Hypochondria: what is it?
Hypochondria, or fear of disease, is a mental disorder characterized by the concern of having illnesses, even serious ones, based on a wrong interpretation of physical symptoms despite the doctor's assurances. The individual affected by this disorder tends to abuse continuous tests that fail to reassure him.
Hypochondria is often accompanied by panic attacks, anxiety disorders, gastrointestinal problems and sometimes a state of depression. The hypochondriac is commonly referred to as "imaginary sick".
The hypochondriac is always constantly listening to his body and is terrified of having "something serious", for example a tumor, a heart attack or a stroke. The somatic symptoms are: images of the beating heart that explodes, images of the lungs that are not completely filled with air, images of cerebral hemorrhages or of the body ravaged by cancer.
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