read the symptoms for a disease?

Is it because my Mom took me to get a strep test every time I coughed?


The two could well be related, in that such behavior on the part of your mom might have taught you an exaggerated awareness of potential health risks, or to be hyperalert to trivial symptoms and sendations. Early learning often continues to impact us, more or less on an unconscious or automatic level, even when we consciously "know better." If this is the case, the best way to change that pattern is to consciously work on challenging those fears, by reminding yourself "this is just something I read, I don't have any of that stuff, every ache or cough isn't a sign of cancer or something awful like that." With time, such efforts at cognitive modification will reduce the strength of the old response pattern.

Alternately, as others have noted, mild hypochondriasis such as you describe does tend to simply go along with a general tendency toward anxiety. More severe hypochondriasis - the sort which literally pushes a person to go to the doctor for every ache, cough, blemish or mild case of the runs, to demand tons of expensive and intrusive medical tests and to spend big bucks on endless amounts of over-the-counter remedies, health supplements, etc. - is, obviously, a very severe problem. It's also all too real a problem. I get 5-6 such referrals a year, on average, from physicians.

[Paradox]

Kid Omega notes a subtle change in voice:

Hey Dox!

I am probably also a bit in the "worries about EVERYTHING" camp.

Ah, "Nervous Nellie" syndrome. I blame shows like "Dateline" that like to get people all worked up with shows about, say (my favorite example), mites in your bed. <-- :rolleyes: You need to be more Nietzche. :p

On an unrelated note, it cracks me up that you responded to me in third person... I may adopt that habit in future conversations....

Ha! Well, since I didn't quote you, I didn't think of it as speaking directly to you, rather more commenting on what you said. That and I tend to be a bit careless and vague with my pronouns, so I tend to use names if I think something is the slightest bit unclear. I'm more "Nervous Nellie" about my communication than real life. :D

[Kid Omega]

The two could well be related, in that such behavior on the part of your mom might have taught you an exaggerated awareness of potential health risks, or to be hyperalert to trivial symptoms and sendations. Early learning often continues to impact us, more or less on an unconscious or automatic level, even when we consciously "know better." If this is the case, the best way to change that pattern is to consciously work on challenging those fears, by reminding yourself "this is just something I read, I don't have any of that stuff, every ache or cough isn't a sign of cancer or something awful like that." With time, such efforts at cognitive modification will reduce the strength of the old response pattern.

Alternately, as others have noted, mild hypochondriasis such as you describe does tend to simply go along with a general tendency toward anxiety.

Thanks J-

I think my anxiety levels have gone through the roof since opening a business, and they manifest in every aspect of my life....

I've always had panic attacks and the like, but recently, while talking to my gf, I realized that not everyone's mother was an obsessive compulsive germaphobe, constantly taking them to doctors....

-a

[Gilda Dent]

I've always had panic attacks and the like, but recently, while talking to my gf, I realized that not everyone's mother was an obsessive compulsive germaphobe, constantly taking them to doctors....

-a

Nope. We didn't have a family doctor. Medical care in my home was home remedies or the emergency room. There wasn't anything in between. If you're not going to die in the next ten minutes, the best course of action is to wait and see if you get better on your own.

Gilda

[Ayo]

What's the statistical ratio of hypocondriacs to people who go undiagnosed until their illnesses become completely undeniable and out of control?

[Gaz]

It might be a tumor...

;)
IT IS NOT A TUMAH![/Ahnold]

[Nikita]

Why do I start having anxiety attacks every time I read the symptoms for a disease?

Is it because my Mom took me to get a strep test every time I coughed?

Seriously... what's up with Hypochondria?


The next time you get a headache, remember, it's actually a brain tumor.