When you next want to scream with frustration at your resident hypochondriac, take a deep breath and remember —hypochondria (or hypochondriasis) is a real disease. Diagnosed as an Anxiety Disorder, specifically a Somatoform Disorder, it is a mental illness in which the sufferer experiences symptoms of a physical illness, even though he or she has no clinical indicators of an actual physical disorder. The person does not lie about the suffering or exaggerate the complaints.
The victim of this disorder does indeed experience real physical symptoms of disease — headaches, pain in the gastrointestinal tract, cardiac symptoms like chest pain, breathlessness, and palpitations, giddiness.
Hypochondriacs typically visit many doctors, and are likely to have a huge medical file, with almost every known investigation done, and that too repeatedly. Doctors reassurances can provide only temporary relief; the fears will surface again in a short while.
Not only does hypochondria affect the victim’s lifestyle, sense of physical well-being and, therefore, his or her immediate mental health, it can in fact ultimately result in clinical physical ailments.
One hypochondriac woman, for example, was bed ridden for many years as she felt the slightest movement led to joint pains. This prolonged inactivity, compounded by no exposure to sunlight and resultant Vitamin D deficiency, ultimately led to severe osteoporosis. Her fears finally came true! Another hypochondria patient, believing he had jaundice and chronic liver problems, insisted on having only one particular boiled vegetable for every meal for 17 years! His family gave up trying to change his mind after a few years and he ended up severely malnourished.

Suggested treatment
The first step in the treatment of hypochondriasis is the recognition of hypochondria as a real mental disease. This is often delayed recognition, as family members and other care givers are often convinced by the patient’s beliefs of his or her experienced symptoms. Difficult as diagnosis is, treatment is even more so, especially as patients will not trust the doctor. Many are unable to accept that it is a psychiatric illness, and that their symptoms result from mental or emotional rather than physical causes. Often, family members themselves are unable to understand how hypochondria is a disease, choosing to believe that it is wrong or self-indulgent behaviour that the patient can voluntarily rectify.
In fact, the patient does not choose to be a hypochondriac. He or she is genuinely suffering. The first step in the treatment is for the family to accept this.
Hypochondria is often linked to an inability to express emotions. This, in itself, requires the attention of a psychologist or a psychoanalyst. This mental health specialist will work the patient to help him or her face unexpressed fears and other anxieties. This is followed by behaviour modification therapy.
A primary goal of treatment is to help patients live and function as normally as possible, even if they continue to have symptoms. Treatment also aims to alter the thinking and behaviour that leads to the symptoms.
Treatment for hypochondriasis generally includes a combination of supportive care, medicines to relieve anxiety and/or treat mood disorders and psychotherapy focusing on behaviour modification therapy.
The patient must, however, be convinced of the true nature of the illness and committed to the treatment. This is often a tall order, as the nature of the illness itself drives the patient to distrust the diagnosis and compulsively seek medical attention for the imagined physical ailments. Equally, the caregivers and family members must be committed to be supportive and understanding and accepting of frequent setbacks and interruptions in the treatment.