Are You A Hypochondriac or A Faker?




Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin

Hypochondria is a tricky problem because it does not involve an exact medical science. A person for mostly unknown reasons becomes totally obsessed with the idea that there is something seriously wrong with them. Firmly believing that a life-threatening illness is slowly stealing their life, the person obsesses over the imagined illness to the point of becoming seriously depressed. Medical evidence through tests will confirm that there is no illness present and that the person is fine.

Hypochondria is a tricky problem because it does not involve an exact medical science. A person for mostly unknown reasons becomes totally obsessed with the idea that there is something seriously wrong with them.
Hypochondriacs can suffer this condition for months or years and sometimes really become ill because of their excessive worrying about an illness that does not exist. A certain amount of concern for one’s health is normal and all of us at some stage feel slight anxiety over some ailment that bothers us. We also have moments of ‘what if’ when we wonder whether it could some kind of serious health problem. All of this is totally normal and should not be mistaken for hypochondria.

The best way to describe a hypochondriac is to imagine a person who is totally obsessed with their health from the moment they wake each morning. All the person can think of is the seriousness of the imagined disease. This type of obsession impairs the person’s ability to think properly and function normally. Family life and work life get seriously disrupted to the point where the person can no longer function as they should.

Hypochondria is a full-blown psychosomatic disorder – a form of mental illness that causes the mind to believe totally and implicitly that there is a dreaded disease inside the body. The person soon begins to get angry with family members and doctors believing that they are against him or her. No one can live in this condition for the rest of their life because in time it only gets worse.

Learning about hypochondria, seeking psychological counseling and taking treatment can help to resolve the problem. Hypochondria generally starts in early adulthood, but there is no hard and fast rule as to when it should start. Furthermore, it is no respecter of persons and attacks men and women equally.

Hypochondria is a health ailment and more of a mental problem than any real physical condition. Family members need to understand that the person is not deliberately behaving the way they do or lying to gain sympathy. The person is of the firm belief that there really is a problem.

The common signs of hypochondria include:

  • Persistent fear or anxiety that a serious health condition is prevalent
  • Intense fear that every little ailment, bodily function or normal sensation is a sign that a life-threatening disease is present
  • Frequent visits to a number of doctors hoping that the right doctor will be able to determine the nature of the non-existent medical problem
  • Undergoing complex medical exams such as MRI scans, exploratory surgery or echocardiograms for example
  • Continually referring to the non-existent disease, talking of how ill the person is and how much they are suffering in silence
  • Obsession with research on the perceived medical condition and imagined symptoms
  • Believing that a particular disease is present soon after reading or hearing about it

Under normal circumstances, it is possible to have a pain or a particular symptom that the doctor may have difficulty in diagnosing. Worry under such circumstances is perfectly normal and not to be confused with hypochondria. Sometimes a second or even a third opinion may be necessary.

The problem of hypochondria rears its head when the patient starts to find ailments that match the symptoms, real or imagined. The possibility of finding an illness is always there given the unlimited number of health conditions we are faced with today. Many of the minor ailments have some symptoms in common with serious illnesses.

So long as we don’t cross the line into becoming obsessed with health and imagining that every possible illness may be present, everything will be fine. Cross that line and start to obsess and it very easily becomes hypochondria.

When the signs of hypochondria manifest themselves or if you feel that you are starting to obsess about a particular organ or disease, visit the general practitioner to explain the situation. Regular tests will reveal whether there is an underlying problem. If there isn’t and the obsession grows, it is time to visit a mental health specialist. Treatments are available for hypochondria; don’t delay in taking that step. It will save the individual and the family a load of grief and long-term agony.

 

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The Hypochondriac And Mental Health



Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin

Hypochondria or hypochondriasis is a mental illness that doctors refer to as a somatoform disorder. This is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms that physically manifest themselves. However, the problem cannot be fully diagnosed or explained. Hypochondriacs as they are referred to, are totally consumed by fear that a life threatening illness is present in the body.

A person suffering from hypochondria is in a constant state of worry over imagined illnesses inside the body or about illnesses that will invade the body. Regardless of the fact that the medical tests confirm the absence of any disease, the hypochondriac continues to worry. The problem common to all hypochondriacs is that they often misinterpret simple health ailments or even normal body functions as signs of a life-threatening illness.

Not to exaggerate the point, but a normal person will accept that a headache is just that, a headache – probably brought on by too little rest or a very stressful day. A hypochondriac on the other hand will believe that the headache stems from the existence of a brain tumor. Not even test results to the contrary will convince them otherwise.

