How to Deal with Hypochondria

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U.S. News and World Report recently quoted Catherine Belling, author of the book A Condition of Doubt: The Meanings of Hypochondria as saying:

"Hypochondria is not a mental illness, so much as it is an extremely irrational response to the uncertainty of medicine. We think of these people as silly, as demanding attention they don't really need. But no doctor can ever tell you that you're 100 percent healthy and will be forever. It causes a lot of misery and becomes a real nightmare for patients and doctors."

As many as one in 20 Americans is believed to suffer from hypochondria, and for some people it takes over their daily lives. Experts have a number of suggestions for people looking to deal with their own hypochondria:

Don't Google Your Symptoms

Don't Google your ailments, and generally stay offline in this case. You are likely to be worse off than you were before you got online and began looking to match your symptoms with a killer disease.

No Doctor-Shopping

If a hypochondriac looks hard enough, he or she can find a doctor who will perform whichever test or procedure he or she is looking for, and that's almost always not a good thing. Plus, the inconsistency of one's medical records across several doctors actually could make a patient more susceptible to medical problems as well.

Avoid the Disease-Crazy Media

The media love a good story about the disease of the week, but hypochondriacs should avoid that kind of reporting as best they can. The Mayo Clinic explains, "[Those stories] may only increase your anxiety, especially if they include common or vague symptoms."

Seek Professional Help

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help a hypochondriac to get past the incessant self-checking and other symptoms, and it can help him or her live a better life. People are also urged to look into support groups tailored to people who suffer from hypochondria.

 
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