How to Stop Being a Hypochondriac

You're about to learn how to finally overcome your Hypochondria and free yourself from all the pointless worry of convincing yourself that you're sick, ill or even dying.

I know the pain of this problem. I went through it myself for most of my life. Here I'll be showing you how to naturally and effectively overcome your Hypochondria and put this terrible worry to rest. Let's get to it!

Hypochondria tend to be somewhat of an afterthought when it comes to treating anxiety. After all, aren't we supposed to worry about our health? Isn't it good to stay on top of our bodies and be alert for any alarming "symptoms"?

If you suffer from Hypochondria, then you probably know otherwise. Personally, I used to TORTURE myself with thoughts of illness at even the slightest abnormality.

Every time my glands swelled up, I swore it was a tumor in my lymph nodes. Every time I had a sharp pain, I was convinced it was an early sign of stroke or aneurysm. Each gas pain obviously signaled the start of a heart attack. Any kind of experience with night sweats convinced me that I somehow contracted HIV.

All of this worry over my health and this was happening at the age of 27 no less! 27 - When the body is at its absolute peak performance and I was inventing magical ways to convince myself I suddenly had HIV.

I remember, any kind of sexual experience (of course it was protected) I had during the height of my hypochondria was followed by days if not weeks of worry about how I must have contracted a sexually transmitted disease in some freakish, accidental way.

I would lose sleep over the worry until I finally cracked and visited a doctor about my concerns.

Really, I'm not being honest enough here. I had my doctor on speed dial.

Every dry patch of skin was suspect. Each time my eyes would become red or irritated, I swore my eyes must be deteriorating. Any new freckle was inspected for days under magnified mirrors. Heaven forbid I had a cold that lasted longer than a few days - it had to be pneumonia...duh!

Does any of this sound familiar?

The definition of hypochondria is "an excessive preoccupation with one's health". That definition always strikes me as a little humorous. Really, it just doesn't depict the severity of this problem.

Hypochondria can really impair your day to day living because it completely immerses your brain with worry. You have no real scientific data backing your medical concerns but suddenly YOU know more than any doctor out there.

You MUST be dying right? I mean, you just FEEL IT right? You just know and you can't get rid of this feeling like SOMETHING has got to be wrong with you. Why can't you shake this worry away once and for all? Ughhhh!!!

Having Hypochondria is like carrying around your worry everywhere you go. It weighs you down and steals your attention. You can't focus because you're so consumed with whatever life-threatening disease is around the corner.

It becomes an obsession, a compulsion with avoiding sickness and death to the point where your lifestyle and relationships begin to suffer. It escalates from mild concern or worry to full-blown OCD.

Stop the cycle of panic right here. Take control. Put Your Worry Down!

The fact is, you're probably going to live for a VERY long time. More than likely you'll live to an average age of 80 and life will be fortunate to you every step of the way. The world is filled with billions of people and if you find any comfort in statistical data, know that the chance of you catching some obscure disease or health problem is minuscule so long as you're not putting yourself in the position in the first place.

Actually, people with high levels of anxiety are the MOST meticulous about taking care of themselves, seeing a doctor once a year and taking steps towards improving their health. Just you reading this article alone is enough to tell me that you care about your own well-being.

Here are some strategies for overcoming Hypochondria...

Just Ignore It

Over-thinking is one of the fastest ways to feed your hypochondriac anxieties. Always fall back to the principle that you ARE healthy. You take precautions, see a doctor once a year, try to eat healthy, exercise and that's ALL it takes to have the odds way in your favor. You know at this point you have hypochondria. Work to determine real symptoms from those which your mind creates.

Yes, if you focus on a pain in your side, your mind will invent that pain in your side. Think positively and rest assured that you're healthy. If rationalization doesn't work, toss aside all doubts and worry on the principle that they are negative thoughts. Counterbalance them with positive thoughts.

Don't Look Up Symptoms Online

I can't tell you how many hypochondriacs get themselves into trouble by trying to diagnose their own "problem". Symptoms are shared by so many colds, allergies, illnesses and diseases that you can easily sneeze and convince yourself that you have SARS after some surfing on WEBMD.

Do yourself a favor and leave the diagnosis up to a professional. If you must call a doctor because your worry is overwhelming then do so but do NOT go online searching for what you think you have. You'll always automatically target the worse case scenario.

Let me share a little personal info here. Hope it's not too much information for you.

One time I had a slight discharge from one of my nipples. I of course went right to WEBMD and self-induced a panic attack after determining I MUST have breast cancer. BTW - it turned out to just be dry, irritated skin. My point is, you know better. Avoid the websites that will lead you to only freak out worse.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT is the process of forcing exposure to your anxiety trigger and then learning how to react appropriately. It's basically like facing your fear head on.

So, if you have a constant fear of germs, for example, you'd make it a point to expose yourself to minor germy situations and consciously NOT freak out. With Hypochondria, you force yourself NOT to call your doctor everyday or engage in other actions which feed the anxiety.

