Hypochondria - what is it, symptoms and treatment of pre-hypochondriacal condition, signs of mental disorder: is there such a disease in psychology

If a person has an obsessive concern about his own health, he begins to look for (and finds!) various diseases, although in reality there are no prerequisites for this, then doctors talk about hypochondria. Not only do such people convince themselves of the presence of some disease, they manage to make even the attending physician believe it. This problem requires the unconditional intervention of a specialist.

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Kinds

There are three main categories. Psychotherapists divide the conditions of all patients according to the manifestation of symptoms and the degree of complications.

Obsessive type

It is typical for emotional, impressionable individuals who quickly become excited and become irritable. Usually they begin to take greater care of their health after experiencing stress, and it is not necessary that the problems are related directly to the patients; they often concern relatives and friends - someone got sick or died. The catalyst or impetus can be:

hospital visit;
read an article on the Internet or a TV show on a medical topic;
stories from colleagues/acquaintances about any case of illness.

It is interesting that a similar condition, but usually in a milder form, is also experienced by young people - students of a medical university. This is due to increased information about possible diseases, as well as constant contact with patients.

This type of pre-hypochondriacal condition is the least severe disorder, which often does not require diagnosis and goes away on its own. The main thing is not to give the patient more reasons to independently diagnose their illnesses. What helps best in this situation is distraction to another object - worries about family, work, hobbies. All this takes a lot of time, which is not left for searching information on the Internet, visiting clinics and communicating with patients in hospital queues. There are two features that distinguish the obsessive type from others:

Health concerns come in fits and starts. With the next fear, the patient may stop eating in canteens, start wearing a mask when traveling on public transport or an excessively warm scarf in the spring.
Anxiety is recognized by the patient himself, the abnormality of excessive care is understood, and attempts are made to self-control.

Overvalued hypochondria

This variant of the disease is often assessed by others as an attempt to protect their health, and therefore is generally perceived positively. Usually such a person gives up all bad habits and diligently engages in all the “benefits” that are preventative against a number of diseases. That is, in fact, a hypochondriac of this type does not complain about illnesses, but he is maximally concentrated on his health, and pushes everything else into the background.

So he can purchase expensive dietary supplements and devices for physical therapy, schedule consultations with doctors in various fields, look for folk recipes for health improvement, and go on all kinds of diets. There are several disadvantages:

often the hypochondriac begins to study not only scientific facts, but also to believe in fortune tellers and healers;
self-medication can lead to real illnesses;
Lost contact with loved ones as interests change.

Psychologist's advice

Is it necessary to fight hypochondria and can the pathological disorder be eliminated on its own?

If you develop hypochondriacal syndrome, you should definitely consult a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will send you for a series of examinations, after which it can be clearly established that there are no real diseases.

In the future, experienced psychotherapists should work with the patient; with their help, it will be possible to establish the main cause of hypochondriacal neurosis and find ways to eliminate it.

You can rarely do this on your own. The progression of hypochondria leads to the emergence of persistent phobias, against the background of which the psycho-emotional state becomes even worse.

If a mental illness is revealed during the examination, the patient will require a course of specific drug treatment. And only a psychiatrist who treats patients with psychosomatic pathologies can choose it correctly.

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Delusional type

In addition to the fact that the patient himself invents non-existent symptoms, he begins to base himself entirely on false conclusions. So, based on the delirium, cause-and-effect relationships arise in his head, which, of course, lead to the idea of illness. Here are some more facts:

Mistrust appears - everyone is deceiving, pharmaceutical companies lie, doctors too, loved ones weave intrigues.
If a doctor refuses treatment (due to the absence of a somatic disease), this is perceived as that the diagnosis is incurable.
In the absence of psychological help, the disorder can be aggravated by conditions such as depression (reaching suicidal intentions), hallucinations and even schizophrenia.

Regardless of the type, all hypochondriacs concentrate on a certain area of medicine or cosmetology. So, some are afraid of falling and breaking bones, others are captivated by the idea that they are developing a dozen malignant tumors, and still others, mainly women, are afraid of losing their youth and beauty.

Is it worth going to the doctor and which one to choose?

If you find signs of the disease, first contact your therapist and get examined. If you have been told that everything is fine with you, but the fear has not passed, carefully monitor your condition.

Dmitry Ferapontov

Psychotherapist with over 17 years of experience.

If hypochondriacal disorder is accompanied by sleep disturbances, decreased concentration, increased fatigue, social maladjustment and lasts more than six months, you should consult a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Both the psychiatrist and the psychotherapist are doctors. Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia dated October 8, 2015 No. 707n (as amended on June 15, 2017) “On approval of the qualification requirements for medical and pharmaceutical workers with higher education in the field of training “Health and Medical Sciences” (Registered with the Ministry of Justice Russia 10/23/2015 No. 39438) with higher education. But the first one treats only with pills, and the second one supplements or replaces them with psychotherapy.

