Worrying about he alth is something natural, and it helps us maintain a he althy lifestyle and take care of ourselves. However, in some cases this concern can become excessive, generating states of anxiety. This is known as hypochondria.
This is a disorder that causes a lot of discomfort but can go unnoticed, so it is important to recognize its symptoms. In this article we teach you how to detect if you are a hypochondriac and excessively concerned about illnesses.
What is hypochondriasis?
Hypochondriasis is a mental disorder that causes excessive concern about the possibility of having a serious illness or fear of contracting one .
The hypochondriac person will feel that the slightest discomfort in their body could be a symptom of some disease, and they will immediately become obsessed with the idea of suffering from a serious or fatal illness.
Normally this excessive concern is not justified and it can appear due to the simple fact of feeling a little discomfort, such as pain upside down, or after finding a mole.
This constant worry can affect the daily life of the person who suffers from it, because fear ends up generating anxiety pictures and It can even make the person avoid certain activities or places for fear of contracting a disease.
9 symptoms to know if you are a hypochondriac
If you identify with any of these symptoms, it is most likely that you are a hypochondriac and need to treat this problem with a professional.
one. Constant worry about getting sick
As we mentioned, the main characteristic of hypochondriasis is a constant and excessive concern for he alth, fearing that they are suffering from a disease or with fear of being able to develop one.
If you are a hypochondriac, when you have a small headache you will be assailed by the idea that it could be a serious or even fatal illness.
2. Search for disease symptoms
Hypochondriacs are alarmed by any symptom and do not hesitate to seek information about it through the Internet.They tend to self-examine to confirm or rule out that they may be suffering from a disease. They also are concerned with detecting new symptoms and performing self-diagnoses
Searching for this information online can add to fear and worry, as many mild symptoms can easily form part of a serious illness picture. That is why by consulting about the disease, the person will reinforce their conviction of having something serious and will make their concern even worse.
3. Apprehension
This search for symptoms can make the hypochondriac feel apprehensive, and may even begin to develop other new symptoms psychosomatically related to the disease that concerns you.
That is why they also distance themselves from reading the news or watching programs related to medical issues or being close to people with diseases, since their tendency to somatization can affect them.
4. Negativity and catastrophizing
The person with hypochondriasis has a tendency to negativity and catastrophizing, imagining the worst possible situation in any case. For example, if they get a wound, they may well end up imagining that it could become infected and end up causing death.
5. Reaffirmation of your he alth
Hypochondriacs constantly seek to talk about their he alth with friends or family, even visit their doctor, to reassure them and reassure them that they are fine and not suffering from any disease. They seek reassurance and reassurance that they are he althy, even when they have no symptoms of any kind.
6. Medical diagnosis is never enough
However, even if they are assured that everything is fine and they don't have any disease, they will still think they may have something.Hypochondriacs have a tendency to think the doctor is wrong or that the evidence is inconclusive, so they may need second opinions.
7. Anxiety and real symptoms
Worry and fear can lead them to suffer from anxiety, where they do present real symptoms such as tachycardia, chest pain, dizziness or a feeling of suffocation , leading them to think that they may be a sign of a serious illness.
8. Avoiding certain activities or places
There are hypochondriacs who avoid activities that they may consider dangerous to their he alth, for fear that it could lead them to get sick or suffer some type of injuryThe same happens with going to certain places that may seem risky, for fear of contagion.
9. Affects daily life
You are definitely a hypochondriac if all these worries and habits end up negatively affecting different aspects of your life, such as work, your family relationships or your social life.
The anxiety generated by being constantly worried about your he alth can become an obstacle in your daily life. In that case it should be treated as a disorder and you should go to professionals to help you with this problem.