Hypochondria is hard to treat, but experts have made progress. Several studies show that using antidepressants, such as Prozac and Luvox, can help. Antianxiety medications are also used to treat the disorder. Barsky and other researchers say that cognitive-behavioral therapy also works .
Is being a hypochondriac a medical condition?
Illness anxiety disorder is a chronic mental illness previously known as hypochondria. People with this disorder have a persistent fear that they have a serious or life-threatening illness despite few or no symptoms.
How do you help someone who is a hypochondriac?
Don’t dwell on illness. Encourage them to verbalize fears about their health, but don’t join in. Be supportive, but don’t show too much concern and try to stay neutral in your answers. Express that you understand their struggle, without encouraging their obsessive thoughts.
Is hypochondria a form of OCD?
People with OCD have obsessions that relate to a variety of themes, such as contamination, sexuality, religion, personal harm, or morals. In contrast, people with hypochondriasis have obsession-like concerns primarily related to their health .
What should you not say to a hypochondriac?
- “Stop worrying about it”
- “You’re an anxious person”
- “Why would you be anxious about that?”
- “Just don’t think about it”
Can a hypochondriac be cured?
Curing hypochondria, or the obsessive search for cures, does not happen instantly . It takes time, effort, and commitment to changing one’s life for the better. However, with therapy, medication if necessary, and positive lifestyle changes, you can train your mind to use its curative powers for good rather than ill.
What triggers hypochondria?
Some of the causes include: Disturbance in perception such that normal sensations are magnified. Having learned apparent benefits of being sick, such as receiving attention . Hypochondriasis may occur in an individual who had a childhood illness or had a sibling with a childhood illness.
What’s the difference between Munchausen and hypochondria?
Hypochondria, also called illness anxiety disorder, is when you’re completely preoccupied and worried that you’re sick. Munchausen syndrome, now known as factitious disorder, is when you always want to be sick.
Is hypochondria a symptom of schizophrenia?
Hypochondriasis (HYPO), an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, is frequent in patients with schizophrenia (SCH) (20%) , especially among those treated with clozapine (36.7%).
Do hypochondriacs feel real symptoms?
Do hypochondriacs feel real symptoms? Yes . Hypochondria can trigger symptoms associated with anxiety including: stomachaches, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, muscle tension, fatigue, increased heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, and a frequent urge to use the bathroom.
How do you live with a hypochondriac husband?
- Check up. First, get your spouse to see a doctor you trust, says Fallon. ...
- Be caring but firm. ...
- Don’t dwell on illness. ...
- Consider couples therapy.
Do hypochondriacs live longer?
Scrupulously controlling for as many variables as possible, this research team found that individuals who complained about their health were three times more likely to die in the next 30 years than those who perceived themselves as more able-bodied and hearty.
Can hypochondriacs make themselves sick?
Often dismissed as neurotic time-wasters, hypochondriacs’ constant fixation and anxiety about their health can be as disabling as a real physical illness . “Hypochondriacs become their symptoms.
Is hypochondriac hereditary?
Results suggested that hypochondriasis is moderately heritable , with genetic factors accounting for up to 35% of the variance in Hs scores (7,8).
Are hypochondriacs self aware?
Although some people might have both, these are distinct conditions. Patients with hypochondriasis often are not aware that depression and anxiety produce their own physical symptoms , and mistake these symptoms for manifestations of another mental or physical disorder or disease.
What is the difference between health anxiety and hypochondria?
Health anxiety is an obsessive and irrational worry about having a serious medical condition. It’s also called illness anxiety, and was formerly called hypochondria . This condition is marked by a person’s imagination of physical symptoms of illness.
How do I stop obsessing about health problems?
You might utilize relaxation skills, deep breathing, mindfulness practice, being in nature, or other soothing activities that ground you back in the present moment . These are tools that can help you to refocus attention when thoughts about the body are all-consuming.
Can your mind create symptoms?
So if you’re experiencing unexplained aches and pains, it might be linked to your mental health. According to Carla Manley, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author, people with mental illnesses can experience a range of physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, pain, headaches, insomnia, and feelings of restlessness.
How do you break the cycle of health anxiety?
What kind of therapy is used for hypochondria?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) : Hypochondria is often characterized by seemingly irrational beliefs or concerns about a health symptom or condition. CBT helps people identify those beliefs and replace them with more rational and realistic thoughts.
How is hypochondria diagnosed?
Diagnosis of Hypochondriasis is dependent upon presentation of symptoms and the patients behavior . These symptoms can be observed by a healthcare provider or it can be reported by people who are close to the patient such as family and friends. The patient can report these symptoms as well.
Is hypochondria a psychosomatic?
For most of us it’s a fleeting worry, quickly forgotten when the symptom disappears. For hypochondriacs, however, that sense of anxiety never goes away. Then there’s psychosomatic illness: when people unconsciously think themselves ill . Olivia Willis and Lynne Malcolm report.
Why do I think every pain is serious?
Health anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can sometimes be linked , because health anxiety sufferers can rapidly go from fearing illness to becoming obsessed about illness, convincing themselves that every ache and pain is a sign of something sinister.
