Thread Topic: Is hypochondria a lifelong thing?
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sammie
Joined: May 5, '09
Status: Junior User |
2009-07-13 11:05:38 |
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I wonder about the futuree and if I'll always have to deal with anxiety concerning my health, or if a day will come when I'll "just get over it". I hate when I get these scary thoughts running thorugh my mind all day and I hope for a time when I'm beyond this. I believe its possible to move beyond it and get control over these fears, I really do. but then I also think as you age you become more likely not less to have health problems. And I can see myself looking up statistics that show I'm now falling into age groups that tend to get certain diseases. I will probably just have to pull the plug on the internet completely at that point. |
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Unanswered Thread: Cyclothymia posted by Darkman33 6 minutes ago |
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sammie
Joined: May 5, '09
Status: Junior User |
2009-07-13 11:08:51 |
| What I didn't say was that right now one way I can confront the fears is to remind myself that I'm too young to get a lot of diseases.. lets face it, a lot of the bad stuff especially most cancers are pretty rare for younger people. This fact helps me to realize my fears are not realistic. But I'm going to lose that advantage as I get older. | |
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2rlyblssd
Joined: Jun 8, '09
Status: Junior User |
2009-07-13 11:32:37 |
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Wow, Sammie -- I totally agree with that thought. That is/was a large factor in how I dealt with my hypochondria (my age). I am 32, which is getting into that area of pending health issues, but certainly not enough to warrant the amount of "threats" that I have had to my well being. I just got through reading a FABULOUS book, that I would consider a definite must-read for those of us suffering from hypochondria, or even for those who live with one and would like to get a better understanding of just exactly what it is we are going through. The title is Phantom Illness: Shattering the Myth of Hypochondria, by Carla Cantor (who suffered herself with the disorder) with Bryan A. Fallon, M.D. Reading it has given me so much! Everything from a better understanding of myself (i.e. I'm not a freak) to a realization of what I want to do with my life (I am returning to school to become a life coach). I think you will find this book most helpful and very comforting! I can certainly feel my hypochondriasis waning substantially just from the knowledge I have gained from this book. It'll even tell you how to find the right doctor for you. In answer to your question, Sammie, NO -- You will not have to suffer from this condition for the rest of your life. It IS surmountable, and it is largely a state of mind. Hypochondriacs tend to be sensitive people, and we 'feel' situations more than the average person. That being said, you may remain susceptible to the condition, but you CAN learn to thwart off 'attacks' by teaching yourself a new way of looking at the world around you. After all, we are all simply reacting to the world around us. Although I feel so much better, I know that I will have moments where I have to work hard to outwit my condition. Be compassionate to yourself, and realize that those times when you are exhausted and have a lot on your plate are going to be the times when you will need to fight the hardest to block out negative thoughts. I can almost guarantee you that the causes of your hypochondria have very little to do with actual health concerns, and more to do with anxiety as a whole. "CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE." |
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2rlyblssd
Joined: Jun 8, '09
Status: Junior User |
2009-07-13 11:35:47 |
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Wow, Sammie -- I totally agree with that thought. That is/was a large factor in how I dealt with my hypochondria (my age). I am 32, which is getting into that area of pending health issues, but certainly not enough to warrant the amount of "threats" that I have had to my well being. I just got through reading a FABULOUS book, that I would consider a definite must-read for those of us suffering from hypochondria, or even for those who live with one and would like to get a better understanding of just exactly what it is we are going through. The title is Phantom Illness: Shattering the Myth of Hypochondria, by Carla Cantor (who suffered herself with the disorder) with Bryan A. Fallon, M.D. Reading it has given me so much! Everything from a better understanding of myself (i.e. I'm not a freak) to a realization of what I want to do with my life (I am returning to school to become a life coach). I think you will find this book most helpful and very comforting! I can certainly feel my hypochondriasis waning substantially just from the knowledge I have gained from this book. It'll even tell you how to find the right doctor for you. In answer to your question, Sammie, NO -- You will not have to suffer from this condition for the rest of your life. It IS surmountable, and it is largely a state of mind. Hypochondriacs tend to be sensitive people, and we 'feel' situations more than the average person. That being said, you may remain susceptible to the condition, but you CAN learn to thwart off 'attacks' by teaching yourself a new way of looking at the world around you. After all, we are all simply reacting to the world around us. Although I feel so much better, I know that I will have moments where I have to work hard to outwit my condition. Be compassionate to yourself, and realize that those times when you are exhausted and have a lot on your plate are going to be the times when you will need to fight the hardest to block out negative thoughts. I can almost guarantee you that the causes of your hypochondria have very little to do with actual health concerns, and more to do with anxiety as a whole. "CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE." |
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oanadoledo
Joined: Dec 9, '09
Status: New User |
2009-12-13 02:10:22 |
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Symptoms * Disturbance lasts for at least 6 months (24 weeks) * Misinterpret symptoms * No apparent physical disorder that can account for symptoms * Persistent fear of having a serious illness with no medical reason * Preoccupied with fear of illness * Symptoms may shift and change * Symptoms may be vague or specific |
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TheDarkPassenger
Joined: Dec 22, '09
Status: New User |
2009-12-22 18:16:30 |
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I used to be really paranoid of getting sick or a virus, especially HIV. There was a short period of time where i used purel to always wash off my hands before i ate and that sort of thing. I made a few friends that knew more than i did about these sort of medical things and they explained things to me. I realized that my fears were irrational and i wasn't going to get germs off any surface that i thought was unclean. I hardly ever get sick in the first place. Eventually i moved away from these controlling thoughts and i was able to admit to myself that i was being irrational. I realized there was no real basis for my fear and i got over it. You can seek a therapist, some people require more work than others. Also theres a social stigma by always having purel in your pocket and constantly taking it out to clean your hands... though now that ive been thinking about it i want to go out and buy one (kidding). |
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Squidgexx
Joined: Dec 28, '09
Status: New User |
2009-12-28 12:59:53 |
| I've suffered ever since i was about 5, and i'm 17 now. Not a very long life span to be fair, but its not something i've grown or "matured" out of. | |
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familyworrier
Joined: Feb 6, '10
Status: New User |
2010-02-06 06:10:37 |
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I'v had problems with this since I was a child but it comes and goes. There have been periods of my life in which it disappered and others in which it becomes more of a problem. I know there are certain things that make me more prone to an attack of terror over a physical symtom..that turns out to be basically nothing. For me its winter-time, moving or major life changes,too much cold medicine and certain medications. My thought is that it is not the same for everyone. |
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Unanswered Thread: my test posted by Mark777 6 hours ago |
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