Hypochondria can actually increase the risk of death, per new study
For many, when we start to feel symptoms of an illness, we take medication and deal with it till our body fights off the infection. For others, seeking medical attention just to be sure it’s nothing more serious is their protocol for dealing with illness. Once given their prescription, their worries are relieved.
But for around 0.1% of the American population, the fear of being sick does not get resolved as easily. “Even after medical tests show no problems, people with hypochondriasis are still preoccupied with the idea that think they’re seriously sick. Their persistent health worries can interfere with their relationships, careers and life,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
What are the symptoms of being a hypochondriac?
Hypochondria, also known as hypochondriasis or illness anxiety disorder, causes people to have an unrealistic fear of illness.
“Patients experience not only distressing somatic concerns (bodily complaints) that are unexplained medically but abnormal thoughts, feelings and behavior,” per Psychology Today.
“For example, patients typically have persistent beliefs about the seriousness of normal bodily sensations and spend excessive amounts of time pursuing a diagnosis of their physical concerns. Their distress is real.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, these are common symptoms of illness anxiety disorder:
Constantly anxious about health and easily alarmed by any physical sensations.
Spending much time researching diseases and symptoms online or through other resources.
Frequently checking for physical abnormalities, like lumps or pain.
Frequent visits to doctors and insistence on numerous medical tests, often finding little satisfaction in negative results or doctor’s reassurances.
Some may avoid medical information for fear of discovering a serious illness.
Health-related fears and anxieties persist for months, even without a diagnosis of a serious medical condition.
Hypochondriacs have a higher risk of mortality
A study published by Swedish researchers in Jama Psychiatry discovered that people diagnosed with hypochondria have an increased risk of death even when causes are potentially preventable.
The study involved 4,129 individuals who were diagnosed as hypochondriacs and 41,290 individuals with similar demographics who did not have the illness.
After around nine months, researchers found that “individuals with hypochondriasis had an 84% higher risk of all-cause mortality during the follow-up compared with individuals without hypochondriasis.” Those who were diagnosed as hypochondriacs were also more likely to die at a younger age.
“It’s kind of a paradoxical finding, isn’t it?” David Mataix-Cols, a researcher in the study, told The Washington Post. “They worry so much about health and death, and then they end up having a higher risk of death anyway.”
Related
Can too much worry actually make you sick?
Stress is a good thing for the body, but what happens when the body is burdened with too much stress? The adrenaline rush right before a race begins versus the overwhelming feeling of affording rent each month can have unique effects on overall health.
“There’s a difference between the acute stress you feel before presenting a project at work and the more prolonged, chronic stress you feel while in a toxic relationship — both of which can affect your health and well-being in the short and long term,” according to National Geographic.
When you’re stressed, common symptoms can include trouble sleeping and loss of appetite that weakens your body over time if it is not improved.
“Chronic stress decreases your body’s lymphocytes — the white blood cells that help fight off infection,” per the Cleveland Clinic. “This is when you can start experiencing a ‘stress-induced sickness.’ Your immune system starts to feel weaker, so it can’t fight against infections or diseases as well. High stress levels also can cause depression and anxiety, which also can lead to higher levels of inflammation.”
For people with hypochondriasis, the stress of being sick can lead to crippling anxiety and take over a person's life. “This can occur even if they have no symptoms or their symptoms are very mild. They might even mistake normal sensations for symptoms of a serious illness,” per Health Direct.
“If you think you or someone you know is affected by hypochondria, let them know that you are available to support them and that you want to help,” Health Direct added. “Talk about what is going on, listen to them, and help them seek advice from a doctor or other health professional.”
