Doctors do not like such patients for their meticulousness, and relatives are perplexed why a person invents illnesses for himself if his health can be envied. Psychologist Svetlana Kuznetsova tells what the hypochondriac’s anxiety is connected with and why it is so difficult for him to cope with it.
It is normal to worry about health, and in order to prevent the development of a dangerous disease, doctors recommend timely examinations. But in the case of hypochondria, health concerns are reminiscent of an obsession: even a minor symptom can cause great anxiety.
“A person suffering from hypochondria feels that he definitely has some kind of disease, but does not know which one,” says psychologist Svetlana Kuznetsova. “He is afraid that if he does not find him, he will face serious consequences.”
The desire to carefully examine the body is accompanied by anxiety, but its roots are not necessarily associated with a state of health. Such obsessive anxiety indicates the presence of an internal conflict.
Often a person himself cannot formulate what exactly worries him. However, the feeling of “something is wrong” makes you look for a problem, including visiting doctors and checking the Internet. But the answer is never found, because it lies in a different area, not related to physical health.
Svetlana Kuznetsova emphasizes that the true problem can concern any area: family relationships, work, or general dissatisfaction with the way life is going. Sometimes a person suffering from hypochondria breathes a sigh of relief when his diagnosis is not confirmed, but this condition does not last long. Since he still failed to find out what the cause of the anxiety was, the anxiety is growing with renewed vigor.
There is another situation: without realizing it, a person wants doctors to confirm the presence of the disease — after all, in this way he has the opportunity to rely on the help and care of loved ones. In this case, the search for the disease also becomes a secondary task, while the deeper need is to feel the compassion of others.
Why does hypochondria occur?
If the parents themselves were anxious, then, most likely, the children will adopt their anxiety.
“Children see the world through the eyes of their parents. If they say that the world is dangerous, then unconsciously he will seek confirmation of their words. And of course, he will find it, ”says Svetlana Kuznetsova. A person can grow up anxious even if in childhood he often did not feel safe. His parents were not necessarily anxious themselves, but for some reason they failed to create an atmosphere of security for the child. As a result, a person from childhood gets used to being on the alert, to expect danger.
How can you help yourself?
“If you catch yourself on a disturbing thought, it is useful to ask yourself how realistic and adequate it is,” recommends Svetlana Kuznetsova.
At this moment, it is important not to lose contact with reality, to train the ability to look at the world without «black glasses». Another useful habit is daily rituals: for example, reading a book before bed, jogging, walking, having dinner with the family.
“The more routine and predictability in our lives, the calmer we are,” says the psychologist. “If a person comes up with rituals for himself during the day, it is very grounding.”
However, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself and try to understand what part of life we turn a blind eye to, what problem we hide from solving, constantly worrying about our health. It is often difficult to identify the real reason, but it is precisely this reason that does not allow us to relax.