Hypochondria: "sick eternal" One in every hundred people worldwide suffer from this disease

Who does not have a relative, friend or acquaintance who continually complains of diseases believed to suffer? Often branded these people whiners and his closest, as friends and family environment, consider that the only reason the usual lamentations is to become the center of attention. However, in many cases, they face unknowingly and find the understanding of those around them to chronic and intractable illness: hypochondria.

How is it diagnosed

Read More Celebrities Wiki, Bio, Networth Please Visit

Specialists hypochondria defined as excessive worry that a person feels about their own health, a concern unusual for suffering diseases not have, or magnify existing ones. Anxiety, depression and abandonment of normal activities to engage in self-care are some of its effects.

To diagnose the disease, according to the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization published in 1992), the patient must be convinced of having a maximum of two serious illnesses and at least know the name and symptomatology of one. To rule out other physical or mental injury, the patient is kept under observation, with newspapers-controls for six months.

Dr. José Antonio García Higuera, Center for Clinical Psychology of Madrid, recalled that in the United States between 4% and 9% of patients who visit the hospital do so because of hypochondriacal symptoms. Amaia Bakaikoa, clinical sexologist and psychologist, estimated that about 1% of the world population suffers from this disease.

Monica Elorza Motor, psychologist AM & EM Associates, lists the patterns in which specialists are based to diagnose hypochondria:
Concern and fear of having, or the idea of ​​developing a serious from the personal interpretation of somatic symptoms disease.
persistent concern despite appropriate medical examinations and explanations.
The concern is likely to cause a major upset or social, occupational or other important areas of functioning of the individual impairment.
The duration of the disturbance is at least 6 months.
The preoccupation is not better accounted for by the presence of generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, major depressive episode, etc.

detonating

The causes that can bring about the development of hypochondria, according to psychologist Monica Elorza, are as follows:
Education based on fear or excessive protection.
traumatic experiences related to illness or death.
misinterpretation of symptoms.
Process of learning history: "gets" sick to attract the attention of others.
Having suffered illness during childhood.
Receiving alarming information about diseases.

Serious illness, particularly in children, and history of illness in family members are associated with the appearance of hypochondria. It is believed that situations of psycho-social stress, especially the death of someone close, may precipitate the onset of this disorder. It also influences the coexistence or proximity of a patient of this type. The negativity of the hypochondriac and methodology to interpret the physical symptoms turn out to be "contagious

How are hypochondriacs?

"It is considered that a person is a hypochondriac when for six months or more is convinced that she has a disease, even though medical tests indicate otherwise", says Marta Michelle Colon, a clinical psychologist. The scariest cause them are incurable pathologies such as certain cancers, AIDS or heart disease. "They have an obsessive personality and are prone to anxiety and depression" concludes Monica Elorza, a psychologist at AM & EM Associates.

According to experts, the profile of the hypochondriac befits a man or woman over 30 who has a habit of going to the doctor for a concern that disturbs his life: severe illness. Children are not immune to this disease and experts, who suffer the most are those whose parents suffer. "It is usual to occur in men who reach about thirty and women aged 40," explained psychologists.

Amaia Bakaikoa psychologist defines as obsessive neurotic hypochondriac health, "what worries them are physical disorders, but there is another kind of obsessed patient mental disorders. The latter are also hypochondriacs" he says. "Do not worry about having bad heart, although believing be suffering from depression undoubtedly are convinced that they will lead to a suicide that do not want to give," he concludes.

The people around these patients are aware of the continuous self-analysis they undergo: study carefully every little symptom of your body, take your pulse, temperature, blood pressure, have the time to breathe per minute, analyze their feces and urine, eyes and skin. These analyzes are accompanied by constant complaints, as related by Dr. Amaia Bakaikoa, so strange symptoms as "painful veins, bum heart, etc". They are very knowledgeable people who read continuously reports and articles on medicine, and view all TV programs on health, so fashionable today. It is curious to observe the reaction of these patients to the reading of various diseases, "often feel the symptoms as they read," explains the expert.

To Josune Eguia Fernández, a psychologist at Campuzano-Tiboli Center Bilbao, the trigger of this disease is not known exactly yet, but "it is unquestionable that these patients have ups and downs. There are certain triggers that aggravate their situation." "In short, for example, they will begin to reach the consultation hypochondriacs who are experiencing symptoms of SARS, convinced of suffering without having had any contact with this country or anyone connected with it." A few months ago consultations urologists were full of men suffering from the so-called "syndrome Molina": most of them complained of severe pain in the testes and were convinced of having a cancerous tumor in one of the testicles, known as the soccer player.

