The syndrome of monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis (MHP) is a form of DSM-IV
Hypochondria is itself a form of mild psychosis. The hypochondriac has a deep and ungrounded worry about having or developing a serious mental illness. Paranoia and suspiciousness are classical traits of psychosis but they can be subtle.
Hypochondriacs can entertain the possibility that the feared disease is not present. In contrast, people with somatic-type delusional disorder are completely convinced of the physical basis of their complaints. Therefore, delusional intensity differentiates delusional disorder from hypochondriasis.
Hypochondria is a type of anxiety disorder. It is also known as health anxiety, or illness anxiety disorder, or hypochondriasis. It is normal for people to worry about their health now and again. But people who experience hypochondria get very worried that they are seriously ill, or are about to become seriously ill.
Hypochondriacal paranoia is an important subset of paranoid conditions, which should not be overlooked in patients with persistent hypochondriacal complaints. It is rare, in contrast to illness anxiety disorder or body dysmorphic disorder optionally with insufficient insight.
Hypochondriasis may occur in an individual who had a childhood illness or had a sibling with a childhood illness. May be related to another psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder. Hypochondriasis may develop from, or be a sign of, one of these other disorders.
Conclusions. Bipolar disorder, especially BD II, is associated with greater hypochondriac concerns, which relates to personality disorder functioning styles and concurrent affective states.
In addition to paranoia, other personality features were found to be common among patients with hypochondriasis in this study: obsessive compulsive, avoidant, borderline, self-defeating and passive-aggressive.
How bad can hypochondria get? For some people, hypochondria can affect aspects of everyday life including making plans, traveling and work and bring on physical symptoms of anxiety. It can also cause people to avoid visiting their doctor for regular exams and check ups.
Scrupulously controlling for as many variables as possible, this research team found that individuals who complained about their health were three times more likely to die in the next 30 years than those who perceived themselves as more able-bodied and hearty.
Patients with hypochondriasis often are not aware that depression and anxiety produce their own physical symptoms, and mistake these symptoms for manifestations of another mental or physical disorder or disease.
Hypochondriasis (HYPO), an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, is frequent in patients with schizophrenia (SCH) (20%), especially among those treated with clozapine (36.7%).
Unlike hypochondria, people with psychosomatic illness present with symptoms that are real, but have no medical explanation.
People who have hypochondria actually believe they are ill, but do not manipulate test results. People who malinger pretend to be ill to gain some sort of benefit, such as avoiding military duty or trying to obtain compensation.
5 Signs of an Introverted Narcissist: Hypochondria
An introverted narcissist often suffers from hypochondria. They use sickness and disease to garner attention. Introverted narcissists do not usually get attention for accomplishments or achievements, because they never try.
Contrary to the idea that "hypochondriacs" are simply looking for attention, the origins of someone's illness anxiety are often highly specific. "There's often a trigger," says Helen Tyrer, a senior clinical research fellow at Imperial College London and author of the book Tackling Health Anxiety.
Hypochondriasis neurosis (health anxiety) is a morbid preoccupation with physical symptoms or bodily functions, in which minute details are related incessantly; there is excessive preoccupation with fear of disease or a strong belief in having disease due to false interpretation of a trivial symptom.
Suicide among hypochondriacs is rare unless they are also seriously depressed, in which case the hypochondria increases the risk.
Hypochondriac comes ultimately from the Greek word hypokhondria, which literally means “under the cartilage (of the breastbone).” In the late 16th century, when hypochondriac first entered the English language, it referred to the upper abdomen.
Somatization, hypochondriasis, and hysteria have often been considered as associated features of the borderline personality disorder.
One characteristic frequently related to hypochondriasis is narcissism, or self-centeredness, he said.
There is no 'cure' for either condition, but both are considered treatable, mainly through psychotherapeutic techniques such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), which aim to help the patient to relax and not to catastrophise when interpreting bodily sensations.
Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms.