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.

Psychology of Clothing

A woman is walking along the street, her attire catches everybody"s eyes: she is clothed in the latest fashion. She draws everybody"s attention, including yours, not only with her toilet, but also with conscious superiority. Are you delighted? Are you envious?

Vainly! In fact, her appearance - is an evidence of her deep inner complexes. There is a science "psychology of clothing", where the concept "fashion victim" - is not a popular phrase, but a clinical diagnosis. Orientation exceptionally on the last word in fashion - is a sign of heightened hypochondria, a woman"s psychological dependence on other people"s opinion, uncultivated self-respect.

According to psychologists, a man, whose costume is extremely considered (no matter which one, even a skiing one), often tries to hide his colossal diffidence and prove his value, attract attention and sometimes to confirm his superiority with the help of some attire.

All-sufficient, steady people with various interests usually dress in rather simple way, not showing off, and interest in new trends reasonably, not hunting for new labels. They feel quite comfortable wearing as old jeans, as an evening toilet (as a rule, rather reserved).

Moreover, to psychologists" opinion, one can discern some certain type of self-consciousness behind each style.

1. Classic style. Its main feature - are moderation and traditional nature in combination with fashionable trends without carrying to extremes. Quite self-confident people, who do not feel any heightened necessity to prove their magnitude to other people, moreover using clothing, keep to this style.

2. Sporty style. Prominent organization men, bankers and other rich men, who always used a style "costume-cravat", suddenly began sweeping away jogging shoes, sporting cloth, rucksacks or sportive bags from counters. Yes, of course, today an idea of youthful appearance and healthy way of living has seized a strong hold on our minds, but this does not mean all these people decided to go in for sport or invigoration. This cloth became a standard not only for exercising, but also for rest, vacation. A turn to visible simplicity and liberation means striving of well-to-do sections to "complete with poor", as psychologists consider.

3. Grunge style. A style of "shabby cloth" gave designers a good task! They are cutting off and out, ripping up, soaking cloth in chloric acid, pressing, imitating spots and patches knowingly - they do all these things only because a "grunge" style has come into fashion. Tattered pullovers, dresses, coming unraveled, dirty jeans are sold in leading couturier"s shops and ordinary boutiques. This is a challenge to elegance, struggle with stylishness, expensive refined cloths and impeccable seams. If earlier it was impossible to go out wearing the same dress more than once, now "grunge" style praises scruffiness, as if it is saying: we are wearing the same cloth all the time!

Nevertheless, all this crude "old" cloth surpasses all reasonable prices. Some Levi"s models cost more than 6 thousands of dollars! This trend, often causing associations with hippie from Beatles days, displays neglect to cloth and a challenge to social inequality. However, psychologists consider that a style of "chic rubbish heap", which bourgeoisie added to its arsenal, says about its self-destruction and can even be treated as asking forgiveness for sins - similarly to medieval monastic rags.

4. Exotic (ethnic) style. Hindu, Chinese, Arabian and other oriental motives can be just a fashionable detail for one people, and a completed style and manner of clothing for other people. Such choice testifies to one"s thirst for traveling, mental escape to exotic countries, where everything is not so grey, like around. Exotic style, covered with bright national legends and traditions, says about one"s wish to live in a fairy-tale, escape from reality to some dream world. But it can also be a sign of belonging to culture, philosophy of some country, for example, Buddhism.

5. Military style. Khaki color, camouflage pattern, details, peculiar to military cloth, high heavy boots - some women do like this style. You have not to be a psychologist to understand that this means escape from feminine, a wish to gain a foothold in such masculine qualities, like decisiveness and power. A clue to one"s love for uniform (and for man"s style in general) should be searched in childhood, in too strict father"s upbringing, often military people, or fathers dreaming about son and bringing up daughters, like she was a boy...

6. Country style. Variegated skirt, loose blouse, decorated with patterns, laces or drawn-work, shoes without heels, simple beads, straw hat - these are attributes of natural, or country style. Simple, natural cloths and simple-minded, plain patterns are typical for it. This style can be a sign of one"s nostalgia on country life or testify about one"s ecologic views. A straw hat and a chintz skirt are saying with one accord with their possessor: we are not synthetic, we are natural!

7. "La Femme Fatal". This style is everlasting, but it is marked with fashionable attributes: high-heel shoes, skirt with cut, deep d�collet�, strings and open-work stocking. A woman-temptress, a woman-vamp, oversteps the limits of elegant moderation venturesomely, and self-affirms, as an object of men"s lust. Strangely enough, the choice of this style does not always mean a woman"s heightened sexuality. We can rather say that such woman does not see any other advantages in herself, which could attract men"s attention to her and cause their delight.



Autor: Yana Mikheeva

Yana Mikheeva is the creator of the WomansPassions site for women and about women at http://www.womanspassions.com, it is an on-line resource for women and about women. Here you can find articles on various subjects, such as: diets, receipts, health, cellulite, figure, aromatherapy, wholesome food, psychology of relationships, pregnancy, parenting, fashion and many others.

She also has a blog for women at http://www.womanspassions.com/blog/


Added: April 17, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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