HYPOCHONDRIASIS: The more popular term, hypochondria, is an anxiety spectrum disorder, so view the post on anxiety, on page 1, and page i, about it.
HYPOCHONDRIA: (FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG): The term hypochondria comes from the Greek hypo- (below) and chondros (cartilage - of the breast bone), and is thought to have been originally coined by Hippocrates. It was thought by many Greek physicians of antiquity that many ailments were caused by the movement of the spleen, an organ located near the hypochondrium (the upper region of the abdomen just below the ribs on either side of the epigastrium). Later use in the 19th Century employed the term to mean, “illness without a specific cause,” and it is thought that around that time period the term evolved to be the male counterpart to female hysteria. In modern usage, the term hypochondriac is often used as a pejorative label for individuals who hold the belief that they have a serious illness despite repeated reassurance from physicians that they are perfectly healthy. Hypochondria is sometimes confused with malingering, an intentional falsification of illness for external gains such as avoiding work or school, or factitious disorder, an intentional falsification of illness to assume the sick role.
[edit]Manifestation and comorbidity Hypochondriasis manifests in various ways. Some people have numerous intrusive thoughts and physical sensations that push them to check with family, friends and physicians. Other people are so afraid of any reminder of illness that they will avoid medical professionals for a seemingly minor problem, sometimes to the point of becoming neglectful of their health when a serious condition may exist and go undiagnosed. Again, some people are afraid of getting a disease because they have a disease. Yet, some others live in despair and depression, certain that they have a life-threatening disease and no physician can help them, considering the disease as a punishment for past misdeeds. [4]
Many people with hypochondriasis experience a cycle of intrusive thoughts followed by compulsive checking, which is very similar to the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, while people with hypochondriasis are afraid of having an illness, patients with OCD worry about getting an illness or of transmitting an illness to others. [4] 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 that might be mistaken for signs of a serious medical disease. For example, people with depression often experience changes in appetite and weight fluctuation, fatigue, decreased interest in sex and motivation in life overall. Intense anxiety is associated with rapid heart beat, palpitations, sweating, muscle tension, stomach discomfort, and numbness or tingling in certain parts of the body (hands, forehead, etc.)[citation needed]
[edit]Factors contributing to hypochondriaCyberchondria is a colloquial term for hypochondria in individuals who have researched medical conditions on the Internet. The media and the Internet often contribute to hypochondria, as articles, TV shows and advertisements regarding serious illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis (some of the diseases hypochondriacs commonly think they have) often portray these diseases as being random, obscure and somewhat inevitable. Inaccurate portrayal of risk and the identification of non-specific symptoms as signs of serious illness contribute to exacerbating the hypochondriac’s fear that they actually have that illness.
Major disease outbreaks or predicted pandemics can also contribute to hypochondria. Statistics regarding certain illnesses, such as cancer, will give hypochondriacs the illusion that they are more likely to develop the disease. A simple suggestion of mental illness can often trigger one with hypochondria to obsess over the possibility.
It is common for serious illnesses or deaths of family members or friends to trigger hypochondria in certain individuals. Similarly, when approaching the age of a parent's premature death from disease, many otherwise healthy, happy individuals fall prey to hypochondria. These individuals believe they are suffering from the same disease that caused their parent's death, sometimes causing panic attacks with corresponding symptoms.
A majority of people who experience physical pains or anxieties over non-existent ailments are not actually "faking it", but rather, experience the natural results of other emotional issues, such as very high amounts of stress.