In fairness to the hypochondriac, the symptoms of hypochondria are not really under the person’s control. This causes a great deal of stress, often interfering with the person’s ability to function normally in real life situations. A great deal of pressure is placed on the family and friends of a hypochondriac. Very often families face the brunt of the problem because the person cannot function normally. Normalcy is hindered by the person’s total obsession with imagined illnesses.

Hypochondria is a medical condition that causes people to believe that even normal body functions are symptoms of seriously ill health. These symptoms may include something as normal as sweating or bowel movements. A runny nose can become a cause for even greater concern and a small lesion can cause the hypochondriac sleepless nights.

Hypochondriacs are in the habit of using strange phrases to describe imagined symptoms such as a sore liver that causes them sleepless nights or tired veins that prevent normal blood circulation. A hypochondriac generally focuses on one organ in the body. The common organs that are usually picked on are the lungs and liver, but it can be anything. In the same manner, a hypochondriac can focus on a particular disease. Even after all the tests come back negative, the anxiety inside the person continues growing as does the conviction that there is something wrong that the doctor failed to detect.

There are no definitive statistics on how many people actually suffer from hypochondria. People typically visit the family doctor or general practitioner for treatment. For this reason, many people are not diagnosed with hypochondria in the first place. Furthermore, people suffering from hypochondriac symptoms generally keep changing doctors, firmly convinced that the next one will detect the problem because it is there.

From the limited statistics available it is believed that approximately 8 percent of adults in America have problems with hypochondria. There is on average the same number of men and women suffering from the problem.

Normal worries and fears should not be confused with hypochondria; most people will worry at some stage about a health problem. Minor physical symptoms can cause worry when they persist, but this is not hypochondria. When the fear of a disease stays with the person for over six months and starts to consume their every waking thought, then there is cause for concern. Further, when repeated tests come back negative, it is best to take the person to a mental health specialist to check for hypochondria.

The hypochondria problem does not have a specific duration because treatment tends to be rather vague. A person can have the problem for months or years, it will all depend on how soon it is diagnosed. Some hypochondriacs do not exhibit any symptoms for months on end. According to the experts, 30 percent of the hypochondria patients eventually improve.

The possibility of successfully treating hypochondria is higher in people who respond well to treatment for their depression or anxiety; are at the high-end of the socio-economic scale and don’t suffer from personality disorders or non-psychiatric medical problems.

Death of loved ones or a prolonged illness can give rise to hypochondria, but doctors are rather vague as to the actual cause of the problem.

 

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Real Or Imagined – The Truth Behind Living as a Hypochondriac



Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin

A preoccupation or obsession that you may be seriously ill or have a life threatening disease is referred to medically as hypochondria or being a hypochondriac. In reality, medical tests and evaluations will confirm that the person is perfectly healthy and well. Yet the fear persists that there is a fatal disease lurking inside the body that the doctors have not been able to identify. The anxiety stemming from the fear of being ill can continue for months or even years.

OCD Action Figure 150x150 Real Or Imagined – The Truth Behind Living as a Hypochondriac

People who suffer from hypochondria are referred to as hypochondriacs. Living in dread of an unknown illness and constantly fearing the worst is really a terrible life to live. A hypochondriac is always misinterpreting or exaggerating the importance of every normal symptom. A pain in the tummy becomes a tumor that can turn cancerous; a headache can become an aneurysm in the making; a slight indigestion can become a serious intestinal problem. The list is endless with every minor ache or ailment becoming something life-threatening.

Hypochondriacs suffer from what is termed a psychosomatic disorder; it is a mental illness manifesting itself through physical symptoms. Family members and friends need to be aware that to the hypochondriac, the symptoms are very real. The person is not making up tall stories as an attention seeking ploy; nor is the person malingering. Truly believing he or she is seriously ill, the person tends to become even more upset that people refuse to believe what they are saying. This has the effect of making a bad situation worse.

The hypochondriac spends all of his or her time consumed with wanting to find a doctor who will diagnose the illness.

Symptoms of hypochondria include:

  • Over-exaggeration of minor ailments and symptoms
  • Excessive levels of anxiety over a particular disease
  • Repeated visits to a doctor and frequent testing for analysis
  • Constant checking of the body for signs of illness such as lesions, lumps, sores
  • Frequent checking of blood pressure and pulse rate
  • Immediate conviction that he or she has a disease soon after reading about it or hearing of it

Hypochondriacs react in one of two ways, either making repeated visits to doctors or not seeing a doctor at all. In the first instance, the hypochondriac will keep finding new doctors to visit, shuttling between specialists to find the cause of the problem. The other extreme is adopted when the person is so totally convinced that the imagined problem is real and life-threatening. The hypochondriac will refuse to see a doctor for fear of receiving bad news.

