What is hypochondriasis? It is a kind of neurosis with hypochondriacal symptoms as its main clinical manifestation. Patients suffering from it pay too much attention to their physical health or the functions of certain parts of their body, suspecting that they have contracted some serious diseases. Usually, these patients will also experience tension, anxiety, depression and other symptoms. They will develop a fear of disease and be accompanied by extremely painful fantasies, all of which will affect the patient's own health. Therefore, patients and their families should correctly understand what hypochondriasis is and choose professional and regular hospitals for treatment. In order to better inform patients about what hypochondriasis is and make them aware of its harm, we have made the following introduction:
Hypochondriacs stand out in the following aspects: (1) Adhering to health-preserving principles. Eating in moderation, living regularly, restraining sexual desires, valuing nutrition, admiring various folk fitness methods and secrets, liking tonics, and easily believing in secret prescriptions. (2) Paying excessive attention to various sensations coming from internal organs and limbs. Patients often have abnormal sensory experiences and are very concerned about complexion, tongue coating, pulse, weight, bowel movements, etc. They are highly sensitive to changes in lifestyle and weather conditions, and are prone to water and soil intolerance. (3) Being particularly interested in medical knowledge, easily influenced by doctors and medical books. Hearing or seeing others get sick makes them feel they have similar symptoms. When they are sick, they worry excessively and fearfully, mistaking heat rash for syphilis sores. Their symptoms are often more severe and persistent than those with the same illness. They believe that taking medicine either has too many side effects or easily leads to drug resistance. In short, treatment is difficult and the therapeutic effect is poor. (4) Believing in being born with deficiencies and later becoming unbalanced, being frail and sickly since childhood, but not benefiting from tonics. This belief is deeply rooted. (5) Being extremely timid and fearful of biological dangers, such as snake bites, dog bites, water and fire, traffic accidents, darkness, death, etc.
Many hypochondriacs have prominent dependency traits, and their dependence on their parents can easily be transferred to doctors. Features such as irritability, tension, and distress are also common. Some indeed have physical weaknesses, such as unstable autonomic nervous system function, prone to catching colds, etc. There are also people who are stubborn, never willing to fail, unwilling to admit mistakes, ambitious but suppressed and not outwardly expressed.
A considerable number of hypochondriacs have one parent with personality disorders or neuroses. Parents' excessive worry and anxiety about their children's health can easily plant the seeds of hypochondriasis in their children. Some parents are very strict with their children, but once the children are sick, they grant special amnesty and give them extra preferential treatment, which seems to be driving their children towards hypochondriasis.
Some hypochondriacal ideas can be understood as personal exclusive explanatory models. An amateur singer who was unsuccessful developed hypochondriasis after vocal experts pointed out that his singing practice method was wrong and harmful to his voice. He firmly believed that his vocal cords were injured and asymmetrical, and the songs he sang became less pleasant to listen to, leading to a phobia. Several ENT doctors examined him and unanimously agreed that his vocal cords were fine and completely symmetrical, but the patient refused to accept the explanation and repeatedly requested diagnosis and treatment from the ENT doctors, eventually being referred to the psychiatric department. Apart from the hypochondriacal idea, this patient had no other symptoms and no physical pain. His suffering was mental. We have reason to infer that if this singer thought he was not sick, then failing to achieve the musical success he aspired to would make him feel ashamed or guilty. Now that his vocal cords are "sick," he has found an explanation that spares him from shame and guilt for singing poorly.
Doctors using their explanatory models to try to persuade patients and replace the patients' personal exclusive explanatory models is not the general form of psychotherapy. The key points of psychotherapy lie in understanding the patient, helping the patient, and promoting the patient to possibly satisfy their needs in a constructive way.