Just do not choose psychologists for your initial consultation, even those who have completed psychotherapist courses. They do not have medical training, and therefore they most likely will not be able to distinguish hypochondria from another mental illness and prescribe medications if necessary.

Conditions of occurrence

What character traits predetermine the occurrence of suspiciousness:

Frequent feelings of anxiety. In ordinary life, this can be expressed in the following thoughts: “When leaving, did I close the door,” “The iron was turned off or left in the socket.”
A pronounced instinct of self-preservation.
Sadness, depression. They especially often affect older people who have no one to spend their evenings with.

Please note that loneliness is one of the causes of hypochondria. If your already elderly parents or loved ones live alone, we recommend placing them in a paid nursing home “Zabota”. It specializes in housing for the elderly, where they are provided with comfortable conditions and round-the-clock care from medical and service personnel. And, of course, it allows them to be in company.

Predisposing factors of hypochondriacal condition

Relevant character traits.
Elderly age.
Incorrect interpretation of the impulses given by the body. This is a mistake in the brain or nervous system.
Upbringing. In childhood and adulthood (we always remain children for mothers), parents were constantly worried about their health. Worry has become an obsessive habit.
Childhood illness, the presence of severe chronic diseases or the development of acute illnesses. All this on a psychological level prepares a person for the fact that he is inclined to get sick in general and now in particular.
Stress. This is an indirect factor that “prepares” the nervous system - making it more susceptible to any problems, increasing irritability.
Loneliness, loss of previous social role (retirement, for example, or disability), change in hobbies. All this leads to more free time for obsessive reasoning.

Forecast

The condition of a patient with hypochondriacal syndrome can be improved by timely seeking help from a specialist. In most cases, the prognosis is positive, and in a very short time a person forgets about all the “deviations” in his own health. This can be achieved with the help of several courses of psychotherapy, and in advanced cases, also by taking appropriate medications. Surgical intervention is usually not required. And still an important condition on the path to a favorable outcome of treatment is the patient’s positive attitude.

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What will the doctor do with me?

It all depends on the severity of the disorder.

Ekaterina Dombrovskaya

Member of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists.

Mild forms of hypochondria are perfectly treated with psychotherapy. For severe illness and concomitant disorders, a psychiatrist may prescribe medications, usually antidepressants.

If medications are not needed, treatment will consist of psychotherapy sessions. For example, like this:

Rational therapy - the psychotherapist appeals to the patient’s logic, convincingly convinces him of the absence of diseases, and points out errors in thinking.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy - the psychotherapist teaches the patient to think and behave correctly, offers strategies for getting rid of fear.
Biofeedback - using technology, the patient is provided with information about his physiological processes in real time. Based on the indicators, he learns to cope with his symptoms. For example, by learning to relax your muscles, you can overcome a panic state.
Non-directive hypnosis is the introduction of the patient into a special state of consciousness. The person continues to perceive reality, but the focus shifts to internal experiences.
Autotraining is self-relief of nervous and muscle tension through self-hypnosis techniques.

According to Dmitry Ferapontov, this is not an exhaustive list. A psychotherapist can use anything that will help the patient cope with negative thoughts and problems in different areas of life.

Alexey Karachinsky

Psychotherapist, author of the Telegram channel “Diary of a Psychotherapist”.

When we find solutions to real problems, hypochondria goes away. For many, this is an insight: “But I thought it was just my arm hurting or my heart pounding!”

Clinical picture of hypochondriacal syndrome

When visiting a doctor, patients usually adhere to one chosen direction, that is, they diagnose in advance what they allegedly have, recognize the symptoms and pass them off as their own. However, most often they complain about disorders of the following parts of the body:

Gastrointestinal tract.
Heart and blood vessels.
Musculoskeletal system.
Gynecology (urology for men).

The signs themselves, which are called hypochondriacs at the reception, are mostly impossible to check, for example:

headache or dizziness;
numbness, tingling, goosebumps;
just soreness of a different nature - pulling, aching, itching;
discomfort when moving.

In addition, you can notice the following features of the patient’s behavior:

irritability;
selfishness;
distrust;
breaking up with loved ones if they do not support health concerns;
development of diseases and conditions of a psychosomatic nature;
narrowing the range of interests and habits, especially if, in the patient’s opinion, they may negatively affect health.

The difference between a whiner and a hypochondriac

In the first case, we are dealing with a healthy person who consciously complains and loves attention. While a real patient experiences real fears, he does not so much want to be pitied as he dreams of getting well. Although we understand that there is no need for this. During an attack of hypochondria, people do not even refuse painful or expensive procedures. And whiners are usually very active and physically healthy when no one is around. And only in public do they begin to pretend, expecting to receive sympathy.

