Hypochondriasis

Many people don’t know what this is until they notice something wrong with themselves. And I am not saying that those kinds of people suffers this illness. I mean, many people suffer from different illnesses or conditions at the same time, that they are worry all the time, they suffers from anxiety and neurotic symptoms, that leads to be constantly worried about their health and experience any change in their physical condition as a possible drama. I know it's wrong to self-diagnose. But anxiety, overthinking and worrying about everything makes me sick. I have experienced episodes of anxiety, depression, pain, not only emotional but also physical. I have come to think that in addition to my diagnosed physical illnesses, all additional pains or conditions can be caused by another unknown condition, in this case hypochondriasis. So, first, in this essay, I am going to talk about how internal problems affect my body, and how I realized this; then, I’ll explain what hypochondriasis means, and why I believed I have it; lastly, I’ll clarify how this is only in the mind and affects our whole life.

Being in pain every second of every day of your life is not easy. I can't remember a day when something didn't hurt, or I didn't have some discomfort in some part of my body. The mind is tricky as well as powerful, it is clear to me. Just as it helps you or you can have willpower to stay positive, and not let pain or discouragement overcome you. But just as it is powerful for good, it is dangerous because if you are a negative and discouraged person, it takes over. In my case I have tried to stay positive in the face of the conditions that afflict me, but I simply find it impossible. My mind plays a unpleasant game with me because it is difficult to admit it, but when I find myself in a difficult situation with an illness or pain, it intensifies or becomes more lasting, by the simple fact of over thinking about it, worrying too much, and being negative. I have even felt pain or discomfort when someone mentions it or talks about it out loud. That's why I say that the mind is powerful, and it plays a bad trick on me.

So, hypochondriasis Illness Anxiety Disorder, sometimes called health anxiety, involves worrying excessively about having or being able to get a serious illness. It is an obsession with the idea of having an undiagnosed serious illness.

Some of the main factors are previous experiences with sensitizing effects such as medical errors, illnesses of family members or friends. The hypochondriac constantly undergoes a thorough and preoccupied, even obsessive, self-analysis of basic physiological functions, and thinks of them as a source of certain biological disease. It is the constant fear of having a serious illness, even when doctors have told him that this is not the case.

Having said that, I have been thinking to myself; could it be that I have this disease? I seriously think about it, although to think that I have it is even hypochondriacal! But I do tend to worry a lot about pains or things that bother me, I tend to spend a lot of time researching, and being paranoid about a specific pain, sometimes thinking that it is something serious and that I won't have time to cure it. So, the only genuine answer, I will definitely find it with a doctor.

To repeat again, it is difficult to carry a physical load, but also a mental one at the same time.

Not being mentally healthy enough to control your thoughts is something that became part of my routine, to the point of affecting me physically. Negativity, overthinking and worrying become the leaders of my day- to- day life. That's why so many people have physical deterioration. The mind is a magnificent thing that can provide us with so much at the same time that it destroys us. If we are not in harmony with our mind and peace of mind, we cannot be in harmony with our body and energy. To be a hypochondriac or a person who worries about everything is to be a person in suffering. Putting it from a personal perspective, your moments, your experiences, the outings with your family or friends, become a martyrdom or something uncomfortable or unpleasant to do. To be suffering from everything, every day, every hour limits you from enjoying your life, and doing and discovering what you want to do with it.

In short, each and every one of us has to look the way we think about ourselves firstly, secondly and thirdly, because no one else will, and not having self-love can cause you many problems such as neglecting yourself, and not putting yourself as a priority. We have to find a way to balance our soul, body and mind. That way we will lead a full life, without worries, illnesses or diseases.