The hypochondriac is constantly struggling with pain and a long list of diseases. Not a day goes by without something hurting him. Doctors spread their hands - the research shows that the patient is completely he althy. A delusional patient believes that he is suffering from strange and improbable ailments.

Hypochondriacis not the same asdelusional patient . The first one suffers from fear for his own he alth and wastes time looking for a doctor to cure his ailments. The second one suffers from imaginary, absurd diseases, which is the result of disturbed thinking.

Hypochondria results from fear for your own he alth

Hypochondriaconsists in excessive concentration on one's own he alth, high level of anxiety about one's physical condition and erroneous, anxious interpretation of otherwise normal ailments - e.g. hoarseness or itching.Hypochondriacis looking for contact with doctors because he still suspects ailments. However, when the doctor announces: "You are he althy", the patient feels disappointed, as if he desires some "real disease" for himself.

Hypochondriacs have to tolerate the tendency to complain about their he alth, however irritating it is.

A good example of hypochondria is one 30-year-old patient who claimed that his mind never rested while he slept. He slept properly during the night (7-8 hours), but found himself tired every morning - he took a book, tried to read, and found himself unable to concentrate. Therefore, despite higher legal education and good command of foreign languages, he remained unemployed. He firmly believed that his fatigue was due to "a lack of REM sleep during sleep." Repeated hospital examinations did not confirm this, which disappointed the patient wildly and prompted him to visit more and more new specialists.

A delusional patient suffers from absurd ailments

Imaginary diseases are something else entirely. These are usually very bizarre, absurd claims about your own he alth. The observer from the side immediately realizes that a person cannot suffer from such an ailment: "My stomach has not been functioning for years", "Everyone turns with disgust when they smell my mouth from the mouth", "My heart has stopped beating for a long time". These bizarre beliefs often explain specific experiences a patient experiences.For example, he still feels a strange taste in his mouth (which can be a kind of hallucination), so he explains it to himself that this supposedly unpleasant smell is a symptom of his "obstructed gastrointestinal tract". Imaginary diseases are symptoms of disturbed thinking. The patient's beliefs, despite their nonsensical content and bizarreness, persist, even if they are in stark contrast to the facts.

A delusional patient needs the help of a psychiatrist.

People with delusional diseases usually have specific personality traits - they are overly suspicious, distrustful and have a high level of hostility. They are often loners, avoid people and are unable to make contacts. Without the help of a specialist and treatment, such a person cannot be helped - the patient needs contact with a psychiatrist, because his bizarre fabrications go hand in hand with serious mental disorders such as paranoid schizophrenia. Unfortunately, illnesses caused by delusional thinking are extremely difficult to treat. The belief system developed by the patient usually takes years to develop, sometimes it is very logically consistent. An example of an imaginary disease is the case of an elderly woman who suffered from terrible headaches. She believed it was caused by the devil sitting on her back and looking at the world through her eyes. When the doctors gave her drugs, she shook her head and said: "Why are you giving me these drugs, you'd better take me from the back of the devil."

Hypochondriacal behavior

  • thinks over and worries about normal body activities, such as sweating
  • contacts doctors often and has a tendency to change them
  • complains loudly about his own he alth, has difficulties in precisely describing his ailments
  • tends to exaggerate her suffering
  • arouses irritation, boredom, anger in the environment

Behavior of a patient with delusions

  • his descriptions of ailments are strange and obviously untrue
  • does not show ailments
  • arouses fear and reserve in the environment, and then anger
  • has a consistent and unchanging way of explaining his ailments

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Category:

Psychiatry