“ Grief that finds no vent in tears makes other organs weep. ” —Dr. Henry Maudsley, British psychiatrist
Family studies of hypochondriasis do not show a genetic transmission of the disorder. Among relatives of people suffering from hypochondriasis only somatization disorder and generalized anxiety disorder were more common than in average families. [4] Other studies have shown that the first degree relatives of patients with OCD have a higher than expected frequency of a somatoform disorder (either hypochondriasis or body dysmorphic disorder).[6]
Some anxieties and depressions are believed to be mediated by problems with brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine. The physical symptoms that people with anxiety or depression feel are indeed real bodily symptoms, and are believed to be triggered by neurochemical changes. For example, too much norepinephrine will result in severe panic attacks with symptoms of increased heart rate and sweating, shortness of breath, and fear. Too little serotonin can result in severe depression, accompanied by a sleep disturbance, severe fatigue, and typically is treatable with medical intervention.[citation needed]
[edit]Treatment If a person is sick with a medical disease such as diabetes or arthritis, there will often be psychological consequences, such as depression. Some even report being suicidal. In the same way, someone with psychological issues such as depression or anxiety will sometimes experience physical manifestations of these affective fluctuations, often in the form of medically unexplained symptoms. Common symptoms include headaches; abdominal, back, joint, rectal, or urinary pain; nausea; itching; diarrhea; dizziness; or balance problems. Many people with hypochondriasis accompanied by medically unexplained symptoms feel they are not understood by their physicians, and are frustrated by their doctors’ repeated failure to provide symptom relief. Common to the different approaches to the treatment of hypochondriasis is the effort to help each patient find a better way to overcome the way his/her medically unexplained symptoms and illness concerns rule her/his life. Current research makes clear that this excessive worry can be helped by either appropriate medicine or targeted psychotherapy.
Recent scientific studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; e.g., fluoxetine and paroxetine) are effective treatment options for hypochondriasis as demonstrated in clinical trials.[7][8][9][10][11] CBT, a psycho-educational “talk” therapy, helps the worrier to address and cope with bothersome physical symptoms and illness worries and is found helpful in reducing the intensity and frequency of troubling bodily symptoms. SSRIs can reduce obsessive worry through readjusting neurotransmitter levels and have been shown to be effective as treatments for anxiety and depression as well as for hypochondriasis.
In the United States, NIH-funded studies are now underway to compare different treatment approaches for hypochondriasis: a study in the New York City area[12] and a study in the Boston area.[13] In these studies, patients will be given one of four treatments: supportive therapy with fluoxetine, supportive therapy with placebo, cognitive behavior therapy, or cognitive behavior therapy with fluoxetine. _____________________________________________________________________________________ MY RESPONSE ABOUT selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors :
See: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl… St. John's wort has anxiolytic, as well as antidepressant properties, so consider taking a recommended brand, along with a low dosage of 5HTP, and employing the core treatments shown for depression, and a relaxation method, and/or the EFT. Check out: http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.a…
The feedback that I have received is that SSRI's work, if they do, by blunting the emotions. Many users describe it as "zombification", or emotional deadness. They produce side effects in around 25% - 30% of cases, and they can sometimes (rarely) include the possibility of permanent inorgasmia, (inability to achieve orgasm) or even the permanent loss of the ability for a male to achieve an erection, which is something they don't advertise. Although they may limit the lows, they also limit the excitement, and joys of life. That effect is far less pronounced with St. John's wort, and may be unnoticeable.
SSRI's have demonstrated increased rates of suicide, homicide, and aberrant behaviour, especially in people under the age of around 24 - 25. Note the warnings on the label/insert, or at www.drugs.com The wort carries no such risks, and side effects are rarer, generally much milder, and never permanent., so why take an unnecessary risk? I suggest that such people immediately adopt the core treatments shown, and consider using the herbal remedies, or OTHER supplements. If SSRI's are offered, say "thank you very much" and pocket the prescription, but don't fill it until giving the natural & alternative treatments a trial period of at least 3, and preferably 6 months. SSRI's will still be available, if required, (unlikely) but it's best to avoid the risks, and side effects. _____________________________________________________________________________________
MY ADVICE RE TREATMENT:
Ask yourself exactly what evidence there is to support the idea that you may have such a disease, or is it just a baseless fear? What if you did have it. How would you cope? What then? Work it all out on paper. It's important to regularly monitor, and deal with a negative internal monologue (self talk), or mental process, such as disturbing thoughts, images, impulses, or emotions, by the process of (a): recognising it, and (b): challenging it immediately. Technique For Re-Programming Negative Thoughts: When you notice something negative, such as: "I can't do this/ am never going to get over this!" or: "Why am I always so useless/such a loser?" or even an image, emotion, or a memory; recognise that it is being generated from the negative part of your mind. After identifying, and labelling it, visualise a large, red, flashing, "STOP!" sign, and/or possibly a stern faced person wagging an index finger at you in a negative manner, then say to yourself as forcefully as you can, even aloud in a big voice, if alone: "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE !!!" You may want to use either: "ruse", "ploy", "game", or "trick". In the case of an image, visualise a large "STOP" sign, or your preferred version. Some people go so far as to keep a wide rubber band in their pocket, then put it around their wrist, when they catch themselves backsliding, stretch and release it, as a method of reprogramming their mind sooner, but I don't regard it as being strictly necessary. Remember to remove it, afterwards, if you use this method.