Complications from hypochondria include: high anxiety levels leading to depression and inability to deal with problems in school or in the work place. The person will find it difficult to handle interpersonal relationships. Hypochondriacs are actually at risk from real health problems or complications because of the many treatments and tests they undergo.

Hypochondria causes:

Often we experience various pains, slight discomfort in the stomach region, headaches, a feverish feeling or simply feel unwell at times. It is natural for the body to experience unpleasant sensations. However, the unhealthy obsession with illness, focusing on it to the exclusion of all else is still a mystery to doctors.

Doctors hazard that hypochondria is an obsessive compulsive disorder. Maybe the feelings of anxiety, fear, sweating, increased pulse rate and racing heart are partly the cause of the person’s belief that there is a serious illness in the body.

Hypochondria is not gender conscious and can occur in men and women, but certain factors tend to increase the risk of the problem occurring. For example, a serious or life-threatening childhood illness; close friends or family members undergoing a serious illness and being surrounded by constant talk of medical related problems; a loved one’s death and anxiety disorders.
Hypochondria treatments

  • Hypochondria is a chronic condition and doctors use therapy and medication combination therapies to treat the problem. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one such treatment where the patient is trained to recognize false thinking and confront the triggers leading to anxiety
  • Exposure therapy is another form of anxiety treatment that encourages the patient to handle fear by confronting it in a controlled environment
  • Medication in the form of anti-depressants is also prescribed to treat hypochondriac patients. Medication is a very risky treatment as the side effects from the medication often give rise to new symptoms
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Hypochondriac



Posted on December 25, 2011 by admin

For hypochondriacs, it’s recommended to be very sensitive to your body. Or else, you’ll miss the potential signs that the diseases are trying to tell you before they’re too far gone to identify. There always seems to be some folks who do this more than others however. They’re that which you would call the hypochondriac.

What defines a hypochondriac is that this person tends to tie every symptom to a symptom that is potentially life threating.  As an example, someone might acquaint a minor head ache to be a potential brain tumor. Or even a pain in the lower extremities could be something related to a spinal cord disease. Stomach pains due to overeating could be likened to a cancer type growth.

You are additionally investing tons of cash for wasted doctor visits. All this will accomplish is to overtax your pocket book, not to mention the overuse of your precious health insurance. Something else that also results from repeated trips to the doctor’s repeadetly is that it takes up the doctors time which could be used diagonsing patients that have a real illness!
As any hypochondriac can tell you, you will have lots or stress and grief as part of your modus operandi. And the thing is, is that if you don’t get the results that you want on your tests, then you will never get relief.

And due to the stress, it is much easier that you should have the “signs as well as symptoms”. This tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy which is doubly bad. That being said, is there a path to bring relief for the hypochondriac. Well, yes there really is!

You must learn how to wait.  Typically, any symptoms that you might think you have will not be serious in nature and chances are that you will be given some type of prescriptions or maybe even other alternative medicines.

So learn how to wait. If there is something really wrong, it will reveal itself eventually. If you get quick results, then it is apparent that it was never anything to be worried about from the get-go.
Also good advice is to get exams on a regular basis. Try to stretch these out to about six months or so intervals. Or alternatively, you can get a targeted check up occassionaly that will focus on the area of your body that seems to cause the most problems. This will most certainly save you costs over time which in itself will help your overall attitude and health.

Another thing to do is to get educated. Learn more about the particular malady that you are obsessing with. This will help you to ferret out the false symptoms and get a grip on reality.

Do you have a fear of getting cancer?
Were you aware that most all of the growths that people get never turn out to be tumerous. They are in fact without harm. There’s also know factors, which might increase the probability of getting the illness. Some of these can be overweight conditions, or even genetics plus the fact that we are all getting older.  There are also certain age groups where testing for cancer tests become compulsory. For example, men can choose a prostate exam by the age of fifty or sooner if there is a history of that type of cancer in the family records.

It might make sense to talk with a doctor who can help dispel any myths about certain maladies. Another thought is to buy books or perhaps keep up on certain medical TV programs.

Learn to settle down.  It is important to learn new ways of coping and to train yourself how to relax.
You may make use of subliminal messages. Subliminal communications for example “I know there is absolutely nothing wrong with me” or even “I accept each and every discomfort that’s happening to me” or “I fully believe my doctors diagnosis”. These can help you to transfer the fake thoughts of your hypochondriac self and shift them over to a reality based assumption.

