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Hypochondriasis

Published on Dec 06, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

HypoChondriasis

Are you sick, or have you spent too much time on webmd?

History of the Disorder

  • Hypochondriasis was first defined in the nineteenth century
  • Used to be considered a mental disease without physical symptoms
  • Now it is classified as a specific type of anxiety disorder

What can cause this?

  • Having a serious illness during childhood
  • Knowing people who actually have a serious illness
  • The death of a loved one
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Confusing good health with an absence of physical sensations
Photo by marsmet481

Symptoms

  • Hypochondriacs believe that they are sick when they are not
  • They experience long-term, unfounded anxiety about their health.
  • They obsessively research health.
  • They are constantly on the lookout for any health abnormality
  • They often think they have a disease after reading about it.
Photo by tim caynes

Specific Diagnostic Criteria

  • Being preoccupied for at least 6 months with the idea of a serious illness
  • Worry about this preoccupation
  • Difficulty in social life or other routine because of this preoccupation

Treatment

  • Therapy is the most common source of treatment.
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants) can help
  • These increase the amount of serotonin in certain parts of the brain
  • So can Tricyclic antidepressants, which are SNRIs
  • It can also help to just learn more about hypochondria itself