Hypochondriasis (Part 1)

HYPOCHONDRIAC: a person who is abnormally anxious about his or her health. “Am I a hypochondriac?” It’s a question I hear with quite some regularity, almost never from people who suffer from bona fide anxiety disorders related to their health. No, the fact that all you have is a simple upper respiratory infection — the common cold — instead of a potentially lethal strain of H1N1 avian flu does not qualify. Not when your response to my reassurance is relief. That’s completely appropriate, and I have no problem providing all the reassurance you need. Whether it’s explaining why your headache that goes down the back of your neck that worsens when you fight with your spouse is definitely not a brain tumor, or that the itchy rash on both arms and one leg can’t possibly be shingles, I’m good. Confirming that what you have isn’t serious is right in my wheelhouse. I never actually use the term “hypochondriasis,” mainly because it’s not particularly useful. These individuals have a real disorder; it’s just not physical. It’s also known as “Health Anxiety”, a term I swear I came up with on my own, completely independently from Wikipedia. Because that’s what it is: an anxiety disorder. Have you ever been worried about something? Really worried about something potentially serious? My working assumption is that everyone has. If you think about it, you’ll realize these patient...
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs