Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hypochondria

I know you think I'm a hypochondriac, but really, I just don't want you to think I'm crazy...

Elysum — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:23:35 -0800

How to not present as or be a hypo- (or hyper) chondriac at the Doctors? Especially in relation to mental health issues? How do present yourself objectively to health professionals, when the only way I can present myself, is, of course, entirely subjectively?

Not so bad for physical health problems, but what about the fuzzy, mental health issues?

I have a slight irrational phobia about 'being/seeming "crazy"' so whenever I go to the Dr's, and say, need to talk about my worsening depression symptoms, I can barely get out that there's a problem, zone out on specifics when answering questions, and then desperately & relievedly start babbling about possible health conditions I could have instead (thyroid, iron, PCOs) because they're 'physical', not 'mental', & therefore 'safe' to me, additionally presenting myself as a hypochondriac, which is a very safe/comfortable place to be with my slight phobia, as then the Dr will tell me that 'I'm fine'.
And I walk out, very relieved, until the guilt hits me, because I know I've just subconsciously screwed myself over. But I'm not doing it deliberately, and I'm not aware of the patterns, because they change -
it's very easy to come across vaguely as a drug seeker (despite not smoking or really drinking, I'll start talking about how worried I am about getting addicted to things, or people I know/knew who used Benzo's or ADHD meds recreationally etc if the topic comes up - coincidence? I'm thinking it's less fear of addiction, or just fear of meds?) or hypochondriac.

I have
- Told the Dr I had/have this phobia of being crazy, and my Dr knows I formerly either only half-heartedly sought, or avoided treatment during some long bouts of depression.
- Tried to explain that I'm not presenting myself very objectively (comes across as anxiety, 'You're fine! I think you explain things very clearly...')
- My counsellor, who I see for an hour weekly, wanted me to raise some issues with the Dr. So I even asked her to write me a note instead, and I gave it to the Dr. I even asked if he could talk to the counsellor instead. He was confused, told me they don't usually 'go over the patients head', and it would have been impractical anyway, but... I wish they could just talk to my counsellor/friends/housemates/partners? I'm not objective!
It's only stuff on the level of Depression, Anxiety, and/or ADD, so I'm not screwing anyone else over but myself. :(

And I just can't advocate for myself for medications or disorders I don't really want to have or take. I just always get this feeling of relief followed by a squirmy guilt chaser when I walk out with a 'You're fine!' and realise I've done it again... :P

Depression Questions

mccarty.tim — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:12:48 -0800

I've been having a bunch of worrying but seemingly unrelated symptoms while dealing with depression. Which of them should be tested? Which are psychosomatic? A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with major depression and started on 150mg of Welbutrin. In the past, I have taken the drug with few problems. I am also on 70mg of Vyvanse. The depression causes me to be mildly anxious, have mental fogginess and trouble concentrating, trouble motivating myself, and it caused me to get terrible grades in the past semester of college. I also tend to feel anything I've been striving to do this semester gets terrible grades, regardless of how much effort I put in. I think I've had the depression since at least early October, but it's likely it even goes as far back as September.

I am a 20 year old male and I've been suffering some symptoms that worry me. I've had pain in my upper back for the past month and a half or so. It's a pain on the surface, which has no rash. I suspect it's either from bad posture or it's psychosomatic, but I've been consciously trying to improve my posture to get over it. It was worse after I tried to shovel snow. I also have been having trouble getting to sleep and waking up at a normal hour, partly from an odd college schedule, but also likely because of the Vyvanse, which I have phoned my psychiatrist to lower to a smaller amount, but have not received a reply yet. I also was shaking one day when I was angry about something, but I think I was particularly tired that day, and at the time, I wrote it off as either being cold or having a lack of sleep, and it hasn't arisen again. I also generally feel more disorganized and have trouble concentrating.

What worries me most is that this morning around 11 AM after being up for 3 hours, I began to feel faint and dizzy, which is not normal for me at all. It may have been related to stress, but I've never really felt faint that late in the day for seemingly no reason. The strange thing is that when I felt faint, my back's pain was worse than normal. I don't think it's flu, as I have a normal temperature, and I had a flu shot this year. When I first felt it come about, I thought it might have been low sugar or something (I'm not diabetic) and had some juice and a cookie, but that did not help. In terms of diet, I ate a bowl of Mini-Wheats and a coffee with milk, all the milk being skim. This is my normal breakfast, and I've had it since high school, more or less. My meals yesterday were pretty normal as well. It started while I was at church with my family, and I did feel a bit short on breath while singing. I did work out at the YMCA for the first time in a while, staying on an exercise bike for about an hour but going at a steady pace. It could very well be related, but I wouldn't expect the reaction to be delayed. My legs are not sore.

