If you’ve landed on this page, chances are that you have concerns over being a hypochondriac. The definition of hypochondria is “a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.”
While it’s normal to get occasional anxiety about your health, there are some indicators that your anxiety has progressed into full-blown hypochondria.
Here are seventeen ways to tell if you might be a hypochondriac:
You Get Second Opinions For Your Second Opinions.
Being on top of your health means getting a second opinion. Doctors aren’t perfect, and they sometimes make mistakes, so we applaud you for taking your health seriously.
But have you started getting second opinions for your second opinions? That may be an indicator that you’re suffering from health anxiety. However, if multiple doctors have the same opinion as each other, they’re likely telling you the correct information. At this point, you can relax knowing that you have been given an accurate diagnosis (if any). If, however, you still doubt the opinions of two doctors, this may show that you have hypochondriac tendencies.
You Check the CDC’s Website Regularly.
The CDC has the most updated information about emerging infectious diseases, ongoing infections, and food or other hazardous outbreaks. While it’s important to stay in-the-know, there is a limit to how much is too much.
If you want to know the CDC’s latest updates, we recommend joining their e-mail list to receive information in real-time. This will prevent you having to regularly check the website for information. Or, you can set guidelines that you can only check the website at a set interval. You could have this interval be once a week, twice a month…whatever works for you!
However, if you are still checking the CDC’s website regularly and obsessing over any recent updates, this might be yet another indicator that you are currently struggling with health anxiety.
You Google Every Symptom You Have.
The Internet officially changed forever when Google emerged into 1998. Since that moment, it’s never been easier to access any information that you want at your fingertips. While this is a positive aspect in most situations, it can also be bad that you have access to instant information as it pertains to your health. Specifically, if you forego a trip to the doctor in favor of Googling your symptoms. Also, if you Google “Am I a Hypochondriac?” – that might be a sign that you are…
You Repeat Questions About Symptoms.
It’s normal to ask questions about symptoms, but if you repeat asking questions even though you already have the answer, that might not be normal. Many hypochondriacs try to ask the same question in different ways, hoping to produce a different answer or set of answers. Most doctors will understand that you are asking questions out of health anxiety and will strive to give you the same answer while putting your mind at ease.
You Carry a Thermometer in Your Purse.
It’s good to have a thermometer in your home in case you or a family member feels like they’re running a fever. Knowing your temperature can give you a good read into whether or not your body is currently trying to fight off an infection or not, as well as a picture of your overall physical health.
However, it’s not an emergency that you know your temperature at all times. You don’t need to carry a thermometer in your purse; instead, you can wait to take your temperature until you get home. If you can’t wait and are tempted to take your temperature when you are out, this is another sign that you may currently be struggling with hypochondria.
You Repeat the Same Tests Over and Over Again.
Tests are completed for a reason: to provide results. Tests can be abormal if certain parameters aren’t followed. Such as, if your doctor required you to have a fasting blood test, but you ate just before the test. In this case, the doctor would ask you to repeat the test so you can get an accurate result.
However, if you follow all of your doctor’s instructions, they believe the results are accurate, but you still seek out the same test from the same or a new doctor? This may be a sign of hypochondria.
You Don’t Receive Long-Lasting Reassurance Over Negative Test Results.
Good news! You received negative test results for the ailment/disease you were trying to avoid. What a relief! So, then, why do you still feel worried?
Hypochondria has to do with obsessive, persistent, health anxiety thoughts. You get used to the thoughts you’re having; it’s hard to suddenly shift to the mindset that you may actually be okay if you’re used to worrying all day long. If this sounds like you, you may be a hypochondriac.
You Avoid People Who Are Sick.
Ever heard about a friend with a stomach flu, cancer, or a cold and avoided them like the plague? You’re not alone…but this is a common symptom of hypochondria.
People who struggle with health anxiety want to avoid getting sick at all costs. Therefore, hypochondriacs tend to avoid people who have any type of illness…whether it’s an illness that’s transmissible or not.
Even though it doesn’t make sense to avoid somebody who doesn’t have a contagious disease, hypochondria isn’t always rational. Your brain panics, even if you logically know you can’t catch something like cancer or kidney disease from another.
