Hypochondria is a serious mental disorder. Sufferers are firmly convinced that they are suffering from a serious illness without this being confirmed by a medical diagnosis. Sufferers are usually very aware of their behavior, but still cannot control their fears.
What is hypochondria?
The mental disorder hypochondriasis is expressed as an unfounded fear disorder of illness. People suffering from hypochondria have a fear of suffering from a serious illness. They can usually name exactly what illness they are afraid of. If the doctor cannot confirm the fear of the sufferer with an appropriate diagnosis, different doctors are usually consulted. However, patients with hypochondria usually do not believe the doctors’ examinations and results. Many people with hypochondria are well aware of their irrational behavior, but cannot control it. There is often a risk of social withdrawal and loneliness.
Causes
To date, it has not been definitively determined what the causes of hypochondria are. However, it is believed that social, psychological and biological factors play a role in its development. In general, people suffering from hypochondria are anxious and very cautious people. Through appropriate educational influences or even very painful events, innate anxiety can develop into hypochondria. Mental stress also seems to play a role in its development. Studies have shown that in people with hypochondria, the limbic system is overactive and easily influenced. This area of the brain is where emotions are processed and attention is focused on specific situations. This discovery may be evidence that biological factors do indeed play a role.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
Individuals who suffer from hypochondria are usually very afraid of getting sick. This fear significantly restricts the lives of these individuals, so it may also cause psychological problems. In addition, there is the fear of pain, disability or even death. In some cases, affected individuals also become rigidly focused on a specific disease. Hypochondriacs often conduct intensive self-research on certain diseases, symptoms and signs. Information is collected and usually perceived completely exaggerated. Conversations with other people are avoided, so hypochondriacs very often have a disturbed social life. They have the urgent need to clarify possible symptoms immediately. Possible symptoms are perceived in an increased way and constant visits to the doctor follow. People who suffer from hypochondria are firmly convinced that they are suffering from a certain disease. Thus it comes to catastrophic thoughts about the own condition, as well as to heavy panic attacks. The thoughts will intensify considerably with time if no therapy is taken up. For outsiders it is usually very difficult to recognize a hypochondria. For this reason, increased attention should be paid to the above signs.
Diagnosis and course
Hypochondria is a mental disorder that is very difficult not very often diagnosed. To make a definite diagnosis, the disorder must have been present for at least six months. This makes it very difficult to diagnose because, as a rule, sufferers frequently change treating physicians as soon as the physician determines that the feared illness is not present. Most hypochondriacs simply cannot imagine that they are in good health. They partly hope to actually have a dangerous disease so that their ideas will be confirmed. In addition, many doctors hesitate to diagnose hypochondria because they fear that they have overlooked a physical illness after all. In addition, those affected only extremely rarely visit a specialist for mental illnesses, as they are firmly convinced that they are suffering from a physical illness. In addition to detailed questioning about the present complaints, a reliable diagnosis also includes questions about the prevailing fears and the degree of self-observation of the affected person. In addition, the physician tries to distinguish hypochondria from other, possibly existing obsessive fears by asking specific questions. Obsessive-compulsive fears and also hypochondria are often accompanied by depression.Here, too, the doctor tries to distinguish the individual symptoms from each other, and often other obsessive-compulsive fears, depression and hypochondria coexist.
Complications
Hypochondriasis primarily causes severe psychological distress and depression. However, in severe cases, it can also lead to physical discomfort and complications, so that in the worst case, the affected person dies because of hypochondria. As a rule, the patient thinks that he is ill with a certain disease, although this is not the case. Sweating and panic attacks occur. Often the affected persons are restless and feel unwell, social contacts are avoided in many cases or directly broken off. Furthermore, there may be severe heart palpitations. It is not uncommon for patients to take medications that are not actually necessary because there is no underlying disease. In this case, the drugs can harm the body and damage certain organs. Likewise, a doctor is often consulted without reason. Due to the depression and misconceptions, it is not uncommon for social exclusion to occur. Hypochondria is treated by a psychologist and usually does not lead to further complications. However, a long period of time may pass before the treatment shows an initial effect.
When should you see a doctor?
