Hypochondria and Leaving Well Enough Alone
I have to admit, one of the reasons that I hesitate to go to the doctor, is for fear that they won't find anything wrong with me, and think that I'm a hypochondriac, or at least that I have some of those tendencies. Do you ever feel this way, too?
I found a great article on NPR from the author of Well Enough Alone, Jennifer Traig, who talks about her hypochondria in a slightly humorous and intriguing way. She is very aware of her real (and imagined) health woes, and says that the doctors are as well; the doctors have a phrase they refer to as "the organ recital": referring to the litany of abstract complaints from their patients.
In my quest to learn more about Hypochondriasis as more than a punchline to a joke, as a real disorder, I found that there is not much information! It is classified as a psychological or personality disorder, with treatment ranging from insuring there are no real physical ailments, followed by psychological assessment and treatment.
Symptoms from MedlinePlus include:
* Preoccupation with fear of illness
* Persistent fear of having a serious illness despite medical reassurance
* Misinterpretation of symptoms
* Symptoms that may shift and change
* Symptoms that may be vague or specific (see somatoform pain disorder)
* No apparent physical disorder that can account for symptoms
* Disturbance lasting for at least 6 months (24 weeks)
Do you know anyone with hypochondria? I would love to hear about this disorder through someone's experience. The author I mentioned above writes beautifully about her disorder, and as a "teaser" starts out with her excerpt saying, "I had my first heart attack when I was eighteen..."
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I actually read an article about this today in the San Francisco Chronicle and it does sound like she writes with a sense of humor.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/20/RVJ811GDD9.D...
Can't say I've known any hypochondriacs myself, but from what I've read, she makes me want to.
I kid you not, my hubby is a bona fide hypochondriac. Worse, his brother is a pharmacist; but, he does try to "steer" my hubby straight. My hubby imagines he has the worst of possible ailments and comes across as calling wolf. When he really did have a serious health issue, we were slow to believe him, especially because he refused to go see our doctor. When he finally consented to being taken to the doctor's, he was a hair's breath within being admitted to the hospital with pneumococcal pneumonia.
It's very frustrating living with a hypochondriac. We have dozens of bottles of OTC treatments, herbal/homeopathic treatments, countless bottles of aspirin and pain relievers, etc. that I'm constantly going through for expiration dates. He literally drinks Pepto-Bismol by the bottle and seems to live on seltzer tablets. On the other hand, he does take vitamins, usually daily.
He has terrible eating habits and is a chain smoker. So, I just don't "get" why he's so pill-dependent, but won't really do anything about his health. He's constantly self-diagnosing himself. If he drives me, he takes up MY time at my check ups talking about his imagined ailments - but won't set an appointment for himself.
It absolutely drives me nuts!
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