How to deal with hypochondria?

13 Comments

I have been hypochondriac all my life, meaning I assume I have diseases or conditions that there is no way I could have had, on the basis of usually nothing important, and then worry myself sick about it. Rescently it has gotten worse, as in a few weeks ago I had some pimples on my chest, squeezed them and accidentally got two small bruises, and then managed to positively convince myself I had leukemia.
Making this worse is my constant fear of doctors and hopitals, which I aquired when I was not yet four years old after some things happened to me in a hospital that were not supposed to happen (I'd rather not go into detail).
So, what is happening now is that I could spend literally hours worrying about some disease I think I have, looking up percieved symptoms on the internet, unable to think about anything else. I avoid notmal activities that other people take part in in fear that it may hurt me somehow, such as I would not eat any food if it is not organic and I avoid all sports. I avoid sunlight in fear it may give me skin cancer. I shower, brush my teeth and wash my hair sometimes up to four times a day and this is driving me crazy! All my friends and relatives are sick of it. Please help!

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Comments ( 13 )
  • Silivrin1
    11 years ago

    You can see a psychologist. Not exactly a doctor, and doesn't require a trip to the hospital.

    It's good to be healthy and be careful about what you do, but if its impairing your social life and your health, then you should really see someone about it. They can definitely help you to overcome your fears and paranoia.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      That's what I thought too.
      But a few years ago, a good friend of mine got prescribed antidepressants and some other similar medication. Now I cannot look at her without crying. She is not my friend anymore. She is a zombie in the full sense of the word. Sure, she's not depressed anymore. But she's never happy, either. She would always agree to anything you'd say, only speaks when directly asked a question and has lost even the smallest bit of what anyone considers a personality, not to mention other side effects, like an almost 100-pound weight gain.
      Somehow, I think it is better to be a hypochondriac then risk turning into what she has. I know this is probably a rare reaction to the medication, but still, I just don't want to risk it.

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      • Silivrin1
        11 years ago

        Yes, the prescription of antidepressants is so common these days, particularly in america. It's such a big business that they're expanding as far as they can, and a great deal of the medication dished out goes relatively unchecked as to its specific effects on people.
        What I intended when I suggested seeing a therapist, is not so that medication can be prescribed, because I'm very much aware that it is hardly a solution to the problem, only a distraction. I think that cognitive-behavioral therapy can be a very useful tool in overcoming affective disorders, and a better solution than any medical alternative.

        I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, and yes, to be a hypochondriac does almost seem a better fate that what she is going through. Best of luck to you both.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          Thank-you.
          I am so glad there are people out there who care about people like me. However, I am afraid that even if I do not consider the issue of possible effects from medication, seeing a therapist is definitely out of the question because if anyone finds out then I will likely be no longer myself to them, I will be "insane", the word will spread quickly, and I will end exactly like my friend sooner or later, because that is exactly what happened to her. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't the idiot to ask for medication right away! But she was pushed to it by numerous relatives and friends, at one point, when I did not understand a thing, even myself, and now nothing could be done. Moreover, many of those people are still pushing her to keep taking it.
          With a family and home to take care of and a job to keep, there is no way I can afford to let that happen to me. If I am not there, what will happen to my parents? My cousins? The home? Finally, the network of support for the many dispairing souls which only I can hold together? There is no one to take over after me. This sounds like excuses to someone who has not gone through what me and my family have, but I assure you it is not. If we managed to get to Canada and get a new life after all that has happened, I cannot risk losing it just because I can't keep myself together. One must go through what we've gone through before judging, although I would wish it never happened to anyone again.

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          • peterr
            10 years ago

            You are so full of shit you stink!

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      • EndlessSuffering
        11 years ago

        You can still go to a psychologist, he's not supposed to give you any medication.
        Hope you get better :)

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  • loopoo
    10 years ago

    Put a lock on any website you might try and access. Do you have a phobia of death? Maybe just come to grips with the fact that you are one day going to die, it's the only thing guaranteed in this life. Once you do that you might start to live a little. Think of all the thoughts and moments you've wasted worrying, let that push you forward to enjoying your life without the worry.

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  • 048forlife
    11 years ago

    I also am a hypochondriac and the best place to start is getting a family member to set up parental controls on your computer blocking webmd, symtom checkers, ect., ect.

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  • nAt2017
    11 years ago

    When I was younger, I constantly thought I was sick and/or dying. I think the most helpful thing that anyone said to me was, "You've lived this long, you can live a little bit more." I think that means that, if so many other people are living on this earth healthily, then so can I.

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  • dirtybirdy
    11 years ago

    Perhaps becoming terminally I'll will cure you of that

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  • NeuroNeptunian
    11 years ago

    I have an aunt that is a serious hypochondriac. What doesn't help is that she doesn't take care of her health so sometimes she is right, which makes her hypochondriasis worse because she thinks that EVERYTHING that she says is true is because it's true, not because she is slowly making it true.

    Mainly, she is into psychological disorders. She insists that she has physical and psychological ailments when, in reality, she is a hypochondriac who is looking for ailments. Anything she hears on TV or from others she convinces herself that she has. Her house is filled with pills and I did not believe the Pareto principle when applied to health care (that around 20% of people with health care are responsible for use of around 80% of the services) until I met her. Her hypochondriasis would not be such a problem if she did not force it upon others by attempting to diagnose her husband and kids with ailments and coercing them into accepting treatment.

    Her oldest son stopped using all of the ADHD and Depression medications that he was given by her as soon as he turned 18. Her youngest son might not have the sanity left in him. Every time she, myself, her husband or her sons have any type of issue, physical or emotional, her first response it to take them to a doctor and get them on medication and if the doctor doesn't agree to her approach, she simply finds another.

    One thing that she has simply REFUSED to do is to seek therapy. Not more medication, not more medical scans and not more diagnoses, but therapy. Actually committing to figuring out why she does what she does and how to get over herself. I would STRONGLY recommend that you see a therapist and COMMIT to solving this problem and figuring out why you are so paranoid in relation to your health. Only then will you be anywhere near coming closer to being secure with your body.

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  • FudgeYeah
    11 years ago

    you can overcome this yourself.
    stop googling symptoms - this ruined my life.
    keep yourself busy.

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  • Justsomejerk
    11 years ago

    Contract HIV.

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