Is hypochondriac a mental disorder?!
Question: Is hypochondriac a mental disorder!?
I have been very ill the past month with viral meningitis and have to see a neurologist ect i havnt seen my friends in a month out of fear i might get them sick i got the all clear from my dr a week ago that i wasnt contageous and i can slowly start to get back into normal rutine!. Well i saw a mate of mine yesterday and she goes how are you feeling im like much better still sore but im happy i cant make anyone else sick!. She then goes on about how bad her cold is and her dr wont do anything about it and that i thought meningitis was bad i should feel what she is going through ect!. I just kept my mouth shut after being in hospital for it i cant be bothered arguing that it could have been life threatning ect and that they think i have some permant deafness and other neurological stuff caused from the virus!. I never try to bring my friends down with my problems so why does she always say her sickness is ALWAYS worse no matter what it is!? I believe she is a hypochondriac how do i help!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
To begin, so glad to hear you are feeling better!. Meningitis is a brutal illness, to be sure!.
Yes, hypochondriasis is a bona fide psychiatric condition (a somataform disorder, to be precise, 300!.7)!. It seems unlikely, however, that this is the condition driving your friend's attention seeking behavior!.
It is more likely that she quite simply prefers for all eyes to be focused on her, and that she has determined that exaggerating (or over emphasizing) her own medical conditions are the way to accomplish that!. Unlike your friend, hypochondriacs truly believe themselves (wrongly) to be ill!. Sounds like your friend is knowingly exaggerating her symptoms in order to gain attention!. There is an important difference (one is a bona fide psychiatric disorder, while the other is essentially no more than dishonest malingering)!.
Do your best not to let that get you down!. The important thing here is that you are getting better!. Hopefully, you have at least a few friends and family around you who understood what you went through (and what you're still going through)!. If you haven't shared much with friends/family, I would encourage you to choose one or two friends with whom you can be honest and share your experience (it really helps)!. The friend you described (clearly) would probably not be your best choice!.
~M~Www@Answer-Health@Com
Yes, hypochondriasis is a bona fide psychiatric condition (a somataform disorder, to be precise, 300!.7)!. It seems unlikely, however, that this is the condition driving your friend's attention seeking behavior!.
It is more likely that she quite simply prefers for all eyes to be focused on her, and that she has determined that exaggerating (or over emphasizing) her own medical conditions are the way to accomplish that!. Unlike your friend, hypochondriacs truly believe themselves (wrongly) to be ill!. Sounds like your friend is knowingly exaggerating her symptoms in order to gain attention!. There is an important difference (one is a bona fide psychiatric disorder, while the other is essentially no more than dishonest malingering)!.
Do your best not to let that get you down!. The important thing here is that you are getting better!. Hopefully, you have at least a few friends and family around you who understood what you went through (and what you're still going through)!. If you haven't shared much with friends/family, I would encourage you to choose one or two friends with whom you can be honest and share your experience (it really helps)!. The friend you described (clearly) would probably not be your best choice!.
~M~Www@Answer-Health@Com