Hypochondria: When The Fear Of Illness Becomes Real

Hypochondria, or disease anxiety, is one of the most common reasons for consultations among psychotherapy patients. This disease refers to people who live in constant fear of suffering from a disease.

Hypochondriacs have a real fear of diseases with a progressive and prolonged worsening. Some examples are cancer, AIDS and fibromyalgia. However, there are also many hypochondriacs who fear heart and respiratory diseases, which have a faster and more violent development.

One of the most striking characteristics is the fear of diseases that gradually deteriorate the body. Conversely, the fear of more rapidly developing diseases, such as heart attack or suffocation, is more characteristic of panic disorders.

No matter what disease the hypochondriac fears,  their emotions and actions end up “making them sick” in the long run (mentally).

The primary components of hypochondria are fear of disease and a constant urge to be diagnosed (medical tests, examination, etc.). But there  are several psychological factors that influence the development, intensity and duration.

In this article, we will explain  how the hypochondriac’s irrational fear becomes real as a result of an exhausting pursuit of control over one’s own body, intolerance of insecurity, and lack of handling of fear.

How does the fear of disease really attract disease?

In order for a person who is afraid of disease to develop hypochondria, several factors are necessary. Among most, characteristic, psychological factors that end up being the fear of disease genuine, we find  unrealistic expectations and expected ideas about how the human body works.

Unrealistic expectations, demands and the need for control in the development of hypochondria

When a person has unrealistic and unreasonable expectations of how the body should feel every day,  any normal, physical sensation (like a muscle contraction or other small pain) becomes a warning that something is wrong.

Although persistent pain and discomfort  are signs (If I have pain every day, they are probably real. Something must be wrong), people with an irrational fear of illness interpret these signals as clear indicators of illness.

The fear of illness becomes greater if you have a brain that tells you that something is wrong and that you may be sick because your body feels a certain thing. Hypochondria is easier to develop if you have a biased expectation of how the body should function. 

This type of thinking is quite normal in people with low tolerance for unpleasant, bodily emotions. These people think that their body should always behave in the same way (no new scars / marks), painless and completely “normal”.

Physical discomfort is normal and a part of life. This is because our bodies are organisms in constant change. But you end up exaggerating it if you focus too much on it.

This is explained in the Gate Control theory, which has scientifically proven that  awareness of a feeling in the body amplifies it and makes it more intense and sustained.  Therefore, distraction techniques are one of the keys to success when it comes to psychiatric treatment of hypochondria.

Requirements for oneself regarding the body and the disappearance of discomfort are also important aspects. It is not only enough that there is a fear of illness, that one cannot endure the physical disturbances, but there must also be great self-awareness and search for control for hypochondria to exist.

Trying to avoid physical illness makes you mentally ill

Intolerance to disturbing, physical emotions, as well as a demand that the body stop feeling them and attempts to control it, make people mentally ill,  as it is difficult to concentrate on two things at the same time.

If one is focused on what hurts, how much it hurts, and how it affects one, the person wastes time trying to control something that cannot be controlled: the normal functioning of their organism.

As the physical emotions become greater (due to the great attention), the person begins to become more and more restless. They go to the doctor or search the web to find out what hurts or why they feel that way. Searching for information on the Internet can be dangerous. 

It can provide the person with information they may end up using towards their own body. It is also known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A negative diagnosis (hypochondria is not a real disease) makes the person feel calm for some time. However, it is possible that it may cause them to become addicted to a professional opinion. When hypochondriacs are put in the shoes of a “sick person,” they begin to see themselves as one of them, which they are not.

How can we control the fear of illness in a good way?

The mind is incredibly strong, and it often “chooses” the wrong path with great confidence. Doubting what experts tell you, and an insistence that you are still sick even if the doctor says otherwise, is not the right way to control your emotions.

When it comes to hypochondria, the person must realize that a tireless pursuit of medical evidence endangers their lives. They must assume that they are wrong, even though they are convinced that what they are feeling is genuine.

The fear of getting sick is normal and addictive. The fear is helpful and encourages us to take safety precautions. However, a comprehensive search for information on alleged symptoms is not the right way to deal with the fear.

First and foremost, they must stop the need to control any physical sensation and be examined before they can declare themselves “healthy.”

At the same time , they need to understand that the problem is not the disease, but the intolerance of the fear,  which only gets bigger every time they try to alleviate it. It is important to realize that fear is not the problem. The real problem is the way the person handles the fear. How hypochondria develops.

Working with your fear is a great way to learn to deal with it. You should investigate why it occurs, what can be done about it and try to accept it. Psychological help is also an excellent way to try to control one’s fears, including fears of illness.

Lack or poor control of your fears probably means that you end up developing a mental illness.