Overview

Hypochondriasis (or hypochondria, sometimes referred to as health phobia) refers to an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness. Often, hypochondria persists even after a physician has evaluated a person and reassured him/her that his/her concerns about symptoms do not have an underlying medical basis or, if there is a medical illness, the concerns are far in excess of what is appropriate for the level of disease. Many people suffering from this disorder focus on a particular symptom as the catalyst of their worrying, such as gastro-intestinal problems, palpitations, or muscle fatigue.

Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis, and report that doctors’ reassurance about an absence of a serious medical condition is unconvincing, or un-lasting. Many hypochondriacs require constant reassurance, either from doctors, family, or friends, and the disorder can become a disabling torment for the individual with hypochondriasis, as well as his or her family and friends. Some hypochondriacal individuals are completely avoidant of any reminder of illness, whereas others are frequent visitors of doctors’ offices. Other hypochondriacs will never speak about their terror, convinced that their fear of having a serious illness will not be taken seriously by those in whom they confide.

In Pursuit of Happiness

Posted by glos Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 2:26 PM

It does happen, albeit rarely. That day when you get out of bed and everything goes just right. Your face is beaming with happiness and the world is just right; but what about when circumstances spin out of control and one bad thing after another happens without seemingly any reason. Everyone has those days when you just can't seem to get things to go right. The storm clouds hang low and your wondering if you will ever feel happy again.

Just how do you stay happy during those tough times? And as for the old adage "when the going gets tough the tough get going." but you feel whomever said that hasn't walked in your shoes. Positive attitudes can help, but is there really a higher power controlling the intricacies of our lives. Are these bumps in our road of life just part of the overall plan? The deep acceptance of faith is called joy; and hard times have a hard time competing with pure joy.

Of course most of us don't understand why bad things happen to good people, but they certainly do and they always will, just as bad things do happen to bad people, this is just the way things are. We must simply understand that certain things do happen and will always happen through our lives, but there are things that happen that will always help us get through life here. Try to look at things as part of a plan and as a positive experience, find the happiness in the simple pleasures of life and overcome the circumstances of the things that seem to get you down.

Along with unhappiness comes fear. To many people, fear is a part of life. Not your usual type fears such as claustrophobia and hypochondria, but fear that keeps them from pursuing the things that could make them happy. For example that job that you know you would rather have, than the one you are in now. Or making those perceived, huge steps in life that keep us from attempting that step that will take us beyond our comfort zone. Often we are our own worst enemies. Negative thoughts keep us in our own comfort zone. We are surrounded by a fence of comfort, some bigger than others but fences none the less. We should take the time to think about where we are in our search for happiness, it is not something that we can buy or that someone will give us. It is something that comes from within.

Many books have been written on the subject of happiness, read more thoughts on the subject in a book called "Before the Secret" by Charles F Haanel.



Autor: Helen Reid

A desire to share an expertise in a particular field has lead to an effort to supply as much information as possible on a broad range of subjects. Check out the books available at http://www.kankoolbooks.com and best wishes for your future.


Added: January 6, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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