Who wouldn’t want to be fit and well? It’s certainly a reasonable desire, but today’s society has made well-being, fitness and health into an obsession reinforced by media such as publicity, television and magazines. The number of people affected by hypochondria is increasing with every passing year, reinforced by new weight-loss programs, new dietary supplements, and new products to make you look younger. This obsession with having a perfectly healthy body has reinforced a fear of illness which was already present in our society, bringing with it more problems than remedies.

How can you tell if somebody is a hypochondriac? Well, the profile varies with the individual’s personality, but there are some common characteristics which apply to all these patients. Always convinced that they’re ill, they make a D-I-Y diagnosis and think that they have the most serious symptoms. The person then “somatises” them, which is to say they develop these symptoms psychosomatically, despite having no real illness. They may get themselves into a serious state. Take care here – the hypochondriac is in no way pretending to be ill. The person’s belief that (s)he is ill is such that his or her subconscious causes symptoms and illness.

Hypochondria is a very real and significant disorder, which can be treated primarily through psychology. First and foremost, it’s important to recognise, that we can’t control every cell of our bodies, or all the germs and microbes around us. Getting ill is part of a natural process which lets our bodies build up our immune systems against illness.

Even if you go to the doctor regularly, disorders won’t always be detected. Let’s take the example of my neighbour who is in the habit of getting a checkup every six months. His illness came to light between two appointments, without anything out of the way emerging at the previous checkup. Of course, it’s important to be vigilant, and to take care of yourself and your health; I take care myself, and the purpose of this blog is certainly to help people keep informed and stay well. However you don’t want to become obsessive about it, and risk causing other equally significant problems.

The way to combat hypochondria is through a change in perception, a new way of seeing your body and your health. A positive approach to your body, to food, to sport, etc, will let you deal with this anxiety disorder, the fear of falling ill. Anxiety amplifies this fear, but we should never forget that stress is at the origin of many illnesses. Reducing the causes of stress lets us stay in better health and keep on taking care of ourselves.

Hypochondria is essentially a psychological problem, and I believe that medical support will help you to get back your natural balance.

Nu