# Hypochondria is Hell **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917 "2012-09-26T19:21:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/1 "2012-09-26T19:21:21Z")
So after an ordeal with what turned out to probably be a non-existent UTI - the ordeal being the digestive hell that the antibiotics wrought - I found myself concerned, on Monday, about a tender spot on my waistline, on the right side. Oh no, says my brain. It’s appendicitis! Shut up, I tell my brain, Appendicitis would hurt like hell. Tenderness is a little worse Tuesday - whether from some kind of progression or my own poking and prodding at it, it’s hard to say. Wednesday morning it seems a little better, but I go into my Doctor anyway. He doesn’t quite laugh in my face, but points out : You wouldn’t be sitting here smiling at me if you had appendicitis. He pokes a few spots on my lower right stomach, eliciting no reaction or pain, and adds : You’d be kicking me right now if you had appendicitis. So that’s a relief. With my lingering digestive issues - mainly gurgling stomach and belching - I didn’t want to take chances, but I’m guessing those might be caused by the anxiety I have over my health right now. As for the tender spot, I did some digging online - I think resuming my exercise routine has made my psoas muscle sore. I have noticed today that there are occasional twinges of discomfort when I move, and they can come from my lower back, inner thigh, or groin, and that muscle seems to fit. It was probably the leg-lifts. Sigh. I’m not this bad usually, but after a single dose of Bactrim made me so nauseous that I thought I was going to die, about a week ago, I’ve been… edgy. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/2 "2012-09-26T19:37:05Z")
You know those _spots_? Those _spots_ on your _arm?_ The ones that…_itch_…sometimes? _Those_ spots. Sad, and you so young… ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/3 "2012-09-26T19:41:48Z")
This is not something that I know very much about. Is hypochondria a response to specific stress in life? Is it still present when there is not much stress? It’s hard for me to understand what cause sit is the only reason why I ask. It is easy to see from your description that it must not be very much fun to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/4 "2012-09-26T19:52:03Z")
Robert : From my experience, my hypochondriac episodes are usually triggered by some real symptom that occurs without reasonable expectation; not all such symptoms will set me off, but in this case, I was feeling anxious due to ongoing digestive issues, so it was easier for me to stray off the path of rational likelihood. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/5 "2012-09-26T19:57:34Z")
I feel you. I sometimes have hypochondria, but only if I’ve read the symptoms of some horrible disease. I could go my whole life without thinking that I have lung cancer or something, but let me read the symptoms online, late at night, while home alone with no one to talk me down? Oh my god, I have all those symptoms and I’m gonna DIE!! It’s a horrible thing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/6 "2012-09-26T20:45:02Z")
How do you know whether you _really_ have hypochondria, or just think you do? ---
**Author:** ![Scathach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Scathach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scathach)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/7 "2012-09-26T20:51:04Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I feel you. I sometimes have hypochondria, but only if I’ve read the symptoms of some horrible disease. I could go my whole life without thinking that I have lung cancer or something, but let me read the symptoms online, late at night, while home alone with no one to talk me down? Oh my god, I have all those symptoms and I’m gonna DIE!! It’s a horrible thing. I have learned through experience NEVER to look up any symptoms on the internet if I feel unwell for whatever reason. Pain in finger? Finger cancer! Headache? Brain tumour! Nausea? Brain tumour! And cancer! ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/8 "2012-09-26T22:35:47Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > So after an ordeal with what turned out to probably be a non-existent UTI - the ordeal being the digestive hell that the antibiotics wrought - I found myself concerned, on Monday, about a tender spot on my waistline, on the right side. > > Oh no, says my brain. It’s appendicitis! > > Shut up, I tell my brain, Appendicitis would hurt like hell. > > Tenderness is a little worse Tuesday - whether from some kind of progression or my own poking and prodding at it, it’s hard to say. Wednesday morning it seems a little better, but I go into my Doctor anyway. > > He doesn’t quite laugh in my face, but points out : You wouldn’t be sitting here smiling at me if you had appendicitis. He pokes a few spots on my lower right stomach, eliciting no reaction or pain, and adds : You’d be kicking me right now if you had appendicitis. > > So that’s a relief. With my lingering digestive issues - mainly gurgling stomach and belching - I didn’t want to take chances, but I’m guessing those might be caused by the anxiety I have over my health right now. > > As for the tender spot, I did some digging online - I think resuming my exercise routine has made my psoas muscle sore. I have noticed today that there are occasional twinges of discomfort when I move, and they can come from my lower back, inner thigh, or groin, and that muscle seems to fit. It was probably the leg-lifts. > > Sigh. I’m not this bad usually, but after a single dose of Bactrim made me so nauseous that I thought I was going to die, about a week ago, I’ve been.. edgy. Based on my own experience with appendicitis, you’d very likely have also been feverish and/or vomiting all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/9 "2012-09-26T22:55:19Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> IMHO, home of medical/psychological anecdotes/advice/diagnoses. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/10 "2012-09-26T22:56:16Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Robert : From my experience, my hypochondriac episodes are usually triggered by some real symptom that occurs without reasonable expectation; not all such symptoms will set me off, but in this case, I was feeling anxious due to ongoing digestive issues, so it was easier for me to stray off the path of rational likelihood. I can understand this from my own troubles of magnifying worry. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/11 "2012-09-26T22:56:29Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > This is not something that I know very much about. Is hypochondria a response to specific stress in life? Is it still present when there is not much stress? It’s hard for me to understand what cause sit is the only reason why I ask. It is easy to see from your description that it must not be very much fun to deal with. Hypochondria is more of a way of expressing anxiety and uncertainty. In my life, when my anxiety or uncertainty in general went down so did my hypochondria. When it went up so did the fears of health problems. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/12 "2012-09-27T02:06:14Z")
> [@Scathach](#): > > I have learned through experience NEVER to look up any symptoms on the internet if I feel unwell for whatever reason. Quoted for truth. Hells to the yeah. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/13 "2012-09-27T13:04:18Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Based on my own experience with appendicitis, you’d very likely have also been feverish and/or vomiting all over the place. I’m sure. Of course, as a die-hard emetophobe, I very rarely vomit. Even when I was so nauseous from the Bactrim that I thought I might die, I did not throw up. It’s been about 14 years since I last lost my lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypochondria-is-hell/635917/14 "2012-09-27T14:12:10Z")
“The doctor went to the X-ray department once a weak to get his cranium photographed as he feared that the many symptoms of a brain tumour he suffered from were caused by a brain tumour”.