We’ve all been there: you have a pounding headache that doesn’t respond to medication or increased water intake, and you start to get nervous.
Could it be something more serious?
So, you turn to the Internet, pulling up “Dr. Google” to see if the headache you are experiencing can be attributed to anything other than just a simple headache. At first, the potential causes will be completely innocent (a hangover, dehydration, a tension headache, a cluster headache, etc.). But, as you browse, the potential causes will inevitably become more and more serious (think brain aneurysm, brain tumor, etc.) as the results continue to load.
We know all of this – so why do we continue to do it? Well, because we want to get answers quickly, instead of taking the time to go to a doctor, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and even embarrassing.
So, should hypochondriacs Google? Here are some key points to consider before making the decision:
You may convince yourself that you have a rare and incurable disease.
If you’re the type of person who frequently worries that you might have a rare and incurable disease, you might want to think twice before Googling your symptoms. People who self-diagnose their health concerns using the internet are more likely to convince themselves that they have a rare and incurable disease, even when they don’t. When people receive a diagnosis from a doctor, they are more likely to believe that their condition was curable, while people who self-diagnosed their condition using the internet were more likely to believe that their condition was incurable. So, if you’re the type of person who worries about your health, it might be best to see a doctor instead of googling your symptoms. You may convince yourself that you have a rare and incurable disease, even when you don’t.
You may become even more anxious about your health.
If you’re the type of person who constantly worries about your health, googling your symptoms may not be the best idea. In fact, you may become even more anxious about your health. This could be due to the sheer breadth of information that is available to those individuals who research their health conditions online. If you do Google your symptoms, you may end up finding a new disease/illness (or set of diseases/illnesses) that you never even knew about prior to your research!
You could see how this could easily be a slippery slope…in trying to reduce your anxiety, you may actually increase it by Googling your symptoms!
You may find it difficult to focus on anything else.
Should hypochondriacs Google? Well, there’s a lot of information available online. It would be plenty easy to spend hours researching your symptoms online, and many hypochondriacs do just that! This can be dangerous for hypochondriacs, as it’s all too easy to get to the point where it’s difficult to focus on anything else.
While it’s understandable that you want to be informed about your health, you should be aware that there is a lot of misinformation on the internet. And, if you’re not careful, you can end up making yourself even more anxious.That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about your concerns. They can help you separate fact from fiction and they can provide you with the reassurance you need.
If you are really struggling with this, try making your doctor’s website your home page instead of Google. That way, every time you log on to your computer, you will see your doctor’s website instead. This will encourage you to reach out to your doctor when you have a medical concern instead of researching it yourself.
You may become obsessed with your health and start to neglect other areas of your life.
It goes without saying: if you’re constantly searching for information about your health, you may be neglecting other areas of your life. While it may be farfetched to say that Googling could be the end of your career or relationship…it kind of could.
If you are spending so much time Googling your symptoms or possible medical conditions you may have, that time spent has to come from other places. For people who struggle with mental health conditions (such as hypochondria), that time often comes from areas such as working, exercising, eating healthy, spending time with loved ones, or other forms of self care.
You may end up spending a lot of time and money on unnecessary tests and treatments.
Should hypochondriacs Google their symptoms, they will inevitably find a whole slew of diseases and illnesses suggested to them. If you take all of these suggestions seriously, you may end up spending a lot of time and money on unnecessary tests and treatments. Instead of Googling your symptoms, it would be much better to talk to a doctor about your concerns. Your doctor will be able to recommend the necessary tests and treatments according to their professional opinion, which would save you both time and money in the long run.
So, should hypochondriacs Google? Here’s our advice: just don’t do it.
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.