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Reasons why Persons Have Hypochondriac Tendencies?



Posted on January 21, 2012 by admin

Hypochondriac tendencies are a cerebral affliction where a person perceives that they’re in poor health and absolutely no degree of convincing is likely to make them believe otherwise. They normally visit health professionals stressing about”phantom” ailments they may have, so when informed through the medical doctor that their test demonstrates that there isn’t anything improper with them, they are still not likely to believe them. Often the symptoms of hypochondria act like other kinds of fear but they’re frequently centered on a precise body component or even an experience of which the man or woman experiences.

This particular mental health affliction is in large part influenced by hypersensitivity associated with the nerves; or maybe in other words an extraordinarily high degree of attention to the feelings inside your body. Hypochondriacs are typically only able to focus his / her responses on an exceptionally thin variety of physical feelings; and this is what contributes to the self-destructive character concerning hypochondria.

Afflicted individuals often place tons of emphasis on almost everything which they feel and consider them as some sort of unsafe illness. The signs and symptoms of which hypochondriacs generally think they have got are so tiny that typically they will be ignored as well. However for hypochondriacs, all of these small indicators are actually messengers associated with disaster, they feel that possibly they are precursors that they’ve a situation life-threatening.

If you desire to feel what hypersensitivity looks like, take a look at this straight-forward step: the first thing is consider your right hand, and after that on a single finger, and after that on simply the fingertip. Put all your attention to exclusively that fingertip. You’ll see subsequently that an individual can from now on come to experience nearly every minor perception which that fingertip encounters, you might also contemplate a functional sense of acuity there oftentimes. Take notice that had you not concentrated your emphasis on your fingertip you would undoubtedly not even become aware of those sensations you experienced, this is actually hypersensitivity. This hypersensitivity could be the basic cause of all of the symptoms of hypochondria.

Each and every minor natural experience, regardless if they’re not even stressing, the hypochondriac’s thought processes will certainly interpret them as something difficult or perhaps at the minimum, irregular.
They believe that since they are very familiar with the impression which they felt, that they unconsciously know that there must be some discomfort. What exactly the hypochondriac does not necessarily appreciate is that this specific extraordinarily high understanding, often bordering on obsession of every single tiny factor being carried out inside the body is what triggers their hypochondria. These induce their anxiety and panic or perhaps panic attacks. Essentially the system’s conflict or even defensive system is functioning against itself.

But there is a formula to free affected individuals connected with this particular obsession with their body systems, although it is sometimes easier in theory than practice for hypochondriacs. They have to put their full confidence in their doctor as well as themselves. They must put themselves on the side, concentrating practically all their recognition on a single body element for an extended time frame. They must understand this principle and that should they do this they’ll undeniably feel some thing. In fact there genuinely is”something” happening everywhere inside our bodies, and for that reason just dismiss it. By means of proper treatment and medications, hypochondriacs can free themselves from this specific fatiguing emotional disorder and revel in their lives to the max.

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Is There Help for people who are Hypochondriacs?



Posted on January 3, 2012 by admin

Is there seriously a cure for hypochondriacs? After all, if hypochondria is the persistant concern about suffering from unreal infirmities, one would think that hypochondria itself is a fabrication of the mind. The truth of the matter is that hypochondriacs cannot seem to get a grasp of their bodies and the sensations thereof.  Even with constant reminders from their doctors telling them that they are OK, does little to bring them a true peace of mind.

Hypochondriacs are generally those who have convinced themselves that they are struggling with a sickness, even though the smallest of signs point to them that they are really sick from some sort of ailment. Many times, the hypochondriac will believe that they are truly sick from a major disease such as cancer or even Lupus or some other auto immune malady. Researching and looking into these type of symptoms is what they are really fond of doing usually to obsession. And other than major diseases that they obsess about, they are also fond of complaining about other minor things, such as “weak nerves” or a”worn-out gall bladder.” Hypochondriacs tend to be obsessive compulsive complainers; and there is nothing or no one who can convince them that there exists anything wrong with them.

Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that these alleged health conditions are truly fantasy, the far reaching consequences that these”illnesses” do have a very genuine impact on their life styles. There is a psychosomatic impact once the individual is convinced that precisely what he experiences is real. Your thoughts may force the body to actually feel what it believes it ought to be feeling. Let us presume for argument’s sake that the hypochondriac does have a true malady, that person will automatically take it as one step from death. The normal afflictions that they have are not unusual, but typically are overweight condition, or perhaps anemia as well as a weakened immune system.

