We’ve all felt it: the burning red cheeks when you call to ask your doctor’s office for yet another appointment…or the guilt you feel when you clear your search history from yet another anxiety-fueled Googling session…or the spinning headache you get when you ask your doctor yet again for your test results. So what is that? Well, it’s hypochondriac embarrassment.
It’s normal to be embarrassed over your hypochondria, because you may be self-conscious about how people perceive you. You may be worried that they will judge you, think you are crazy, or not take you seriously. So, no wonder you may not want to tell anybody what you are feeling!
However, it is important to tell people (family, friends, mental health professionals, and physical health professionals) what you are feeling. It’s important, firstly, so you don’t feel alone and so you can receive the emotional support you deserve. Secondly, it’s important to tell doctors and physical health professionals what you are feeling and the sensations you are experiencing. This is so they can stay on top of your health and differentiate actual health symptoms from hypochondriac health symptoms.
Not sure where to start? Well, here’s how you can overcome hypochondriac embarrassment:
Understand That It’s Not Your Fault.
You can’t control whether or not you develop health anxiety. If you had a choice, you would probably choose not to have recurrent, obsessive hypochondriac thoughts run rampant…right? Of course you would.
Hypochondria is no fault of your own. So, then…
What causes hypochondria?
Well, nobody knows for sure, but there are several theories why certain people develop hypochondria while others do not. In general, hypochondria is more common for individuals who:
- Suffer from anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Suffer from a serious physical illness
- Had a recent major stress, such as a death or illness in the family
- Suffered abuse or neglect as a child
In addition, there are certain activities that can trigger individuals who are susceptible to health anxiety, such as:
- Feeling unwell
- Noticing lumps, bumps, or other physical irregularities on the body
- Being in close proximity to somebody with a serious or life-threatening medical condition
- Being exposed to various diseases or ailments via books, television, radio, or the internet
But the main point here is that nobody chooses to be a hypochondriac. So cut yourself some slack and realize that this is something that isn’t in your control. Yes, you can control how you respond to hypochondria. But you can’t control what makes thoughts arise in the first place.
You’re Doing the Best You Can With Your Hypochondriac Embarrassment.
This is a pinnacle to overcoming hypochondriac embarrassment. No matter how much you may be struggling, just know that you are doing the best you can. Don’t judge or berate yourself for not being where you would want to be.
Once you understand that you are doing the best you can, this should help ease some of the embarrassment. It’s silly to be embarrassed over things you can’t control. Would you judge somebody for sneezing or admitting to being anxious in front of a group? No? Well, then, realize that doing the best you can will just have to be good enough for now.
Find Doctors Who Will Understand Your Hypochondriac Embarrassment.
One of the first steps in overcoming hypochondriac embarrassment is to find a team of understanding doctors. The most important doctor to have in your arsenal is an understanding primary care physician. This primary care physician will be the person that you funnel your medical concerns through. They will also monitor your medical baseline and can write you referrals to other physicians should the need arise.
It’s important to make sure your primary care physician is understanding of your hypochondria and takes your health concerns seriously, even if they are not based in reality. It’s important that they don’t make you feel embarrassed, needy, or crazy when you reach out to them for help. For this reason, we recommend telling any potential primary care physicians that you have hypochondria when you first reach out.
Some doctors may not wish to treat individuals with hypochondria, and that’s okay – they’re not the right doctor for you anyways. But with every doctor you find that might prefer to treat individuals with hypochondria, you will find one or more doctors willing (and more than happy) to treat you and soothe your concerns.
It may take a little bit of time to find the right doctor for you, but once you do, it will be well worth it. If you’re having a hard time finding a doctor for health anxiety, we recommend checking out our article “How Do I Find a Primary Care Physician as a Hypochondriac?” for more ideas.
Or, you can always try to find a doctor online with Zocdoc. With Zocdoc, you will be able to take appointments from the comfort of your own home. That alone should reduce some of the embarrassment, as you will be able to skip those pesky waiting rooms and invasive nurse’s questions. Instead, you can focus solely on seeing your doctor and having them answer your questions.
Find Understanding Allies.
Many people who suffer from hypochondriac embarrassment feel like they are alone. Well, first of all, know that you are definitely not alone.
If you suffer with health anxiety and are embarrassed about it, it’s important to find one or more understanding allies that you can talk to when you are struggling. You don’t necessarily need to find somebody who also struggles with hypochondria, though that could be helpful in the long run.
Instead, seek somebody who will meet your fears and concerns with compassion and understanding. Seek somebody who makes you feel heard and not judged when you come to them in the middle of a bout of hypochondria. If you have an understanding friend or family member, these might be good people to go to for some compassion.
Either way, if you have somebody who understands you, you will be much less likely to feel embarrassed.
Find Understanding Psychiatrists.
At some point in your hypochondriac journey, you may consider medication. If you do, you will need to see a psychiatrist who can prescribe you that medication. For this, it’s very important that you find an understanding psychiatrist who understands hypochondria. You will need to be honest with them about your symptoms. Don’t let your hypochondriac embarrassment get the better of you! If you do not tell them the full extent of your symptoms, they may not prescribe you the correct dosage of medication.
Make a Plan For Treating Your Hypochondriac Embarrassment.
While hypochondria is nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s not entirely pleasant to deal with on a regular basis. As mentioned above, the racing heart, obsessive thoughts, sense of panic and dread (and a whole slew of other uncomfortable symptoms) are very unpleasant to deal with. Therefore, you may want to make a plan for treatment.
The preferred treatment of choice for hypochondria is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of therapy that teaches you how to recognize your negative thought patterns and how to respond to them appropriately. You will learn how your thoughts affect your behaviors, and vice versa. Cognitive-behavioral therapy often involves a great deal of homework as you try to rework your thoughts and learn to master them instead of having them master you.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is particularly effective for hypochondriacs, as the basis of your anxiety is negative thought patterns surrounding your health and safety.
Receiving treatment is a great way to reduce your hypochondriac embarrassment. Why? Well, when you start to become more aware of your thoughts, you realize that you really have no control over what thoughts come into your head, and you will come to recognize these thoughts as neutral thoughts that shouldn’t correlate to any sort of reaction.
Disclaimer: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.
If you are currently experiencing medical concerns, it’s important to talk to a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions. HypochondriacHQ does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website.
