The Definition of Hypochondriac

Example: Calling patients hypochondriacs only stigmatized them – it did nothing to ease their underlying anxiety. The disease of the hypochondriac consists in the fact that some bodily sensations do not so much indicate a real disease existing in the body, but only raise fears about its existence: and human nature is thus constituted – a quality that the animal lacks – that it is able to improve or leave lasting local impressions, by simply paying attention to it, while an abstraction – whether produced intentionally or by other distracting professions – diminishes or even erases these impressions. Hypochondriac can also be used as an adjective describing things that involve hypochondria, as in hypochondriac tendencies. A less common variant of the adjective is hypochondriac. These terms are also avoided by mental health professionals and may be considered insensitive when used occasionally. Hypochondriacs of any kind are a nuisance both to themselves and to others, but no one more than the spiritual hypochondriac. Hypochondriac: A person who suffers from hypochondria, a disorder characterized by a preoccupation with bodily functions and the interpretation of normal bodily sensations (such as sweating) or minor abnormalities (such as mild pain) as omens of problems of the great medical moment. Reassuring by doctors and others only serves to increase the hypochondriac`s lingering fear for his health. Hypochondria or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and excessively worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has changed many times. [1] It has been claimed that this debilitating condition is due to an inaccurate perception of the state of the body or mind, although there is no actual medical diagnosis.

[2] A person with hypochondria is called a hypochondriac. Hypochondriacs worry too much about the physical or psychological symptoms they discover, no matter how minor, and are convinced that they have a serious illness or are about to be diagnosed. [3] Anecdotal evidence suggests that some people become hypochondriac after a major medical diagnosis[24] or the death of a family member or friend. Similarly, many otherwise healthy and happy people are plagued by hypochondria as they approach the age of a parent`s premature death from illness. These people believe that they have the same disease that caused the death of their parents, which sometimes causes panic attacks with corresponding symptoms. [13] It wasn`t until the 19th century that the hypochondriac described someone suffering from “disease without a specific cause.” What did this originally mean? What other forms are related to hypochondriac? Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hypochondriac The original Greek hypochondriakos referred to the region of the abdomen, an area that ancient physicians believed to be the seat of misery or melancholy. It stands to reason that hypochondriacs are usually unhappy, simply because they always imagine themselves sick. Here`s a gift guide that all my hypochondriac colleagues will appreciate.

Neither sitting nor standing for long periods of time is as good for your health, as your hypochondriac friend probably well knows. The first mentions of the word hypochondriac date back to the early 1600s, with hypochondria first recorded in the mid-1500s. The terms finally come from the Greek hypokhondria, which means “under the cartilage (the upper abdomen)”. Often, hypochondria persists even after a doctor has examined a person and assures them that their concerns about symptoms have no underlying medical basis or, if a medical condition is present, their concerns go far beyond what is appropriate for the extent of the disease. It is also related to hypochondria, which is the act of being in a hypochondriac state, acute hypochondria. [4] Many hypochondriacs focus on a particular symptom as a catalyst for their worries, such as gastrointestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue. To be eligible for a diagnosis of hypochondria, symptoms must have appeared for at least 6 months. [5] However, psychiatrists have largely stopped using the terms hypochondriac and hypochondria in favor of other terms, as these terms are considered degrading. People with this condition are now sometimes diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The chronic anxiety that the condition brings often focuses on specific conditions — such as heart or stomach pain — and may even be accompanied by physical symptoms.

What are the words that are often used to talk about hypochondriac? He is now a hypochondriac and would closely observe the health and habits of his heir; You can be sure of that. The first meanings of the words hypochondria and hypochondriac were used in reference to the medieval idea that people`s personality is based on the balance of four different types of elementary fluids in their bodies called humor. It was believed that an excess of one of the so-called juices, black bile, causes a person to experience a state of sadness and depression known as melancholy. It was thought that this melancholy was in the upper abdomen. (The related term hypochondrium is still used in anatomy to refer to one of the two regions of the abdomen.) Hypochondria is often characterized by the fear that minor physical or psychological symptoms may indicate serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and concern for one`s own body. Many people with hypochondria express doubts and disbelief about doctors` diagnosis, reporting that doctors` assurance that there is no serious illness is neither convincing nor short-lived.