Try replacing a negative thought with a positive affirmation of your choice, such as repeating: "I'll be just fine". Realise that by the act of viewing material about various diseases, you are implanting a suggestion in your subconscious mind that you may have it, It recognises a potential threat, and initiates the (formerly, in times long past) appropriate response; a "fight, or flight" reaction. Stop viewing such material. Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as: (free) http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-… or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody… or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (no flexibility required) on page L at your-mental-health.weebly.com below, and see page Z for much more about hypochondria (panic attacks, and anxiety; see pages 1, h, & i). Qi Gong, Tai Chi, or regular yoga suits others better. Give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com "EFT" & "EFT therapists", or www.tapping.com (13 free videos) or www.emofree.com Professional is best. - There is a version for use in public places, (you could claim to have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I have hypochondria, I deeply and completely accept myself." These will enable you to emotionally centre yourself, when practiced regularly, and can also help you become a calmer, more self controlled person, who is less susceptible to such beliefs.
Read: Treating Health Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach by Steven Taylor Phd and Gordon J. G. Asmundson PhD, & The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death. by Gene Weingarten, & It's Not All in Your Head: How Worrying about Your Health Could Be Making You Sick--and What You Can Do about It by Gordon J. G. Asmundson Ph.D and Steven Taylor Ph.d, from your bookstore, or Amazon.com and there are other media, such as CD's & Kindle material, via their searchbar: "hypochondria". Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or more alternatives along such lines are at http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/z.html where the above came from. ________________________________________________________________
HYPNOTHERAPY: Most people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or, quicker, cheaper, and more conveniently http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com has: Overcome Hypochondria
How to overcome hypochondria (fear or phobia of illness) Being worried about your health all the time can be incredibly tiring.
And when the fear and anxiety about possible symptoms and diseases gets out of hand, hypochondria is the diagnosis.
Many people who worry excessively about their health spend a lot of time looking up books and searching the internet for information on symptoms in an effort to reassure themselves.
But this rarely works.
Most symptoms can be interpreted in a huge variety of ways, from the mundane to the life threatening.
Hypochondria sufferers usually assume the worst, with the resulting feelings of anxiety and even panic.
This is why an effective cure for hypochondria has to go about things differently.
The breakthrough usually comes when people are able to ‘step out’ of the thoughts that create the anxiety, and in turn, the focus on symptoms subsides, usually very quickly.
If you suffer from hypochondria, the Overcoming Hypochondria download will help you regain control over your own thoughts and help you enjoy a life free of unnecessary fear again…
Invite Your FriendsInvite Your FriendsHow to Treat Hypochondria Posted by: Dr. Mercola April 10 2004 | 2,167views Six sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy have been found to help hypochondriacs cope with their fears, but has shown to have had limited success when a quarter of the patients quit after being told the problem was in their heads. Most hypochondriacs won’t go to see a psychiatrist, instead they have insisted upon getting further medical tests.
The participants of this study included 102 patients assigned to receive psychotherapy sessions and 85 who received routine medical care. The results of the study concluded that in the 102 patients who received six sessions of therapy, nearly 57 percent showed significant signs of improvement after a year, compared with the 32 percent who received routine medical care.