You Don’t Like Talking about People Who Are Sick.
Hypochondriacs tend to have a form of magical thinking that makes them feel like even talking about sickness could make them sick. People who suffer from health illness anxiety disorder feel like there is a definitive link between hearing about people’s illnesses and their own well-being.
This tends to manifest itself into avoiding talking about people who are sick, avoiding conversations where mutual sick friends are discussed, or avoiding asking people how they are if you know they have an illness.
If you display any of these symptoms, these could be indicators that you are suffering from hypochondria.
You Catastrophize Minor Ailments.
Sometimes, a paper cut really just is a papercut. It doesn’t have to be indicative of a rare blood disease or a connective tissue disorder. But, if you happen to catastrophize minor ailments, this could also be indicative of you suffering from a health illness anxiety disorder.
You Check Your Body Regularly for Symptoms or other Ailments.
Look, it’s important to know what’s going on with your body. For women, it’s recommended to do a monthly breast self-check so you can be aware of any possible tumors; for men, it’s recommended to do a monthly prostate self-check so you can be aware of any possible tumors. Of course, it’s also important to keep an eye on other variables, such as monthly skin cancer checks, etc.
However, if you are regularly checking your body for symptoms or other ailments, this may be a sign that you are suffering from hypochondria. What constitutes regularly? Well, if you are performing self-checks every time you shower, for example, that may be too much.
If you are hyper-aware of every minor symptom you experience (such as a cough) and are worried about what it could mean…this could be indicative of health illness anxiety disorder.
It Doesn’t Take Much To Make You Worry About Your Health.
Hear about a new disease? Anxiety. Found a new lump or bump that you can’t stop thinking about? Panic attack.
If it doesn’t take much to make you worry about your health, this is yet another indicator that you may be a hypochondriac.
You Know Everything About Your Family’s Medical History.
Sure, you probably know about your grandfather’s most recent kidney stone, or your aunt’s battle with breast cancer…those things are big news!
But if you know about the time your great grandmother struggled with gout or can spout out the results of every single one of your uncle’s prostate exams, that may be too much information.
It’s important to know your family’s medical history, but if you know more than you need to know to keep yourself safe, you could be suffering from hypochondria.
You Avoid Medical Care for Fear of Being Diagnosed with a Serious Medical Illness.
While it’s commonly thought that hypochondriacs go to the doctor a lot, sometimes hypochondria manifests itself in a different way: medical avoidance. You see, some hypochondriacs fear so deeply that they will be diagnosed with a serious medical illness that they avoid the doctor’s office entirely.
While this isn’t a real solution, this hypochondriac tactic somewhat follows the age-old adage of “ignorance is bliss.” The hypochondriac figures that, if they aren’t officially diagnosed with the illness, they can’t possibly have it, right?
This is a potentially slippery slope, though. It is important to go to the doctor regularly, especially if you have a serious medical concern. If you think you could be sick, you will need to receive a diagnosis so you can receive treatment.
If you find that you avoid the doctor’s office out of a fear that you will be diagnosed with a serious medical illness, this could mean that you are suffering from hypochondria.
You Wash or Sanitize Your Hands Constantly.
After the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, everybody started washing and sanitizing their hands more frequently. At that point, it was the norm to carry around a bottle or two of hand sanitizer anytime you left the house.
It became even more normal to utilize your hand sanitizer before you touched anything. However, if you were one of those people who used to wash or sanitize your hands constantly, this could be an indicator of having health anxiety.
You Ask Your Friends or Family Members for Reassurance Constantly.
Are you always asking your friends or family members for reassurance? This could look something like asking your friends or family members if they think the mole on your back looks suspicious, or seeing if they can feel your forehead to determine whether or not you have a fever. No matter what you’re asking about, the consensus is the same. You could be a hypochondriac!
If five or more of these statements apply to you, chances are that you are a hypochondriac. Not to worry, though, because hypochondria can be treated through the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychiatrist-prescribed medication. Don’t have the means to access either of those two things right now? Check out some of our recommended articles below for ways to ease your health anxiety symptoms in the meantime.
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