{"id":3148,"date":"2019-01-24T04:43:53","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T04:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=3148"},"modified":"2022-02-07T07:50:36","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T07:50:36","slug":"20-signs-you-might-be-a-hypochondriac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/20-signs-you-might-be-a-hypochondriac\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Signs you might be a Hypochondriac"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a mental illness that is now being referred to as Illness Anxiety Disorder. This is a chronic disorder that is anxiety-related. It is a mental disorder and not a physical disorder. This disorder is often presented similarly to obsessive-compulsive disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 80 percent of those who suffer from hypochondria also have other mental disorders such as anxiety or depression. Hypochondria causes a person to have an intense fear of becoming ill or being ill. This occurs even when there is no actual evidence of the person having any type of illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person with hypochondria will convince themselves that they have some type of illness, even when there are no physical symptoms that they have. There are several signs a person with hypochondria may show. Here are 8 of the signs that a person may be a hypochondriac. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Convinced you are Ill
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A hypochondriac <\/a>will believe that they have an illness, condition, or some type of disease after they read about it online or in the paper. They may even believe they have this illness or condition after talking to someone who has the condition. This belief will be very real to them, even if they do not show any signs or symptoms of having the illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person with hypochondria can become so convinced that they have a specific illness or condition that they will still believe that they are suffering from it even after they go to the doctor and are prescribed a clean bill of health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The anxiety from thinking that they have this illness can be quite overwhelming and they may even try to treat the ailment themselves. This can cause all sorts of issues in their life as there is really nothing wrong with them, but they continue to act and believe that there is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Frequent Medical Appointments
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another sign that you may be a hypochondriac is that they make frequent medical appointments. A person that is suffering from hypochondria will often make many doctor’s appointments as they are fully convinced that they have some sort of health issue or condition. They will go to the doctor and ask for many different medical tests to be conducted to rule out these illnesses and conditions. Even if the tests come back perfectly fine, a person suffering from hypochondria will still be convinced that there is something wrong with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another sign that you may be a hypochondriac is that they make frequent medical appointments. A person that is suffering from hypochondria will often make many doctor’s appointments as they are fully convinced that they have some sort of health issue or condition. They will go to the doctor and ask for many different medical tests to be conducted to rule out these illnesses and conditions. Even if the tests come back perfectly fine, a person suffering from hypochondria will still be convinced that there is something wrong with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This need for many medical tests in order to find out what is wrong with them can become quite costly. Paying for unnecessary medical tests can be quite expensive and many people who suffer from hypochondria end up with a lot of medical debt to repay. So not only does the condition cause many anxiety <\/a>issues, it can be a financial burden as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Seeking Second Opinions
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person who is suffering from hypochondria has severe anxiety about becoming ill or being ill. When a person has hypochondria they are so convinced that something is wrong with them they simply will not believe it when tests come back perfectly normal. Since they do not believe that there is anything wrong with them, they may seek medical attention from many different providers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one doctor tells them that they are fine they simply do not believe them and will go to another doctor to talk about what is wrong with them and to get further tests conducted. One of the worst things about this is that a person suffering from hypochondria will often seek out a doctor online who will tell them what they have been waiting to hear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person suffers from an actual illness<\/a>, there is no harm in getting another opinion. However, if a person is going from doctor to doctor and finding nothing wrong, it is likely they have hypochondria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Constant Health Research
