Symptoms of Hypochondria

The main characteristics are strong convictions that one is sick or will become sick, and the intense, constant, and obsessive preoccupation with one’s own body that accompanies this. Despite the immense fear and conviction, there is no physical illness. Nevertheless, those affected are right, for they are sick—not with the illness, but with the fear of being sick! They are therefore not malingerers, and it is not self-pity, as they are often accused of, but rather a serious mental disorder.

Anxiety can become so intense that it leads to panic and takes over one’s daily life. But the belief that one is ill can also be disproportionately strong and thus controlling and overwhelming.
This is evident in other consequences.

This conviction is reflected in the compulsion to engage with the body

People with hypochondria constantly monitor their bodies and their reactions, filled with fear and mistrust, and are constantly on the lookout for signs of illness. Every slight cough, itch, or twinge is interpreted as a symptom of a serious illness. Everyone may worry about being sick from time to time, but in this case, those affected are so strongly convinced of it that the fear becomes obsessive. As a result, their own bodily sensations are misinterpreted and greatly dramatized. For example, a headache is quickly diagnosed as a brain tumor. The symptoms are not feigned; the hypochondriac actually experiences them. However, they are not life-threatening; rather, they are normal symptoms that everyone experiences from time to time (e.g., headaches). Or the symptoms are psychosomatic, meaning they are triggered by emotional stress.

This belief is reflected in the search for confirmation from doctors

Those affected often visit doctors to have their belief that they are sick confirmed. They are often disappointed when the doctor gives a completely different diagnosis. They then seek out other doctors, reasoning that the last one might have been wrong. This leads to a cycle of hopping from one doctor to another (“doctor-hopping”). These doctors can only reassure them briefly, if at all, and so shortly thereafter they are back on the hunt for yet more new doctors.
Even if hypochondriacs recognize this irrationality, they cannot set aside this conviction due to their compulsion and rationally accept a different opinion. They somehow suspect that the doctors are telling them the truth—that they are healthy—but because of their powerful belief that they are sick, they cannot believe or accept it. This strong yet unconscious power and control that the psyche has over a person was already known in Freud’s time and is also clearly observable in phobias.
The modern version is the cyberchondriac, who does not go to the doctor but constantly searches the internet for confirmation (medical jargon: “Google syndrome”).

This belief is reflected in their behavior
Because they are so convinced that they are sick, they try to protect themselves from the illness. As a result, they live a healthy lifestyle, exercise a lot, etc.
This belief manifests itself in the compulsion to think about the belief:
Another typical problem with irrational cognitions is that those affected very often feel compelled to think about the content of the belief. They cannot help themselves. This is exhausting, irritating, prevents them from finding peace, and fuels further anxiety. Depending on their severity, the effects described can also lead to deep-seated disorders or dysfunction. The fear of being sick is also often very pronounced and manifests itself in various forms:

This anxiety manifests itself in irrational behavior
. The person affected is deeply afraid that normal symptoms are signs of a serious illness. These symptoms are misinterpreted and viewed in a catastrophic light. Concern for one’s own health is important, but here, as with all intense fears, it is disproportionately exaggerated. Anxiety intensifies the symptoms, and the symptoms intensify the anxiety, quickly leading to a vicious cycle that escalates into panic or delusion.

Furthermore, severe anxiety can also lead to other typical symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, heart problems, an overactive bladder, and nervous restlessness. When such symptoms occur and are noticed, this in turn intensifies the anxiety.
Furthermore, severe anxiety is usually repressed or split off. This results not only in deep, severe psychological problems, dysfunctions, blockages, and disorders, but also in physical problems. Freud already recognized that psychological problems can develop into illness over the long term. Today, studies show that the mind has a very strong influence on the physical body. For example, studies have shown that feelings of loneliness significantly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, lung disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

Other effects
: This disproportionately intense anxiety often leads to depressive mood swings. Daily life becomes increasingly dominated by fear, which not only severely restricts one’s life but also disrupts social interaction. The longer this goes on, the more friends and family members react with a lack of understanding, partly because those affected talk only about their supposed illnesses. Conversely, hypochondriacs no longer feel taken seriously and withdraw more and more, becoming increasingly isolated. This often spills over into their careers and relationships, which can also be severely affected.

Hypochondriacs are often seen as hysterical or malingerers, and people secretly assume that they are driving themselves crazy for no good reason. For those affected and those around them, however, it is no laughing matter, but a heavy burden. Experts point out that this is a serious mental illness that requires treatment. Just how strong the compulsion to believe in this misconception—that one has a physical illness—is can be seen in the fact that it can take up to 10 years for a hypochondriac to realize that it is not a physical illness, but a mental one.
The patterns—or the structure of behaviors and their effects—associated with hypochondria are typical of intense fears, repressed fears, and cognitions (beliefs).

In our course, we will address these beliefs and fears.