hypochondriacs
Imaginary illness sufferers
Hypochondriacs are people who persistently believe they have serious illnesses despite medical reassurance to the contrary.
The term comes from an ancient belief that melancholy originated in organs below the ribs.
A hypochondriac interprets ordinary bodily sensations as symptoms of disease: Every headache convinces him he has a brain tumor.
The condition is now clinically termed illness anxiety disorder.
Excessive worry about illness
- symptom checkingResearching health signs online
- catastrophizingImagining worst-case outcomes
- reassurance seekingCompulsive need for comfort
- doctor shoppingSeeking multiple prescribers for drugs
somatization · self-diagnosis · anxiety disorder · cognitive distortion · hyperawareness · rumination · panic · dread
- false alarmsWarnings without danger
- second opinionsFurther professional judgments sought
- blood workMedical fluid analysis
- physical examsComprehensive bodily health assessments
reassurance · clean bill · overutilization · patient history · vital signs · WebMD · Mayo Clinic · health apps
- neuroticExcessively anxious or obsessive
- helicopter parentExcessively controlling caregiver
- germaphobePerson fearing contamination
- MunchausenPathological liar archetype
One feigning sickness
- crying wolfIssuing false warnings
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- disbeliefRejection of truth claims
- eye-rollingExpressive gesture of annoyance
frustration · family strain · relationship tension · enablers · dismissed · invalidated · mocked · stigmatized
health anxiety
Excessive worry about illness
- symptom checkingResearching health signs online
- catastrophizingImagining worst-case outcomes
- reassurance seekingCompulsive need for comfort
doctor shopping · somatization · self-diagnosis · anxiety disorder · cognitive distortion · hyperawareness · rumination · panic · dread · irrational fear
unnecessary tests
- false alarmsWarnings without danger
- second opinionsFurther professional judgments sought
- blood workMedical fluid analysis
physical exams · reassurance · clean bill · overutilization · patient history · vital signs · WebMD · Mayo Clinic · health apps · wearables
Woody Allen
- neuroticExcessively anxious or obsessive
- helicopter parentExcessively controlling caregiver
- germaphobePerson fearing contamination
malingerer
One feigning sickness
- crying wolfIssuing false warnings
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- disbeliefRejection of truth claims
eye-rolling · frustration · family strain · relationship tension · enablers · dismissed · invalidated · mocked · stigmatized · misunderstood
- patientspatient, inpatients, inpatient, outpatients, outpatient
- anxiety suffererspanic attack sufferers, agoraphobics, worriers, nervous wrecks, phobics
hypochondriac, hypochondria, hypochondriasis, hypochondriacal