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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffYour hypochondria may never completely go away, but you can learn how to cope with your health anxiety so that it doesn't disrupt your life.
Consider these coping measures:
- Don't doctor shop. Find a health care professional you trust and stick with him or her. Don't "doctor shop," or continually seek out new doctors or health care professionals to run more tests or perform more procedures. Scheduling regular follow-up visits with your health care professional can help offer reassurance that you're OK.
- Avoid excessive research. For someone with hypochondria, the Internet is like being the proverbial kid in a candy store. Don't spend hours researching health information or looking up vague symptoms. Chances are, you'll find something you think you have, fueling your anxiety.
- Skip disease-of-the-week stories. Consumer magazines are often full of stories with dire warnings about "overlooked" or "misdiagnosed" diseases that are just waiting to strike you down. Avoid reading these stories. They may only increase your anxiety, especially if they include common or vague symptoms.
- Take a break from body vigilance. Resist the urge to continually monitor your pulse or other vital signs or to check your body for signs of disease, such as lumps or sores. But because it's important to be aware of some signs and symptoms, talk to your doctor about what self-checks or self-exams are reasonable for you.
- Get support. Ask for support and patience from family and friends who know you have hypochondria. Talking openly to them may help defray their own frustrations about your health anxiety, and they may be able to help you keep perspective.
- Join a group. Join a hypochondria or anxiety support group. You may bond with people who share common concerns, and you may also learn additional coping strategies.
References
- 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.
