What is hypochondria? It is a kind of neurosis with hypochondriacal symptoms as its main clinical manifestation. Its patients are overly concerned about their physical health or the function of a certain part of their body, suspecting that they have contracted some serious disease. Usually, such patients will exhibit symptoms like tension, anxiety, and depression. They will also fear illness, accompanied by extremely painful fantasies, all of which will affect the patient's own health. Therefore, patients and their families should correctly understand what hypochondria is and choose professional and regular hospitals for treatment. In order to better let patients understand what hypochondria is and the harm it causes, we have made the following introduction:
Hypochondriacs stand out in the following areas: (1) Adhering to the principles of health preservation. Eating in moderation, having regular living habits, restraining sexual desires, valuing nutrition, respecting various folk fitness methods and secrets, loving tonics, and easily believing in secret remedies. (2) Paying excessive attention to various sensations from internal organs and limbs. Patients often experience abnormal sensations, and are very concerned about their complexion, tongue coating, pulse, weight, bowel movements, etc. They are sensitive to changes in lifestyle and climate, 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' illnesses makes them feel they have similar symptoms. When sick, they worry excessively and fearfully, mistaking heat rash for syphilis sores. Their symptoms are often more severe and persistent than those of other patients. 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 congenital insufficiency and acquired imbalance, thinking they have been weak and sickly since childhood, but cannot be nourished properly. This belief is deeply rooted. (5) Being very timid and fearful of biological dangers, fearing snake bites and dog bites, fearing the mercilessness of water and fire, fearing traffic accidents, fearing darkness, and fearing death, etc.
Many hypochondriacs have prominent dependency traits, and their dependence on parents can easily be transferred to doctors. They are easily irritated, tense, and troubled. Some indeed have physical weaknesses, such as unstable autonomic nervous system functions, and are prone to colds. Others are stubborn, never willing to accept failure, unwilling to admit mistakes, ambitious but suppressed and not outwardly expressed.
A considerable number of hypochondriacs have one parent with personality disorders or neuroses, depression. Parents' excessive worry and anxiety about their children's health can easily sow the seeds of hypochondria in their children. Some parents are very strict with their children, but once the child is sick, they grant special amnesty and give extra preferential treatment, seemingly driving their children towards hypochondria.
Some hypochondriacal notions can be understood as personal-specific explanatory models. An amateur singer who was unsuccessful, after a vocal expert pointed out that his singing practice method was wrong and harmful to his voice, developed hypochondria. He firmly believed that his vocal cords were injured, asymmetric, and the songs he sang became less pleasant. Several ENT doctors examined him and unanimously believed that his vocal cords were fine, completely symmetrical, but the patient refused to accept the explanation, repeatedly requesting diagnosis and treatment from ENT doctors, and was eventually referred to the psychiatric department. Apart from hypochondriacal notions, 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 yearned for would make him feel ashamed or guilty. Now that his vocal cords are "sick," he has found an explanation that frees him from shame and guilt for not singing well.
It is not the general form of psychotherapy for doctors to use their explanatory models to try to persuade patients and replace the patients' personal-specific explanatory models. The key points of psychotherapy lie in understanding the patient, helping the patient, and promoting the patient to meet their needs in a constructive way.