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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffComplications that hypochondria may cause or be associated with include:
- Health risks associated with unnecessary medical procedures
- Work or school problems
- Relationship difficulties
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Substance abuse
- Excessive anger and frustration
- Strained relationships with your health providers
- Financial problems related to medical costs
Hypochondria can be overwhelming and disabling. You may become so obsessed with finding a cause for your physical symptoms that it affects your daily functioning. You may frequently miss work or school. Your health may be all that you can think about or talk about, which can alienate family and friends.
Unfortunately, some people with hypochondria may indeed have a physical condition, and it may be overlooked by health care professionals. They may have grown so frustrated with your frequent appointments that they dismiss you without realizing that something truly is wrong this time.
- Hypochondriasis. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 28, 2008.
- Oyama O, et al. Somatoform disorders. American Family Physician. 2007;76(9):1333-1338.
- Abramowitz JS, et al. Hypochondriasis: Conceptualization, treatment, and relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America 2006;29:503-519.
- Bouman TK, et al. A psychoeducational approach to hypochondriasis: Background, content, and practice guidelines. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2008;15:231-243.
- Thomson AB, et al. Psychotherapies for hypochondriasis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD006520.
- Harding KJ, et al. Advances in understanding illness anxiety. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2008;10:311-317.
- Greenberg DB, et al. Somatization disorder. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