I should note that I'm also under a bit of stress because I haven't had as much time to take a break as I'd like since I got home from college. The first couple of days, I had to help pet sit an incontinent dog my mom agreed to take in, thinking I would have no problem, which took up a lot of my time because I had to clean up after the dog and make sure it was not lonely or bored. My mom works, and I was diagnosed only a week or so before heading home, so my mom had already made these commitments. After that, my grandparents were set to come in under a week, and I needed to do chores around the house to get it clean for them. I also have an incomplete class to make up, and the professor is not returning my emails when I have questions about the class. I also find it difficult to deal with my grandparents when they are over for reasons I don't want to get into in the initial question. They're just really needy, and we're the only family they're on speaking terms with.

Does this sound like anything I should be concerned about? I'm planning on having therapy to discuss my depression and get back on track, and I'm debating taking a hiatus from school next semester. I've planned to get some basic blood work done tomorrow morning to look for any problems, in particular thyroid issues. Are there any tests I should be looking into, or a specific type of doctor other than my GP and psychiatrist? How do I know if a symptom is psychosomatic or not?

Thank you for your help.

Hypochondria?

Dumsnill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:39:25 -0800

Okay. So I have a large almond-shaped hard thingy on the left side of my left breast/nipple. (I'm a guy, so it's not breast-cancer). It's about 3 cm long and 1 cm thick. It's not painful, but it's growing. I've had it for about six months. I'm guessing it's a lymph node, but I'm not a doctor, so I might be wrong. Lately, two similar things have occured under my left armpit. Again, hard, not painful, but slowly growing. Should I be worried? Am I just being silly? (I smoke about 20 a day, drink moderately, I'm 35.) (And to people from MetaTalk: Yeah, I'm slightly embarrassad about this post. But posting anonomously would be silly now.)

How much raditation from an x-ray taken in the developing world?

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:38:16 -0800

HypochondriacFilter: I got a chest x-ray taken while travelling in Africa. No protective garmets used. Any potential for damage done to myself or potential future kids? I'm a small female, 22-years-old. I stood on this movable platform while the x-rays were taken. They took, I believe, three of them.

Apparently a typical chest x-ray gives a dose of around 80 microSv (equivalent to 10 days background radiation exposure). That sounds like small potatoes. Any guesstimate for what that might have gone up to? I'm really looking for reassurance, or advice for what to do if I'm faced with the chest x-ray option again.

What's this lump on my toe?

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:35:21 -0800

What is this weird painless lump at the base of my toe? In the last year, I've noticed that I have a small-ish (maybe 1/4") hard lump at the base of my middle toe on my right toe. It's on the side, so basically between the 2nd and 3rd toe (counting from the big toe as toe 1). It doesn't hurt at all, isn't discolored, and doesn't seem to affect my walking. I don't have anything like this on any other toe of either foot. It's possible that it's gotten slightly larger since I noticed it but not significantly. What could it be?

Yes, I'll ask a doctor about it but since it's painless and not causing any discomfort I wonder if it's okay to wait until the next time I'm in there. It seems sort of silly to make an appointment just for this. If it matters, I'm 39, female, and in good health.

URGENT: I accidentally made chlorine gas -- should I start writing my will?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:24:46 -0800

I just mixed bleach / vinegar / salt / and liquid dish detergent in hopes of created a super weed killer. I mixed the stuff in a fairly well-ventilated room, and then sprayed it on some weeds outside. Now I just read about chlorine gas resulting from the mixture of bleach and chlorine, and I'm suddenly feeling light-headed (hypochondriac). Am I going to die? I mixed the stuff about 30 minutes ago. The fumes were definitely strong, but I did my best not to inhale them. No coughing or choking. My eyes feel a wee bit dry, but not burning. My mouth is a little dry too, but like I said, I'm a hypochondriac, so it may have been that way before.

Is exposure to such a low level of gas usually harmful? Am I going to be vomiting and leaking blood out of my ears later today? Please help me assuage my fears!

