What is hypochondriasis? It is a kind of neurosis whose main clinical manifestation is hypochondriacal symptoms. The patients pay too much attention to their physical health or the function of some part of their body, suspecting that they have contracted some serious disease. Usually, these patients will also suffer from tension, anxiety, depression, etc., and develop a fear of disease, as well as extremely painful fantasies, all of which affect the patient's health. Therefore, both patients and their families should correctly understand what hypochondriasis is, and choose professional and regular hospitals for treatment. In order to better let patients understand what hypochondriasis is and its harm, we have made the following introduction:
Hypochondriacs stand out in the following aspects: (1) Adhering to the way of health preservation. Eating in moderation, having regular living habits, restraining sexual desires, valuing nutrition, respecting various folk fitness methods and secrets, loving tonics, believing in secret remedies. (2) Paying excessive attention to various sensations from the viscera 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 climate, and easily get sick in different environments. (3) Being particularly interested in medical knowledge, easily influenced by doctors and medical books. Hearing or seeing others fall ill makes them feel that they also have similar symptoms. When they are sick, they worry excessively and are afraid, 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 great side effects or easily leads to drug resistance. In short, treatment is difficult and the therapeutic effect is poor. (4) Believing that they were born insufficiently endowed, their constitution became disordered later in life, they have been weak and sick since childhood, yet cannot be strengthened by tonics. This belief is deeply rooted. (5) Being very timid and fearful of biological dangers, such as snake bites, dog bites, water and fire disasters, traffic accidents, darkness, death, etc.
Many hypochondriacs have prominent dependency traits, and their dependence on their parents can easily shift to doctors. Common temperamental features include irritability, tension, and annoyance. Some people indeed have physical weaknesses, such as unstable autonomic nervous system function, prone to catching colds, etc. Others are stubborn, never willing to fail, refusing 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 sow the seeds of hypochondriasis in their children. Some parents are very harsh on their children, but once the child gets sick, they grant special amnesty and give preferential treatment, which seems to drive the child towards hypochondriasis.
Some hypochondriacal ideas can be understood as personal exclusive explanatory models. An amateur singer who was dissatisfied with his situation developed hypochondriasis after vocal experts pointed out that his practice method was incorrect and harmful to his voice. He firmly believed that his vocal cords had been injured and were asymmetrical, and that his singing had become less pleasant to listen to. Several ENT doctors examined him and consistently found that his vocal cords were healthy and completely symmetrical, but the patient completely rejected the explanation, repeatedly asking the ENT doctors to diagnose and treat him, eventually being referred to the psychiatric department. Apart from the hypochondriacal idea, this patient had no other symptoms, nor any physical pain. His suffering was mental. We have reason to infer that if this singer thought he had no illness, then failing to achieve the singing success he yearned for would make him feel ashamed or guilty. Now that his vocal cords are "ill", he has found an explanation that absolves him from shame and guilt for not singing well.
It is not a general form of psychotherapy for doctors to use their explanatory model to try to persuade the patient and replace the patient's personal exclusive explanatory model. The key point of psychotherapy lies in understanding the patient, helping the patient and promoting the patient to meet his needs in a constructive way.