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has researched their health at some point. In fact, it is quite common to come down with some weird symptoms or simply not feel well and look up online what possibly could be wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a person who suffers from hypochondria will not just look for possible health <\/a>ailments that they may be suffering from, they will do so obsessively. A person with hypochondria will constantly look up to health issues. This is simply not healthy because they are then drawing conclusions about their health and most often what they come up with is a lot more serious than what their actual issue is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, more often than not there is nothing really wrong with them, but through their research, they convince themselves that they are suffering from a horrible illness that there is no cure for. This simply adds more stress and anxiety to their lives, making the issues much worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is simply not healthy because they are then drawing conclusions about their health and most often what they come up with is a lot more serious than what their actual issue is. In fact, more often than not there is nothing really wrong with them, but through their research, they convince themselves that they are suffering from a horrible illness that there is no cure for. This simply adds more stress and anxiety to their lives, making the issues much worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Talking About Health Issues
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Complaints and unrelenting discussions about their personal health are a sure sign that someone is suffering <\/a>from hypochondria. A person who obsessively talks about mysterious conditions and new health issues with their friends, families, and coworkers, may be suffering from hypochondria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who suffer from an anxiety order such as hypochondria feel the constant need to be reassured by everyone that they come in contact with. The reason for this is that they are constantly living in fear of becoming ill. They go to the doctor to get reassurance that they are healthy, but this reassurance is simply not enough. They continue to worry about their health even right after being told that there is nothing wrong with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hypochondriac will constantly be looking for different health issues that may be causing them to feel a certain way. They will then need to discuss these possible conditions in order to assuage their fears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. Constant Physical Scrutiny
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person who suffers from hypochondria will constantly look over their body for a sign of a medical condition or illness. They will look for any type of lump, lesion<\/a>, or rash that they may have. Hypochondriacs do this with a degree of paranoia or even obsession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They cannot stop looking over their body and will note any type of change that they notice. A small lump can send them spiraling out of control, even if it is just a pimple or a small scratch, or a rash caused by bumping up against something. A person may even constantly monitor their vitals. This may include checking their blood pressure constantly or monitoring their heart rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some will even check their cholesterol and blood sugar levels multiple times per day. This obsessively checking their bodies for any sign of illness can overtake their lives and cause even further stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. Exaggerating Symptoms
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Minor symptoms are quite normal to experience. Most people brush off minor symptoms and then simply go on with their day. Muscle aches are quite normal and random pain is typically nothing to be alarmed about. Even headaches <\/a>are quite normal to experience from time to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a person who suffers from hypochondria will take all of these minor everyday symptoms and turn them into a serious illness or life-threatening condition. Their minds will go immediately to the worst-case scenario. For example, when a person with hypochondriac gets a headache they may convince themselves that it is caused by a brain tumor. Every minor little ache and pain is turned into something that is much worse than it actually is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person with this type of anxiety becomes convinced that every little minor thing is a big inconvenience and a sign that something is horribly wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. Paranoia About Health
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The intense and persistent fear that you are suffering from a serious disease, illness, or other health condition to the point of paranoia and obsession is the main symptom of hypochondria. Even if you have had multiple health professionals tell you that you are perfectly fine, the persistent fear and paranoia will simply not go away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you suffer from hypochondria, your fear may become worse when one of your friends becomes ill. Even if they have not seen the person in a long time, they may become convinced that they have the same illness as well. This is a mental <\/a>disorder and a person who suffers from this type of anxiety has an irrational way of thinking about their overall health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a hypochondriac does become ill, even if it is with a simple cold, they will convince themselves that it will become something more serious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

