“Illness mania”, known scientifically as illness anxiety disorder and, formerly, as hypochondria, is a psychological disorder characterized by an excessive concern about suffering from an illness due to the misinterpretation of bodily manifestations, which can directly interfere with the person’s quality of life.
People with hypochondria tend to consult several doctors, despite having a healthy diagnosis, which is why they seek help even from specialists such as a cardiologist or ophthalmologists, for example, when they are dissatisfied and consider the medical attention received to be useless.
This disorder can have several causes, such as having grown up in an environment where parents or guardians were very concerned about health or having experienced an impactful event related to an illness, whether personal or that of a close person, for example. Hypochondria treatment can be done in psychotherapy sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Symptoms of hypochondria
Some of the main characteristic symptoms of hypochondria may include:
- Excessive concern about your health;
- Need to consult the doctor frequently;
- Desire to undergo many unnecessary medical tests;
- Difficulty accepting doctors’ opinions, especially if the diagnosis indicates that there is no problem or illness;
- Extensive knowledge of the names of certain medicines and their applications;
- Obsession with simple and apparently harmless symptoms.
For a hypochondriac, a sneeze is not just a sneeze, but a symptom of allergies, the flu, a cold or even Ebola.
Furthermore, the hypochondriac may also have an obsession with dirt and germs, which is why a trip to a public bathroom or grabbing the iron bar on the bus can be a nightmare.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of hypochondria can be made by a psychiatrist or psychologist through observation of the person’s behavior and concerns. This excessive concern about having an illness must last at least 6 months, and there must be no other associated psychiatric disorders.
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Possible causes
Hypochondria can have several causes, as it can happen due to growing up in an environment in which parents or guardians were very concerned about health or having experienced an impactful event related to an illness, be it personal or that of a close person, for example. example.
Furthermore, this disease is also directly related to each person’s personality, being more common in people who are anxious, depressed, nervous, very worried or who have difficulty dealing with their emotions or problems.
How the treatment is carried out
Hypochondria treatment is usually carried out by a psychiatrist or psychologist, through therapy with techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy. It is important to highlight that hypochondria can lead to the development of other psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety, and therefore, the person must have psychotherapeutic support throughout the treatment. Find out how anxiety is treated.
Psychotherapy aims to instruct the person about the manifestations of their body and develop tools to face the moments when symptoms arise, in addition to offering constant security to generate confidence.
In more serious cases, it may even be necessary to take antidepressant, anxiolytic and calming medications under medical advice, especially if there is anxiety and depression.
