A hypochondriac is someone who believes they have a serious medical condition. This fear is almost always irrational and obsessive with the individual having no real symptoms of a serious medical condition. Hypochondria is the medical termed used to diagnose a person who is a hypochondriac, but hypochondriasis or “health anxiety” or other medical terms used to describe the disorder as well.
Research has shown that four to six percent of the population has hypochondria. There are some common behaviors associated with hypochondria. Going for multiple doctor visits, even going to several different doctors on the same day is an example of hypochondria. Another is insisting on multiple medical tests often for the same “condition”. Avoiding contact with certain public events or situations for fear of catching a disease of some sort is another example. Checking one’s body for symptoms of a medical disease is another example of hypochondria.
Those who are hypochondriacs often obsess over minor things. Some examples are thinking that a headache is a brain tumor. Locating a sore that is minor on the body and immediately thinking its AIDs. Having minor chest pains and assuming they are indicators of a heart attack or a potential heart attack. Hypochondriacs may even believe that a simple cough could be something as severe as cancer.
There are several tools used today to help with hypochondriac treatment. Some are more common than others and have better success rates. The most effective treatment according to recent studies is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. These techniques are often employed for those individuals who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as well. This technique used to treat hypochondriacs centers around exposure and response prevention. Another technique used is cognitive restructuring to which hypochondriacs learn to challenge their distorted health concern thoughts.
A variant of the technique exposure and response prevention that is often used is called imaginal exposure. This involves using the client’s health obsessions and translating them into short stories. These stories are then taped and repeated back to the client. What this does is expose the person suffering from hypochondria to feared situations.
Although the above mention treatments and techniques are offered by the professional mental health community, many have found solace from irrational fears through dependence upon God under the direction of biblically based counsel. Often immediate respite is found and sometimes gradual transformation of behavior is achieved for many individual through the reception of strength derived through their faith placed in Christ and the subsequent power available to overcome these fears.
Hypochondriac Treatment Denton Texas – Mayhill Hospital, Denton, Texas offers cognitive behavioral therapy for hypochondriac treatment and they are often employed for exposure and response prevention.