9. Constant Feeling of Malaise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondriacs usually experience feelings of uncertainty about their health. When you don’t know what is causing a potential ailment, it leads to your mind wandering. As a result, your subconscious spends time wondering what the problem is causing your health issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feeling of uncertainty, also known as malaise, can ruin your mental health. Some hypochondriacs refuse to see the doctor because they fear the physician telling them the bad news. They are scared of a diagnosis of severe disease, like cancer, and they don’t go to the doctor unless they start to experience severe physical impairment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving a diagnosis only leads to elevated levels of uncertainty and distress<\/a>. As a result of the ongoing issue, the affected individual may develop symptoms of high anxiety in their physical state. Stress can quickly erode mental health, resulting in a psychotic break. Typically, these feelings of malaise disappear after consulting with a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

10. You Bookmark Symptom Sites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Are you always wondering what is wrong with you? If so, your hypochondria may have you searching around google symptom trackers all night, looking for diseases and conditions<\/a> that match your symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chances are that you have your favorite symptom-checking website bookmarked in your browser. However, these symptom trackers are ineffective. Typing in three or four symptoms into the search bar on the site may yield hundreds of results, showing dozens of severe disorders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, these symptom-checking websites don’t have any clue about what’s going on with you, even if you enter all your symptoms. Even worse, they might tell you that you have a severe health problem, and you should call an ambulance right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the ambulance arrives and the paramedics check you out, they find nothing wrong with you. As a result of your paranoia and misinterpretation of the results, you end up with the costs associated with an ambulance callout and treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

11. You Carry a Thermometer on You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re a hypochondriac, chances are you think the worst when you feel a little warm or have a scratchy throat. You’ll probably think you’re coming down with the flu or something worse just because you’re sitting in a warm room and start to break out in a sweat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know you’re a hypochondriac if you carry a thermometer around in your handbag to check your temperature at the slightest indication of feeling warm. Some hypochondriacs may take their temperature several times throughout the day, even though nothing is wrong with them. This behavior is abnormal and can cause the onset of mental health disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondria can become a mental disorder if you let it progress, and you’ll end up giving yourself extreme feelings of anxiety and paranoia about your current health status<\/a>. If you’re feeling warm and have the temptation to take your temperature, sit it out for 30-minutes and see how you feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

12. You Don’t Go Anywhere without a Mask<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the way things are today, hypochondriacs are on high alert. The COVID pandemic changed the way we interact in public and protect ourselves from contracting a disease. A facemask is one of the primary mitigation tools used for protection against respiratory viruses like COVID. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With states dropping mask mandates every month, you might find yourself attached to your mask, even though there is no threat of contracting a disease. You’ll take the mask with you everywhere you go, wearing it in the car when alone, even though there is no one around you to transmit<\/a> the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might find yourself wearing your mask at home when you’re alone or in other situations where there is no call for a mask, like sitting on the beach away from everyone. Some hypochondriacs may even conduct activities like cooking or going to the toilet while wearing masks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself panicking if you forget your mask and dashing back to the house to retrieve it, you could have a problem with hypochondria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

13. You Keep Your Distance from People<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with mask-wearing, the COVID pandemic also implemented social distancing to curb the spread of the disease. As we all know, keeping a safe distance of up to 6-feet or more from other people prevents you from breathing in contaminated aerosols that may cause a viral infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people will adhere to the rules, but they won’t start stressing out if they come within 6-feet of people for a short time. A hypochondriac takes a very different approach to the situation. They will avoid public places out of fear of catching a disease, and they usually stay much farther away from people than the standard 6-feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, a hypochondriac might start refusing to see their friends and family, resulting in self-imposed isolation<\/a>. Isolation from other people will eventually lead to feelings of loneliness and depression, hallmarks of mental disease. These individuals may develop depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders that ruin their well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

14. You Have a Stockpile of Medications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know you’re a hypochondriac if you open your medicine<\/a> cabinet in the bathroom, and it’s overflowing with prescriptions. Hypochondriacs visit the doctor often, even when there is nothing wrong with them. As a result, the doctor may write them prescriptions to treat their assumed disease or affliction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These medications pile up, and the hypochondriac is afraid to get rid of any of the medicines out of the thought that they might need them in the future. If you have a bottle of RX pills in your cabinet and they have been there for years, it’s time to throw them away. The medications are probably expired anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel hesitant about throwing your medicines away, and you continue to stockpile them out of fear of what could happen in the future, you might be a hypochondriac. Keeping medications around your home that you don’t need is pointless, and it can also be dangerous if you decide to take these drugs without consulting with your doctor first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

15. You Avoid Social Occasions During Flu Season<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the wintertime rolls around, we see an increase in influenza and other coronaviruses that may cause the common cold. If you’re a hypochondriac, you’re likely to spend more time at home during the flu season. You’ll avoid contacting your friends and family during the winter months, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation from the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of staying at home during the winter and not communicating with anyone, the hypochondriac may develop depression and contemplate thoughts of suicide. Mental disease is a real condition, and it could end up hurting your well-being way more than contracting a cold or the flu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondriacs may stockpile OTC flu medications at the start of the season in preparation for catching a cold<\/a>. They may also use these medications when they don’t need them, placing pressure on vital organs like the GI tract, kidneys, and liver. If you find yourself hiding away at home during the winter to avoid catching the flu, you could be a hypochondriac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

16. You’re Always Asking People If you Feel Warm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondriacs think they always have something wrong with them, and they are paranoid about catching the flu or a cold. If you start to feel warm, you might find yourself asking your partner or friends if you feel warm all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling warm is a sign of an oncoming fever. The immune system produces cytokines to combat the incoming infection, and it increases your baseline temperature, giving you a fever<\/a>. So, the hypochondriac may end up thinking that they are developing a fever, even though the cause of the issue is that they are in a warm room or wearing a thick sweater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re asking your partner if you feel warm all the time, and they tell you that it’s all in your head, you should listen to them. If your partner starts thinking that you’re a hypochondriac, it may change their impression of you, ruining your relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

17. Your Doctor Is On Speed Dial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondriacs think that they have something wrong with them physically almost all the time. They might think they have something as innocuous as the flu or something as serious as Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They constantly have a battle in their head telling them that something is wrong with their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of this ongoing psychological <\/a>torment, the hypochondriac finds they visit the doctor two or three times more often than the average person. The chances are you have your doctor on speed dial right now, or they were in your most recent contacts list on your phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself calling your doctor too often, they might ask you to come in so they can refer you to a psychologist. Hypochondria is a mental disorder, and it can result in severe mental illness if the person doesn’t get their anxiety under control. It can take years of therapy for the hypochondriac to realize that they have a problem with their mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

18. You’re Always Asking Friends About the Color of Their Poop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The body replaces its cells every day \u2013 millions of them at a time. One of the reasons why your stool is brown is due to the body expelling used or damaged red blood cells from the circulatory system. The other reason for the brownish color is that the liver produces bilirubin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes in the color of your stool may indicate that the liver or kidneys are under stress. As a result, hypochondriacs will find themselves checking the color of their stool after each bowel movement. Some of them might spend minutes standing over the toilet bowel examining their feces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the hypochondriac assumes that there must be something wrong with their stool, they might make bad decisions. The hypochondriac may call family members or friends, asking them to send them a picture of their stool so they can examine it to see if it is the same as theirs. Needless to say, these kinds of requests can place pressure on relationships<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

19. You Check Your Blood Pressure All the Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A hypochondriac lives with the impression that there is something wrong with them all the time. They may assume that they have problems with their heart and respiratory systems, such as hypertension or infection. Infection or hypertension causes elevated blood pressure, resulting in stress to the cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of their paranoia, the hypochondriac may take their blood pressure<\/a> and pulse rate several times throughout the day. The only people that need a blood pressure machine in the house are people with genuine medical issues, and these individuals are usually in their senior years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are under 45-years old and have a blood pressure machine in your home, you could be a hypochondriac. At this age, there is no reason for you to have this machine other than if you have a chronic condition, such as hypertension or kidney issues. Checking your blood pressure several times throughout the day is a warning sign of hypochondria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

20. Anxiety Prevents You from Seeing a Doctor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While many hypochondriacs have thoughts of ill well-being all the time, most of them are not afraid to reach out to their physician<\/a>. However, some severe cases of hypochondria may have the affected individual calling their doctor all the time. If the doctor feels you’re a hypochondriac, they may ask you to consult with a psychologist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hypochondria is a mental disorder, and the reality is that you need help from a licensed psychiatric professional to help you overcome the condition. As a result, many hypochondriacs refrain from reaching out to the doctor because they think the physician might commit them to psychiatric care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This behavior is dangerous because you may refrain from consulting with a doctor when you actually have something genuinely wrong with you. These individuals may start developing anxiety disorders because they feel that they are ill when nothing is wrong with them, and they don’t know how to cope with the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

<\/div>