MedicalFilter

bad grammar — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:46:17 -0800

How can I avoid both thyroid cancer and the medical-industrial complex? A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (a form of hypothyroidism) and put on Synthroid, artificial thyroid hormone. The doctor (who is not an endocrine specialist) advised me to have an ultrasound scan "just in case." (Standard cover-your-ass advice.) I have been putting it off ever since, because I feel fine otherwise.

Should I have this scan? I am am afraid both of cancer and of a false positive, with a lot of anguish and wasted money.

I exercise a lot, eat healthfully, and have not experienced a serious slowdown or weight gain. The Synthroid does has an effect, as I found when I slipped up and did not take it exactly as prescribed, in the morning, an hour before eating. When I slipped up, I could count on feeling hung over for the next few days. Synthroid also gives me fairly bad insomnia during the week before my menstrual period. A minor symptom of Hashimoto's is that my hair is going grey (I am 36).

I am presently unemployed, having spent the last several years writing a book which is about to be published by a prestigious academic press, though it is a long shot whether I will make any money. I have been holding part-time jobs which have just covered the costs of my insurance and yearly physicals and bloodwork. I am now looking for work, especially work with decent medical benefits. I don't expect to be hired as a professor, as I am not a good teacher. My most practical plan is paralegal work and law school.

If I find (now) that I have cancer, and as I am without savings, except several thousand $ in stocks, my parents would have to pay for cancer treatment. They are well-off but are beginning to have their own health problems. I feel guilty just thinking about this.

An old friend is highly active in the thyroid cancer patient community and is giving me some part-time work -- unfortunately, transcribing medical conference notes. Reading about the complications is making me freak out. I have always been afraid of disease and death. I need the money and her recommendations, so I can't tell her that I won't do the transcriptions. How can I chill out and not develop medical students' disease?

The big toe seems like it's pretty usefull

Drunken_munky — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 02:37:49 -0800

Every time I bend over and touch my toes, my left big one goes numb. That can't be good, right? Sometimes after sitting in front of a computer too long, my legs get really stiff, and I find that I have to get up and stretch for a bit. Today when I was doing this, I noticed my left big toe felt a bit weird. When I reached down to touch my toes, there was a mild pain in it. After a few more times it just went numb. Luckily, once I stopped doing that, feeling was returned. Upon further experimentation, though, I've found that this happens every time.

I'm 20 years old, and I have a pretty slim build. But I also avoid exercise like the plague. If asked, I'd probably describe my circulation as "not very good, but good enough to keep me alive".

Is my toe going numb something to be concerned about, or have I just been watching too much House M.D. lately?

"Obnoxious" isn’t quite it either

jessicapierce — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:43:48 -0800

Is there a word to describe a person who repeatedly becomes convinced that someone else is sick with various obscure ailments, based on flimsy or imagined evidence? I've already come up with "transferred hypochondria" and "wack neurosis." What I'm really asking is whether this is a common phenomenon and whether it is recognized as a legitimate, specific condition.

I ask because I know someone who does this. It goes beyond old wives' tale, grandma-caliber "put a sweater on, you'll catch your death" fretting - this is a persistent, manic conviction that I'm currently suffering from everything from depression to random glandular disorders to trichotillomania. (I'm not.) Nastily, I'd love to be able to add to my usual response of "No, I really don't have X," "but I think you may have Y." And I'm curious about this condition, if it is a recognized condition and not just straight-up lunacy.

How to deal with a hypochondriac significant other?

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:56:54 -0800

How to deal with a hypochondriac significant other? I have been dating a young lady for a while now and really love her. However, she is constantly afraid that she has the symptoms of some life threatening illness. So far I have always consoled the best I can, but I really think this is a problem that if solved would make her life a lot better. How can I help her realize these fears are irrational without seeming like a jerk?

Is this hypochondria?

aebaxter — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 12:02:10 -0800

I have a friend who constantly medicates herself with OTC medications/remedies as a source of comfort. Is this hypochondria? My friend's desk is littered with cough syrups, lozenges, "herbal remedy" teas, vapor inhalers, heating pads, ibuprofen. Sometimes she will admit she's not actually sick; other times she insists she really is sick even if she doesn't show any outward symptoms. The only ongoing "illness" she's been diagnosed with, AFIAK, is allergies.

She doesn't seem to do any of this for attention (from friends, coworkers or medical personnel), apparently one of the major indicators of hypochondria. In fact, she's only been to the doctor once in the past year. It really just seems to make her feel better to pretend to be sick. Then again, there's no concrete way I could prove she's only pretending.

Is she a hypochondriac? Is there another term for all this self-medication?