Hypochondria, a condition where a person is preoccupied with thoughts of having a serious disease, affects approximately 5 percent of patients who seek help from primary-care doctors.
Since these types of patients frequently switch doctors until they get the diagnosis they are looking for, hypochondria has remained a difficult condition to treat. Some doctors have claimed hypochondria is linked to genetics, while others have suggested it is a learned behavior from patients who have a tendency to overreact to illnesses. The cause of hypochondria has yet to be determined.
FB.init("a274cb7a5037e2932d98ed6fa215ef2b"); Dr. Mercola' s Comments:There are many reasons why hypochondria can develop, but I suspect it stems from holding onto pent up negative feelings or not dealing with traumatic issues from the past. Seeking out medical diagnoses are avoidance tactics, which act as a form of coping mechanism.
For individuals facing this condition, I highly recommend they try EFT, a psychological acupressure technique that helps relieve negative emotions from past emotional traumas, phobias and post-traumatic stress. EFT involves simple tapping with the fingertips that is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest, while you concentrate about the specific problem such as stressful events in your past.
Unfortunately, true hypochondria is very hard to treat because patients constantly switch doctors until they get the diagnosis they can accept. You will likely want to consult an EFT practitioner to help you work through the emotional block, and you can use Gary Craig's list of EFT Practitioner Referrals to find one.
However, it is important to be aware that there are also instances when a real illness, such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, may be present but not widely recognized by traditional medicine. In these cases, it’s possible for doctors to label someone a hypochondriac when they are actually suffering from a real illness.
The Doors Of Perception: Why Americans Will Believe Almost Anything _____________________________________________________________________________________ SELF-TEST FOR HYPOCHONDRIA from: uib.no/med/avd/med_a/gastro/wilhelms/whiteley.html Whiteley Index is a widely used test to find hypochondria. As with all tests the result must be interpreted cautiously. A high score is an indication that you could profit from talking this over with your doctor. Below is a list of questions about your health. For each one, please circle the number indicating how much this is true for you.
1 = Not at all
2 = A little bit
3 = Moderately
4 = Quite a bit
5 = A great deal
1: Do you worry a lot about your health?
1 2 3 4 5
2: Do you think there is something seriously wrong with your body?
1 2 3 4 5
3: Is it hard for you to forget about yourself and think about all sorts of other things?
1 2 3 4 5
4: If you feel ill and someone tells you that you are looking better, do you become annoyed?
1 2 3 4 5
5: Do you find that you are often aware of various things happening in your body?
1 2 3 4 5
6: Are you bothered by many aches and pains?
1 2 3 4 5
7: Are you afraid of illness?
1 2 3 4 5
8: Do you worry about your health more than most people?
1 2 3 4 5
9: Do you get the feeling that people are not taking your illnesses seriously enough?
1 2 3 4 5
10: Is it hard for you to believe the doctor when he/she tells you there is nothing for you to worry about?
1 2 3 4 5
11: Do you often worry about the possibility that you have a serious illness?
1 2 3 4 5
12: If a disease is brought to your attention (through the radio, TV, newspapers, or someone you know), do you worry about getting it yourself?
1 2 3 4 5
13: Do you find that you are bothered by may different symptoms?
1 2 3 4 5
14: Do you often have the symptoms of a very serious disease?
1 2 3 4 5
The Whitely Index score is found by summing the responses to each question. The higher the score the more hypochondriacal you are likely to be. There is no set cutoff score, but healthy people without health anxiety generally have a score of 21 +/- 7 (14 to 28). Patients with hypochondria are found to have a score of 44 +/- 11 (32 to 55). These numbers are merely indications to help you find out if you have hypochondria. If your score is high we suggest you talk to your doctor about it - may be he can advice you where to find help.
Notice that if you are depressed you also might get a high score, and your hypochondriacal ideas might be secondary to your depression. The same is true if you have a specific or general anxiety disorder. In both instances you can talk to your doctor about this.