Where does hypochondria come from? What causes hypochondria? These are questions that hypochondriacs have likely asked themselves at one time or another. Unfortunately, as is the case with many mental health conditions, this question doesn’t have a simple answer. Hypochondria can result from one cause or multiple causes, depending on the person. While the specific cause or causes differ from person to person, there are several factors or lifestyle circumstances that have been known to cause hypochondria. Here are the Top 7 Hypochondriac Causes:
Hypochondriac Causes #1: Anxiety
Anxiety is a tricky one…anxiety can be a cause of hypochondria, but it can also be a result of hypochondria. Let’s start out with the former: anxiety as a cause of hypochondria. People with anxiety are prone to excess worrying. So, it makes sense that that worrying would transfer over into worrying about one’s health. In addition, anxious people may be more likely to misinterpret bodily sensations as signs of disease or illness as opposed to merely dismissing them.
Now, let’s jump into the latter: hypochondria causing anxiety. Some people may develop hypochondria independently of having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Since hypochondria is a form of anxiety, centered around health, this can often be a cause of anxiety. It is entirely possible for somebody to have hypochondria but to not have anxiety about other matters in their life.
Therefore, anxiety could be a possible cause for hypochondria, depending on the person and how they handle excess worrying.
Hypochondriac Causes #2: Stress
Stress does a lot of funky things to people. When you are stressed, your body is literally under attack. Stress can also lead to many physical symptoms such as stomach discomfort, headaches, bloating, high blood pressure, heart disease, skin conditions, and so much more.
Due to the addition of physical symptoms, some people might start to believe that there is something wrong with them. Undoubtedly, this is when people will go to the doctor to see if they are healthy. If they are indeed healthy but do nothing to reduce their stress, their physical symptoms will resume. This could lead to a person becoming a hypochondriac, because the doctor is telling them that they are well, but they continue to have a continuation of their symptoms.
While not all stress leads to hypochondria, stress could be one possible cause for hypochondria developing within a person.
Hypochondriac Causes #3: Depression
Depression could be a possible cause of hypochondria. When somebody is depressed, they have a hard time focusing on the positive aspects of their lives or seeing any good in what they are experiencing. If a person who is depressed experiences a physical symptom (or multiple physical symptoms), they may be more likely to believe that they have a serious illness, even when there is no evidence to support this belief. Depression can cause a person to focus on their physical symptoms and to worry excessively about their health. This can lead to a cycle of anxiety and depression, as the person becomes more and more worried about their health.
Hypochondriac Causes #4: Substance Abuse
Substance abuse can be a cause of hypochondria. When a person uses drugs or alcohol, they are not only harming their body, but also their mind. Drug and alcohol abuse can lead to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. These mental health problems can then lead to hypochondria, which is a condition where a person is excessively worried about their health.
Hypochondriac Causes #5: Bereavement
Bereavement can be a cause of hypochondria. The death of a loved one can trigger feelings of anxiety and insecurity, which can lead to hypochondria. The condition can also be caused by other major life changes, such as divorce or retirement. Bereavement for a death resulting from an illness or injury is especially known as being a hypochondriac cause.
Hypochondriac Causes #6: Genetics
Genetics can be a cause of hypochondria. Some people who suffer from hypochondria have a family member who also suffers from the condition. This suggests that there could be a genetic component to hypochondria. Or, if the family member didn’t have hypochondria, maybe they had anxiety. Since hypochondria is a form of anxiety fixated around health, this could also be another cause of a person’s hypochondria thanks to genetics.
Conversely, somebody who suffers from hypochondria might have grown up watching their loved one worry about contracting specific diseases or becoming injured. This could have led to a person thinking that it was normal to worry so significantly about contracting diseases. This would suggest not a genetic component necessarily, but it wouldn’t rule it out.
Hypochondriac Causes #7: Witnessing Illness or Injury
One big potential cause of hypochondria is a person witnessing an illness or injury in somebody else. This could be a close friend, family member, or even a stranger. In the case of this type of hypochondriac cause, the person starts to worry that they will contract that specific illness or injury themselves. This could be due to a similarity, maybe in age or gender, or simply being privy to a new set of symptoms or ailments that the person had not yet been privy to in their life.
Even if the person is tested for that illness or injury and is confirmed that they do not have it, that person may still worry about it, effectively being a cause for hypochondria.
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