How to live with a hypochondriac

There’s more to this mental health problem than man flu and checking in with Dr. Google. Just how is it possible to help someone with health nervousness?

It’s pretty sensible to observe and care approximately our health and wellness, but sufferers of health nervousness (the new name for hypochondriasis) may shoot it to some other level. ‘A person with this problem can misinterpret everyday niggles, like a headache, as an indicator of something serious like cancers,’ from psychotherapist and psychologist, Kasia Szymanska (kszymanska.com). ‘The the main element point this is actually the misinterpretation or worry leading to anxiety and stress.’
                    Much like any other mental illness, individuals who surround the sufferer could be damaged as well. Aside from having to pay attention to hour-long rambles about how exactly a cough is obviously an indicator of bronchitis (while you have it as well and know it’s not), people that have health nervousness can have insecure attachment designs so could be less confident in their romantic relationships and either end up being ‘clingy’ or less inclined to lean on others - producing tries at reassurance challenging. Unsurprisingly, sufferers can be critical of their GP also, when they’re the one person with a chance of offering they informed advice. So what should you do if you live with a hypochondriac?

Understand the problem

Health anxiety can develop at any time (though usually in adolescence) and, like other conditions exist on a spectrum. Sufferers may focus on a specific organ or a disease they have read about, though it’s characterized by an obsession with bodily distress and functions that can include something as benign as being able to feel their heartbeat to discovering a rash. These are things that many of us just wouldn’t pay attention to, but with health anxiety, these issues aren’t accepted as part of being human. Instead, they are seen as signs of serious illness to be obsessed over. You can develop health anxiety whether you have a pre-existing condition or are fit and healthy. ‘This is a mental health issue that needs to be taken significantly,’ Szymanski explains. It’s most carefully associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder and various other anxiety issues and will come and go - frequently exacerbated by stress.

Check the spectrum

If it is your lover trying to convince you his gross annual episode of man flu is even worse than childbirth, then welcome to relationships. But if the nagging issue is interfering with day-to-day lifestyle, it requires to be addressed. One concern to bear in your brain is that while sufferers could be around their GP with health, they seek help with a mental issue rarely. ‘Health anxiety can result in extreme worrying and checking behavior - for instance, somebody who fears their perceived storage loss is right down to Alzheimer’s may spend lots of time completing memory tests - this additional fuels their nervousness,’ from Szymanska.

Nearest and dearest

‘Friends and family will get frustrated listening to a person talking about their symptoms or repeatedly asking for reassurance, especially once they have been given clean expenses of health,’ says Szymanska. Naturally, you will worry about them as they may seem distant and become less sociable. ‘Be supportive, but within limits,’ she continues. ‘Encourage them to read about health anxiety on a professional website. Don’t become their therapist but, if possible, take them out or beat the additional finish line of the phone. Be accepting, understand that logic can’t fix the problem and remind them that they are not unusual, in the grand scheme of items. These strategies will help you to step away from their panic and be a more reassuring presence.’ But don’t try to talk them out of their anxiety - this never works and only puts extra pressure on you to rationalize the irrational.

Go back to the source

It can be helpful to have some context, although it’s not essential to know why someone has health anxiety. ‘There are lots of reasons why people develop this, and it may be that someone in there the family is anxious about their health or a family member or friend has recently fallen ill or died,’ says Szymanska. In a 2003 study on the impact of health anxiety on relationships, researchers noted that around a third of participants with the condition reported a serious illness in childhood. Further evidence suggested links with childhood abuse or attentive or neglectful parenting overly.

“IF THE PROBLEM IS INTERFERING WITH DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ”

Seek help

Getting support may be the key to making a notable difference (and, from a genuine person, not merely by requesting Siri). ‘The treatment for health anxiousness is usually cognitive behavior counseling (CBT), which really is a widely obtainable short-term counseling where individuals develop strategies to lessen their symptoms,’ said Szymanska. For treatment, an analysis is necessary and if an amount of denial there’s, you may need to complement the medical procedures for support but there are different ways to help. ‘Point them towards self-help books or leaflets which outline how specifically to reduce health anxiety, or inspire them to provide CBT ago,’ said Szymanska. The NHS includes a free guide to health anxiousness also, via NHS.uk.

Calming the situation

Those with wellness anxiety are prone to dealing with research to ‘examine’ the perceived symptoms and self diagnose, which can lead to what psychologists refer to as ‘catastrophising’ - where people overestimate their level of danger and the mind becomes consumed by worst-case scenarios. The flip side to this is using research to try to take back control: looking at dietary changes, supplements and
soon. Though this may seem positive, it further compounds the obsession with health. ‘Again, time spent on this is wasted and can impact negatively on their personal and work life’ says Szymanska. ‘It’s more helpful to encourage someone to think realistically: for example, if a person is worried about a headache is a sign of a tumor, ask how many headaches they have had up until now? What are the chances of it is the worst-case scenario? Then get them to “talk back” to the worry. For example, you can say, “You’ve had lots of headaches before, this is just one of them, you don’t need to jump to conclusions”.’

Communicate

‘Ironically, trying to suppress negative thoughts and feelings, or avoiding any anxiety “triggers”, implies that they’re more likely to come quickly to mind often, which is counterproductive,’ said Szymanska Encourage discussion instead - though when you’re speaking with your anxious friend or partner, try to avoid ‘if just…’, ‘what if…’ and ‘why?’ queries. ‘These types of questions could make them more enthusiastic about their perceived issue, and may increase their anxiety actually,’ highlights Szymanska. Ultimately, anxiety is a component of life, and a wholesome mind is one which has learned to rationalize and tolerate it. When it’s uncontrollable, most professionals agree that discussing fears freely is the easiest way to help place them in perspective and relaxed any concerns.