Traditional methods of treatment

With hypochondria, a person falls into a manic state. Constantly waiting for the development of a serious illness. If you want to help a hypochondriac, you need to convince him that dark thoughts can come true. If he looks for some kind of disease, he will definitely get sick.

During times of crisis, it is recommended to take decoctions and tinctures of herbs (chamomile, mint, lemon balm, valerian, motherwort). Herbal tea is an excellent sedative. You can make a bath with the addition of a decoction of medicinal herbs or pine needles. A contrast shower or cold douche perfectly relieves hypochondria. Before going to bed, you can drink a glass of warm milk with honey.

Why is hypochondria dangerous?

Main consequences:

Loneliness, breakdown of social ties and family relationships, up to and including divorce. There remains only a circle of people nearby who support suspiciousness.
Self-medication. Unfortunately, some potent medications can be sold in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. Taking them can lead to poisoning and even failure of some internal organs.
The development of secondary, but no less dangerous psychological disorders - depression, schizophrenia.

Signs

It is possible to fight such a disease, but it is difficult. The sooner it is identified, the better. A person may suspect that he has various diseases, this is normal. For example, many people think that their headaches are caused by pressure. But in a hypochondriac, all this takes on a pathological desire.

The patient may be overly suspicious of doctors’ ambiguous phrases or react to medical advertising. He looks for descriptions of various violations in reference books and books and attributes them to himself.

Hypochondriacal personality disorder often develops against a background of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is noteworthy that such a person leads an ideal lifestyle: eats right, does not smoke, does not drink alcohol, and plays sports.

In some cases, a constant desire to find severe illnesses appears before the onset of mental illnesses: psychopathy, schizophrenia and others.

Obvious symptoms that help recognize hypochondria:

“Thickening of colors” when describing well-being.
A slight runny nose or a barely noticeable rash on the skin is perceived as a sign of a serious illness.
Excessive concern about health.
Most conversations devolve into anxious discussions of medical topics.
Increased level of anxiety.
Looking for health problems, expecting the worst. The symptom can lead to panic attacks.
Loss of appetite (absence or increase) and restless sleep.
Insomnia, drowsiness.
Autonomic disorders.
Dizziness, sweating, shortness of breath, heart pain, dizziness.
Apathetic state.
Focusing on a “disease” that others do not notice.
Loss of interest in social life.

Immediate treatment for hypochondria is required if most of the symptoms are noticed. Ignoring the disease makes the situation worse.

Diagnostics

First, a comprehensive examination is prescribed by specialists in various fields in order to exclude real somatic diseases. A standard diagnostic set of tests is given - blood, urine, ECG. After this, psychotherapy sessions are held, during which the presence of deviations in a number of signs in behavior is established.

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Flow mechanism

Human organs work autonomously with the participation of the vegetative-vascular system. When their functions are under constant control, and every spasm is perceived as a distress signal, the normal functioning of autonomically innervated organs can be disrupted.

Thus, pathological attention to one’s body and anxious attitudes can provoke somatic disorders and malfunctions of the body. With hypochondria, pain and symptoms may be present without the disease itself.

According to experts, hypochondria is rarely diagnosed as an independent disease. Most often it is combined with depression and anxiety panic disorder. Therefore, treatment of pathology should be comprehensive .

Doctors were able to establish another pattern: when a hypochondriac is diagnosed with a real physical illness, he perceives its symptoms and treatment as a minor disorder, paying much less attention to it than to his fictitious illnesses.

How to treat yourself

The first step is recognizing your own disorder. When you have done this, self-control will help you resist suspiciousness, consider that you have passed half the path to recovery. Next, follow our advice.

Learn to control your mind

Analyze everything you think about (consciously or unconsciously), weed out everything unnecessary. This can be done through concentration. A good option is to practice yoga with its meditations and concentration on breathing, this allows you to look into yourself.

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Add physical activity

Active recreation or daily exercise will help you feel stronger and healthier. And in a healthy body there is a strong mind. Exercising in the pool - water aerobics or independent swimming - is very calming. You can sign up for equestrian sports, because contact with animals also has a beneficial effect on the psyche.

Set a sleep/wake schedule

The best period for rest is from 10 pm to 6-7 am, so it’s worth adjusting your regime to this framework. And if you manage to take a 40-50 minute nap during the day, don’t miss this opportunity.

Get out in the sun more often

Vitamin D, obtained naturally, is good not only for your bones, but also for your mood. Properly produced hormones will make you happier, and with this feeling, fear for your health will go away.