The hypochondriac, terrified him to be sick, to be, suffering and therefore death. He interprets everything feels like a harbinger of a future or latent disease that usually tends to be severe. To avoid any diseases or worsening of their fictitious ailments becomes a nutritionist expert. You know what is in each food you eat and drink, and controls the temperature at which exposed using or discarding compulsively fans and heaters.

Those who suffer from this disease just obsessing so that their illnesses end up being his only topic of conversation. Some even move house in order to stay closer to a hospital and each time planning their vacation replace the visit to the museum for a tour of health facilities to turn to if the opportunity arises. Even renounce enjoy a full social life for fear of all the diseases that can infect them and in case you need to contact the rest of humanity, some do not hesitate to use gloves or masks.

The worst side of this disease is that the personality of the sufferer and their way of life changed completely to devote himself body and soul to your health, arriving to give up work, friends and family, which is often the party who takes more bitter.

Difficult doctor-patient relationship

The same hypochondriac diagnosed his illness on their own, based on the symptoms that you suffer many things before arriving at the doctor's office. Once there, and though it be assured that you are not sick, concern only disappear momentarily anxious to return soon. This is usual process.

To identify a hypochondriac first thing you must do is to rule out real medical illnesses. It is estimated that 20% of cases reality and imagination coexist for some time, is what they call "coexistence" ailments may be partly the result of a real illness and, in part, one that does not exist.

In this disease there are several types of patients: "The serious hypochondriacs do not go to the doctor for fear of being diagnosed with a disease," says Dr. José Antonio García Higuera, adding that, however, "the usual it is that the less severe patients no longer attend various consultations in their efforts to find a doctor who will listen to them, take them seriously. " In their eagerness to find who cure them "the evil", they turn to alternative medicine, especially healers. Some also choose to have advanced knowledge of medicine and try to self-medicate with the usual risks that this practice entails.

The Bakaikoa doctor makes an interesting reflection on the therapists: "It is difficult to find a therapist who treated well hypochondria The patient refuses to be served because he understands that his illness is physical and sees no reason to undergo therapy And though.. go and get professional finally overcome their symptoms and fears, it tends to expose the hypochondriac new symptoms and self-satisfied that you have new diseases. " "It's a thankless and hard work for a psychologist. Many therapists end up throwing in the towel," he qualifies.

possible treatments

The most appropriate treatment, according to doctors consulted, focuses on the combination of antidepressant medication and individual psychotherapy cognitive behavioral court. "It is advisable to work with the patient at the same time psychiatrist and psychologist. The medication controls psychiatrist and psychologist conducts therapy. Without a combination of both, the success of therapy can not be assured," said the psychologist Elorza.

Another psychologist, Josune Eguia, stresses that "Hypochondria is a chronic disease whose lifelong treatment." "Depending on the case and the severity of it, patients are internal to those in the acute ward, but usually with a weekly treatment at the beginning and one month post is enough."

The Web Clinic Anxiety clarifies that drugs are not usually effective in treating this disease, save those that reduce anxiety or discouragement. However, some experts agree that the existence of cases in which the use of psychotropic drugs to control the condition of the patient and make way for a proper psychological therapy is necessary. "Psychotropic drugs are drugs aimed at those psychological problems such as depression or anxiety. They act modifying physiological and biochemical processes in the brain," explains the Elorza. The therapy, however, aims to alleviate the anxiety and fear caused by fictitious diseases. Crucial to the success it is important that the patient continually stop and seek medical emergency and, if possible, speak of diseases.

Reeducate the patient is everyone's job. Psychologists insist on "the importance of teaching how to deal with the problem and to differentiate between real symptoms and created." media such as desensitization, thought control technique, exposure and overcoming fears and fears, anxiety control through relaxation and self-control (to get used often enough to find out what relaxes the patient; a simple bath, listen to music or dance may be sufficient). "It should help the patient to eliminate irrational ideas" reiterates Bakaikoa.

It will terminate treatment when the subject no longer feel fear of disease and death obsessively. To get to this point will be evaluated and discussed in advance what factors led hypochondria on the patient and his background. Before treating the patient you have to know both him and his circumstances. On many occasions it is necessary to treat not only the patient if their family and friends.

Treatment should include the recovery of the health of the patient (usually damaged by obsessions and anxieties), prevention for these symptoms caused not re-emerge and personal development of the patient to prevent future episodes.