h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Hypocondriasis - A2906255
Author: DrMatt - U739774

This is an under-recognised and quite debilitating condition - thought it deserved an entry? What do you guys think? Matt

Hi, Good Entry , nicely written.

I was wondering if it would be worth extending it to the somatoform disorders in general?

Also what about linking to this entry on the models of mental illness. .. A1148203 - yes I know I wrote it but it is in the edited guide.

I thought the word was "hypochondria" rather than "hypocondriasis".

I noticed while looking for things to link to, that the somatoform disorders aren't really well covered. I might do some more entries on conversion disorder, somatisation, and maybe Munchausen's and cross-reference them - give me a few days?

And hypochondriasis is the term in the textbooks, but I spose that it's known more commonly as hypochondria. Anyone else support a name change?

Matt

Hello Dr. Matt. Great Entry!

I know some people with a leaning to hypochondrisis, though they're not the most *serious* hypochondriacs, as defined by the symptoms described in the Entry. For me these folks are a bit difficult to handle anyway... Sometimes I catch myself wondering if my occasional "is my headache a brain tumour"-thoughts are developing to hypochondriasis... Nah! The thoughts are as you sayid short-lived, and it's comforting to learn most of us have these thoughts.

This Entry is well-written, balanced, etc... It would be a great addition for the Edited Guide.

HELL

PS: Is the definition section from the books you cite taken as an excerpt, or are you paraphrasing?

PPS: About 'Hypochondriasis - Hypochondria'. I'd add something in the lines of 'Hypochondriasis, commonly also known as hypochondria, is the official designation for an illness, that...'

Excellent entry!

I would give it the common name in the title and then explain that the correct medical name is hypocondriasis in the entry.

Any advice for friends or relatives of people with this? Stop that nonsense approach or something a little more caring?

Is it getting more common now we live in a "must have it now" society, where people (rightly or wrongly) trust authority figures less, and have access to (too much?) information thru internet etc?

sprout

Nice and simple and not overloaded with definitions.

I'd agree about changing the title and putting the correct name in the entry.

I think the correct term must remain in the title! I'd suggest both names in the title then: "Hypochondriasis (aka Hypochondria)" or "Hypochondria (aka Hypochondriasis)" would be my suggestions.

H

I believe the 'hypochondrium' is what is commonly known as the small of the back. Because doctors frequently saw (and still see) people who were complaining about lower back pain when they could find nothing clinically wrong with them. As they believed these people to be malingerers simply seeking time off work they coined the phrase 'hypochondriac' and the term spread to include anyone with imagined (or apparently imagined) symptoms.

An interesting entry; easily worthy of the Edited Guide.

F

It's a very well written entry, Dr Matt!

>>If you continue to have these symptoms, even infrequently, then if your mode of thinking is geared towards disease each new symptom will be interpreted as such.

This sentence would be better if you replaced "then if" with "and", and if you added a comma after "disease".

>>if anxiety and depression is also present

This should be "are also present".

Wow! Fathom's posting 9 is great (and would be worth including in the Entry, IMO)! This might also explain the existence of 'Hypochondriasis' versus 'Hypochondria'. The '...iasis' denoting an older physiological origin of the word (i.e. 'an unspecific, otherwise unsymptomatic, back ache.'), that later on mutated into '...ia' like in 'mania' or 'phobia' which to me sound more like a psychological (also more recent) term (i.e. 'a person behaving like those guys with that unspecific, otherwise unsymptomatic, back ache.').

Is that totally absurd? Someone with a good ethymological dictionary?

HELL

F

And don't forget "hysteria" which meant a psychological condition caused by the womb.

Seems like you agree it's plausible. 'Hysteria' (well observed Gnomon!) indeed follows a similar pattern.

HELL

Thanks for the constructive comments. I've changed the title accordingly, fixed the grammar and added a bit about the derivation of the word from looking at a medical dictionary.

As for hysteria, today that's known as conversion disorder. That might be the topic of my next Entry, you never know...

Matt

...And so it is. A2915381 goes into hysteria/conversion disorder a bit more in depth - i've named it much the same way as this entry.

Matt

I've just tinkered with the entry slightly and added a link to my conversion disorder Entry.

Carry on, then!

Matt

Hi Dr Matt!

Very nice entry! It is clearly written and full of very useful information. Your own exposure to this comes through. Well done.

I have only one minor niggle, which is the small piece in brackets about delusional and preoccupational. To me it seemed a bit too much information, and is not directly applicable to the story. Just my perspective though.

Great work!

Woodpigeon

Hi Woodpigeon,

Thanks for your comments.

My point in including what I agree is some relatively specialised jargon was to distinguish hypochondriacs from the genuinely psychotic. It's the difference between being preoccupied with the mistaken idea that you have a disease compared with the mistaken certainty that you do, non-amenable to reason. The hypochondriac can be intellectually made quite aware that they are not sick, but they can't get the idea out of their head. The psychotic person truly believes their delusion, and no amount of explaining can coax them to doubt its veracity.

Maybe there's a less long-winded, simple and elegant, jargon-free way to say that. Let me think about it.

Matt

Great entry. Looks very good to me!

But after reading it, I now think I have Hypochondriasis in addition to all the other complaints I already thought I had!

Awu