HYPOCHONDRIAC

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

• Obsessed with the idea that you have a serious illness/disease
• Fears minor symptoms are a major disease
• Continually seeking professional help to reinforce fears
• Severe cases can be completely disabling

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Unable to control worries or fears
• Believe any sign or symptom or sensation is a sign of serious illness
• Always seeking reassurance from friends, family healthcare providers
• Constantly doing self examinations
• Symptoms shift and change. Quite often they are very vague

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS CONT.

• Mental distress such as stress or depression
• Physical symptoms: unexplained headaches, unexplained chest pains
• Psychological distress: irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, and low back pain
• Thinking you have a disease after reading or hearing about it
• Frequently switching doctors

CAUSES

• History of sexual or physical abuse
• Fixation on physical sensations/symptoms, could be simply from stress
• Can stem from a fear of having a serious disease, may be unreasonable or unfounded
• Personality
• Someone in your family worried about your health when you were young

TREATMENTS

• Regular contact with a medical professional
• Prescribed anti-depressants
• Psychotherapy: recognize symptoms, develop coping mechanisms/activity
• Massage Therapy: relaxation (stress relief), physical symptoms

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE

• Relaxation
• Stress relief
• "Touch therapy"
• If symptoms are physical it can help ease pain or tension

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• No immediate contraindications
• Warnings & cautions: emotionally unstable client & pre-existing injuries