People who suffer from severe anxiety should generally see a therapist. If there is an increase in anxiety or if the anxiety-related issues increase, a visit to the doctor is advisable. If everyday obligations can no longer be fulfilled, if there is emotional suffering for the affected person, or if the symptoms have an impact on social behavior, a doctor is needed. The fear of a serious illness leads to immense mental stress. In case of sweating, concentration disorders, sleep problems, shortness of breath or increased irritability, a visit to the doctor is recommended. If there is social withdrawal, depressive or melancholic phases, a worsened mood and heart palpitations, a doctor should be consulted. Usually, there is a lack of insight into the disease in hypochondria, as the affected person does not believe it is possible to be healthy. Therefore, it is helpful to establish a stable and trusting environment. Although patients with hypochondriasis change doctors frequently, it is helpful for the overall picture if the entire medical history is presented at each visit. Sufferers often suffer for many years and should confide in a therapist as soon as they realize they need help for emotional strengthening. If there is a lack of energy, resignation and simultaneous inner turmoil, a physician should be consulted.
Treatment and therapy
To successfully treat hypochondria, cognitive behavioral therapy is used. First and foremost, however, some insight and cooperation from the sufferer is necessary to get the mental disorder under control. In therapy, sufferers learn to evaluate their entire body and their complaints realistically and in a completely new way for them. Many behaviors in everyday life also have to be put into perspective for people suffering from hypochondria, and some of them have to be relearned. There are sufferers who avoid shaking hands with other people as a greeting for fear of infection. This would be such an everyday behavior that would have to be reevaluated and relearned by the affected person. Furthermore, cognitive behavioral therapy always focuses on new complaints that the patient may experience in the future. They should learn to assess these realistically when they first occur. This also means that those affected stop making excessive inquiries about possible serious illnesses that could be the trigger for the perceived complaints. For successful treatment of hypochondriasis, the unconditional insight and cooperation of the sufferer is essential at every stage of therapy.
Prevention
Preventive measures against hypochondria can be taken only by those who fear suffering from hypochondria. Whoever feels a great fear of serious illnesses and catches himself fearing the worst immediately in case of complaints, should try to build up a relationship of trust with the attending physician. Only in this way is it possible, in the case of a – fortunately – negative diagnosis, to believe the doctor and eliminate the fear.In addition, anyone who fears suffering from hypochondria should try to be open to psychosomatic treatment. This is the only way to treat an existing hypochondria.
Follow-up
Because hypochondriasis is a psychological disorder, aftercare must be provided throughout the patient’s life. Measures for aftercare therefore begin at the end of therapy, usually with a psychologist. Aftercare looks different for patients with hypochondriasis in individual cases, but is guided by a common framework. In psychotherapy, patients have usually worked out factors that led to the onset of hypochondria. Awareness of these factors now forms the starting point for maintaining a stable mental state and preventing relapses. Patients must develop sufficient sensitivity to their own condition and to risky external factors. In particular, strokes of fate or illnesses in the family circle have the potential to cause psychologically unstable individuals an unbearable level of stress, which can result in renewed hypochondria. If patients notice that they are overwhelmed with new situations in their lives or experience other psychological discomfort, the former psychotherapist or a psychological emergency center should be contacted immediately. The sooner this is done, the greater the chances that a new outbreak of the disease can be avoided. Self-help groups represent an option for patients to find understanding and exchange even after the illness, which makes it easier to deal with the mental disorder.
What you can do yourself
Hypochondriasis is a disorder in which affected persons, if necessary also with therapuetische support, can actively cooperate in their everyday life to grow the tormenting fears around alleged diseases step by step. The first step is for the patient to make an inner decision to trust a doctor’s diagnosis and advice after an examination. Seeing other doctors for second opinions (so-called “doctor hopping”) only provides short-term reassurance and often increases hypochondria over time, as does constant research into one’s own symptoms on the Internet (cyberchondria). Another important building block for people affected by hypochondria is to trust in one’s own body again. In many cases, this can be achieved through athletic training with a gentle introduction and dosed exertion. As a result, the patient regains confidence in his or her ability to perform and the fear of serious illnesses such as a heart attack can be reduced and, ideally, eliminated altogether. Distractions such as social activities can also help to break the constant preoccupation with one’s own body and the associated negative cycle of thoughts. In this context, learning a relaxation method or yoga also helps. In addition, CDs with guided fantasy journeys assist with the ability to relax, which is so important for the hypochondriac.
