Are you a hypochondriac? Do you know one?
By sylvrrain
@sylvrrain (659)
United States
January 26, 2007 8:34am CST
I believe my friend is a hypochondriac. Every time she sees or hears of symptoms to any illness, she thinks she has that illness. Everytime, she runs to the doctor and gets a checkup. She has enormous doctor and emergency room bills, even though the majority is covered by her health insurance. It has put her into a financial bind.
Yet, the doctor always sees her and checks her out, just to tell her there is nothing wrong. I know this is a problem that may have something to do with a need for attention or maybe depression. Why can't the doctor see what is going on, and suggest therapy. Not only would that help her, it would also cost my friend and her insurance company a lot less. I have suggested to my friend to wait until other symptoms appear, but how do you tell your friend you think it is all in her head? Do you think that the doctor knows, and because of the insurance, decides she is just money in the bank?
2 people like this
4 responses
@freak369 (5113)
• United States
5 Feb 07
(rolling my eyes)
I have one of those .. LOL. I swear she sits and watching the Health channel and taking notes. Every week she has something new wrong with her or has to go to the doctors. As cruel as it sounds, we have a pool going to see which mystery disease she is going to 'catch' next or which doctor she is going to go see. I really think that it is a need for attention, she just isn't happy unless she is sick. Yeah, that sounds like a weird statement but I am sure you understand what I mean.
Her insurance company loves her. It's the beginning of February and she has already managed to max out her allotment for her doctor visits. On her plan she is allowed 6 visits per year ... she had that many in one month. Hey, it's her money not mine.
@sylvrrain (659)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I know exactly what you mean.
She sounds so much like my friend. Maybe we should get them together so they can discuss their past illnesses. They could probably talk for months. LOL. I am sorry, that was not kind of me.
I feel like it is a serious problem, but what can you do?
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
31 Aug 08
That sounds a bit like my stepfather. Once when my grandmother and mom were talking about Ovary problems he came in as they were talking and said hey that is whatis wrong with me..My granmother started to laugh and told him that if he had those problems then he was having a Identity issue or would be rich one...because it is unheard of a man having ovaries..And if you have something he always has it and supposedly worse off. He is always saying he has pnuemonia when in fact it is just where he smoked for over 55 years. It is a smokers cough. And he also has breathing problems but doctors keep telling him no pnuemonia and when they do he says they are quacks and changes to another one..
@suscan (1955)
• United States
27 Jan 07
My Dad was.he was always having the"big one" just like Redd Fox on Sanford and son.If my Mother or anyone close had a health problem, it became his,too. Unfortunately as he got older he actually did have heart problems, so we had to learn when he really was having health issues .
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
31 Aug 08
i suspect i am some sort of hypochondriac. every time i see or hear about a new disease, i'll do a mental run through to see if i have any of the symptoms. if i feel i do, i will research on the disease until i'm quite confident i don't have it. if i don't feel sure, i'll go and see a doctor about it. i've spent some time in the hospital, not due to this, but it might be the cause of this. i used to be one of those who think that i am invincible. pain and aches doesn't bother me at all. however, this proves to be my downfall as i got hospitalised for a week after ignoring symptoms that were impossible to miss. guess that made me paranoid somehow. cheers ;p