Hypochondriacs can’t be simply told there’s very little wrong with regards to their body, that it’s virtually all in their mind. It is really deceitful for doctors to inform them that and simply disregard them and then leave them to suffer via their dreamed of illnesses. It’s not their own responsibility that they are overly obsessed with the mechanics of their bodies.  This would be like saying someone with agoraphobia is ignorant because they can’t go out in the public eye. They did not choose to end up like that, they have a really serious condition, which must be dealt with appropriately or it could turn much worse and really lead to serious issues. On the plus side there is help for your hypochondriacs; using effective and strenuous tactics, this can help to improve their situation. And it just maybe do away with their anxiety totally.

When you or perhaps even someone you care about is afflicted with being a hypochondriac, the appropriate physician to confer with usually isn’t going to be medical professionals but psychologists.

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Hypochondriac Causes and Cures



Posted on October 1, 2011 by admin

The notion of a cure for the hypochondriac can seem like a paradoxical one. After all, doesn’t “hypochondria” just mean a constant sense of being afflicted by imaginary maladies? Does it not follow that hypochondria is, itself, an imaginary malady? The fact is the hypochondriac can’t help his anxiety. A hypochondriac can visit the doctor again and again and be assured that nothing is wrong, without becoming convinced. Common-sense advice is no remedy for those who suffer from what can be a debilitating psychological condition. For the hypochondriac, even expert medical advice does not offer a way of releasing fear.

Hypochondriac

A Mental Affliction

A hypochondriac is someone who is convinced that he or she is suffering from some physical malady, despite showing no objectively measurable symptoms of any physical illness. Sometimes the hypochondriac can become convinced that he or she is suffering from a particular illness, such as cancer or AIDS (often, immediately after he or she has read at length about that illness–something that hypochondriacs often show an inordinate interest in doing). At other times, the hypochondriac complains of such vague ailments as “weak nerves,” or “a worn-out gall bladder.” The hypochondriac will not cease to complain, no matter how often the doctors tell the sufferer that they can find nothing wrong with his or her nervous system or gall bladder.

Hypochondriac

Psychosomatic Symptoms

Unfortunately, although hypochondriacs’ illnesses are often entirely imaginary, the impact of those imaginary “illnesses” on their lives can be all too real. When hypochondria sufferers of this mental debility complain of “slow blood,” they will genuinely feel weak and tired, as though their blood were actually slowing down. Countless experiments have shown what a powerful influence the mind holds over the body. If the mind of a hypochondriac decides that the body is weak–or, even, near death–all too often, the body will follow suit. Imaginary illnesses reduce their sufferers’ quality of life, and can lead to very real conditions, such as depression, weight gain, anemia, or a weakened immune system.

hypo pic haha 150x150 Hypochondriac Causes and Cures

When You Need A Cure For Hypochondria

It’s obvious, then, that hypochondriacs can’t simply be told, “there’s nothing wrong with you.” Ethically, we cannot just dismiss them with that simple phrase, and then allow them to suffer from ailments of their own making. Hypochondriacs did not “choose” to become morbidly obsessed with the idea of becoming ill, any more than agoraphobics “chose” to be afraid of open spaces and crowds. Fortunately, there are powerful techniques that can help.

Stop Hypochondria With Hypnotherapy And NLP

Hypochondria is no different from other mental disturbances, in which a patient is plagued by a recurring, destructive, self-perpetuating, obsessive thought (in this case, becoming ill). NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, is a method of ultra-effective communication that a skilled therapist can use (often, in combination with hypnosis) to “talk” you out of your obsessive thought patterns. With the help of the NLP therapist, you’ll learn to isolate destructive thought patterns in yourself (e.g. “I’m going to get sick”) and re-condition your mind to replace those destructive patterns with more constructive ones (e.g. “I’m not in any real pain, therefore I’m not sick”).

In this way, you should look to a therapist, and not a medical doctor, to find a cure for hypochondria.

J J Seymour is a writer with Self Help Recordings. Hypnotherapy and NLP can be very useful Cure For Hypochondria – one good source of experienced hypnotherapists and NLP practitioners is Just Be Well. This organization has experienced professionals throughout the UK in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, East Anglia, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Surrey, Sussex and Scotland. You will also find links to related practitioners for hypochondria treatment in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, for Dublin, Ireland, and for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia. If you are unable to visit a practitioner in person you may well benefit from a good and guaranteed self hypnosis recording such as Releasing Fear, by experienced hypnotherapist Kathy Welter Nichols for the hypochondriac.

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