If you think you may be a hypochondriac but have not yet received an official hypochondriac diagnosis, you may be worried about whether or not you are a hypochondriac. The ironic thing about this situation is that, usually, only hypochondriacs are worried about being a hypochondriac. But, it’s truly hard to know if you have hypochondria unless you have received an official hypochondriac diagnosis.
But how can you do that?
Well, there are two main ways to receive an official hypochondriac diagnosis:
Speak to your doctor about your concerns and symptoms.
If you believe that you may be a hypochondriac, the first step is to speak to your doctor about your concerns and symptoms. Hypochondria is a real medical condition. Your doctor will be the first person to tell you whether or not you have it. In this appointment, you will need to provide your doctor with a detailed medical history.
By reviewing your detailed medical history, your doctor will be able to see patterns and trends that could correlate to your symptoms. They will also be able to see the issues you have experienced in your past. They will be able to infer whether or not those issues could be making a resurgence based off your current symptoms.
After reviewing your detailed medical history, your doctor will conduct a physical examination (and possibly some tests) to rule out any serious or life-threatening medical conditions based off the symptoms you are having. In this exam, your doctor will look for any physical causes of your symptoms. If the doctor can’t find a physical cause for your symptoms, they may then cross-reference your current symptoms with your past medical history.
If a pattern emerges, your doctor may be able to make a diagnosis of you having hypochondria. They will likely refer you to a mental health professional for further evaluation, especially if they have deemed that you are not at risk of any serious or life-threatening conditions.
Visit a mental health professional for a hypochondriac diagnosis.
After you have seen a doctor to rule out any serious or life-threatening conditions, your next appointment should be a mental health professional. When you first visit your mental health professional, it’s important that you tell them about your fears. From there, the mental health professional will be able to make a diagnosis by asking some potential questions:
What symptoms do you have?
Do you have a past or current diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression?
Has a doctor told you that you are healthy?
Do you have a hard time believing your doctor when they tell you that you are healthy?
Are you someone who spends more than a few hours per week worrying about your symptoms?
Do you spend any time researching your symptoms?
Are you easily alarmed about your health status?
Do you make multiple doctor’s appointments about the same issue?
Be prepared to answer these questions as honestly as possible in order to get an accurate diagnosis. Once your mental health professional has your honest answers to these questions, they may be able to make an official hypochondriac diagnosis. If you are diagnosed as having hypochondria, your mental health provider may diagnose you as being one of two types of hypochondriacs:
Care-Seeking Hypochondriac Diagnosis.
This type of hypochondriac is known for booking multiple appointments to prove that they are, in fact, sick. Care-seeking hypochondriacs may frequently change doctors, health care groups, and even health insurances. They do this in order to be able to keep booking appointments and making inquiries without suspicion. This type of hypochondriac may fear that their previous medical practitioners may either be incompetent or didn’t pay enough attention to detail and missed their medical condition.
Care-Avoidant Hypochondriac Diagnosis.
This type of hypochondriac avoids medical care at all costs. This is usually because they believe their doctor’s office visit, labs, or testing will reveal they have a life-threatening illness. This type of hypochondriac may even avoid going to the doctor at the expense of their own health!
If you are diagnosed as being a hypochondriac, or having illness anxiety disorder, don’t worry! There are many steps you can take to improve your condition and to improve your quality of life. We recommend checking out some of the other articles on our website, especially in the “Start Here” section.
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.
