Hypochondria is a medical term denoting one's preoccupation over having a serious illness. There are several suspected risk factors for this ailment. They range anywhere from the loss of a loved one to having survived a serious illness in childhood. There are several ways to help stave off this ailment.
Instructions
Prevent Hypochondria
1. Make sure your home is a loving, supportive environment. Hypochondria is often heightened in unstable surroundings.
2. Write down any and all symptoms, whether they are real or imagined. Go over each one thoroughly and discuss them with a trusted, supportive friend or family member. Rushing to a doctor for every symptom will only heighten the likelihood of hypochondria developing. Instead, make sure you have an open forum available to you to discuss the symptoms and see if they do in fact require medical attention.
3. If a friend or loved one has a serious illness, discuss this with someone. Hypochondria can develop from feelings of fear or confusion over the illness of someone else. Talking about someone else's illness can often quell the fears you may have of developing it yourself.
4. Try to avoid any television shows that play into the fear of illnesses and disease. These shows often focus on symptoms and risk factors. They can play too much into the paranoia of developing illnesses.
5. Relax. Remember that a healthy body can have its aches and pains too. Just ask yourself if the pain is severe, and rate it honestly on a scale of one to 10 (10 being unbearable).
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