Sensation Seekers: Hypochondriasis

Do you have a friend who is always sick? For some people, if they want to be sick they can easily convince themselves that they are. For example, Bob heard that it is flu season so he automatically assumes that he has the flu. Or Sally cut her finger and now thinks she has Hepatitis. I have a small theory that regards the common hypochondriac. In case you are unaware a hypochondriac is a person who is abnormally anxious about their health. Personally, I think hypochondriacs are sensation seeking individuals that get a type of “high” whenever they are in poor health. The reason why is because people thrive off of attention. What better way to be noticed other than being sick? American sports writer Jeff Pearlman describes hypochondriasis as the “Impossible illness.”

So how does this relate to the patient experience in health services? Here’s why. People who are considered hypochondriacs tend to go to the doctor’s office or the hospital on a regular basis. They have good contact with their medical professional because they are constantly “sick or in pain.” This is an excerpt from Jeff Pearlman’s article called Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness

“I know I am dying, because, well, I just know. I'm certain of it. I can feel it. That pain on the left side of my stomach still hasn't gone away. It's been there for eight or nine months now. The ultrasound came up negative. So did the CT scan, the MRI and the colonoscopy. "It's probably nothing," said one doctor. "You likely pulled a muscle," said another. "I'd ignore it," advised a third. They are wrong. I know they are wrong. So, with nowhere else to turn, I seek out reassurance. "What do you think my stomach pain is?" I ask. "Do you think I'm OK?" Eyes roll. "You're fine," my father says. "You're fine," my mother says. "You're fine," my sister-in-law says. "You're 37 years old. You run marathons. You play basketball every Monday. You've never even broken a bone," my wife says. "You're fine." I don't believe them. I can't believe them. I refuse to believe them. I wish I could believe them.”

Is it possible that doctors or nurses could potentially ignored a patient’s illness because they are always complaining about their health? What if a Sally or Bob came to the doctor about stomach pain and the doctor just assumed that it was another fake illness, but then it turns out being not benign and the patient now needs urgent medical attention. This all goes back to the patient experience and how sometimes the patient can be overbearing to their doctors which can lead to poor medical service in return.

To read Jeff Pearlman's full article and to also learn more about Hypochondriasis follow this link:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200912/hypochondria-the-impossible-illness