As uncomfortable as it may be at first, over time you'll get used to the idea of NOT overreacting with every health related blip on the radar.

Autor: Jason Ellis

Overcoming General Anxiety

The true secret to defeating your hypochondria is understanding of ALL of your anxiety triggers and knowing how to tackle each one precisely.

You can do that right now by watching the FREE Anxiety Tactics video at:

http://www.Stop-Anxiety-Panic-Attack.com

It covers topics like how to prevent and stop panic attacks, overcoming social phobias, changing your negative thoughts into positive ones, how to handle and conquer your fears, building self-esteem, dealing with depression and so much more...

It's totally FREE and gives you everything you'll need to start feeling improvement everyday.

Take positive action right now. Your Hypochondria won't go away until you deal with the root cause of the problem...general anxiety. The fact is, you're upset and you don't have to feel that way. So why spend another day feeling the drain of hypochondria?

Check out the video here -----> http://www.Stop-Anxiety-Panic-Attack.com

Start feeling better in minutes.

Added: July 24, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Home Veterinarians Are Born and Bred on Satellite TV

A lot of the goings on of the animal and human body people chalk up to mysteries that are to be solved by a doctor or veterinarian. While seeking professional help is a great idea, it is good to have some knowledge of what is going on in order to help distinguish between what might be serious and what might not be. Satellite television offers a huge range of shows that can help answer some of the questions that plague our minds and high school biology did not quite cover. Getting a little insight into how bodies work and what might harm them provides a little bit of comfort to the otherwise worried and confused mind.

Shows like "Medical Mysteries" are fascinating as they explore the peculiar behavior of the human body in high definition and some confounding ailments that befall it. While shows like this might breed a little bit of hypochondria in some people, the information about the different biological systems that are affected and how their functions are changed or damaged is highly interesting and educational. Fictional shows like "House" also delve into the world of peculiar diseases and cures. While it is fictional, the diseases that serve as the basis for each episode have some truths to them, as do the procedures employed by the doctors.

Watching "House" might also inspire a bout of hypochondria, getting somewhat of an understanding of the interrelation of our body's systems and how doctor's go about the healing process can bring some peace of mind. Satellite television also features a great selection of animal based shows that can help ease the worried hearts of many pet owners. Seeing animals be brought back from the brink of death after being rescued from the street can instill hope and a little bit of perspective in many pet owners. Seeing a veterinarian give a little bit of Gatorade to a dog that is throwing up or is severely dehydrated provides people with a little bit of knowledge of how they can help their own pet feel better without the whole production of going to the vet's office.

Watching shows on Animal Planet about people working in refuges for orangutans or bears can also be a good source of information for people. Seeing people nurse a baby cub back to health after the death of its mother can help people who are trying to raise a weak puppy or kitten. Taking note of how the people try to simulate maternal actions in HD can be very useful skills to have when trying to take the place of a young animals' mother.

Animal Planet shows can also be helpful in teaching people to identify animals and know which ones it is best to maintain a good distance from. A lot of times at the end of wildlife programs they let the audience know what numbers to call and who to contact if they ever come into contact with a wild animal, especially if the animal is injured. From learning about our own bodies to understanding a little better how to help the bodies of our furry little companions, satellite television opens up a world of information for us to absorb and take with us.

Autor: John R. Harrison

If you want the greatest variety and quality in entertainment, look into Direct TV packages. For the best in sports programming, movies, and high-definition entertainment, check out the latest Direct TV deals.

Added: July 22, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Cure For Hypochondria - How to Overcome Hypochondria

The notion of a cure for hypochondria can seem like a paradoxical one. After all, doesn't "hypochondria" just mean a constant sense of being afflicted by imaginary maladies? Does it not follow that hypochondria is, itself, an imaginary malady? The fact is the hypochondriac can't help his anxiety. A hypochondriac can visit the doctor again and again and be assured that nothing is wrong, without becoming convinced. Common-sense advice is no remedy for those who suffer from what can be a debilitating psychological condition. For the hypochondriac, even expert medical advice does not offer a way of releasing fear
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A Mental Affliction

A hypochondriac is someone who is convinced that he or she is suffering from some physical malady, despite showing no objectively measurable symptoms of any physical illness. Sometimes the hypochondriac can become convinced that he or she is suffering from a particular illness, such as cancer or AIDS (often, immediately after he or she has read at length about that illness--something that hypochondriacs often show an inordinate interest in doing). At other times, the hypochondriac complains of such vague ailments as "weak nerves," or "a worn-out gall bladder." The hypochondriac will not cease to complain, no matter how often the doctors tell the sufferer that they can find nothing wrong with his or her nervous system or gall bladder.

Psychosomatic Symptoms

Unfortunately, although hypochondriacs' illnesses are often entirely imaginary, the impact of those imaginary "illnesses" on their lives can be all too real. When hypochondria sufferers of this mental debility complain of "slow blood," they will genuinely feel weak and tired, as though their blood were actually slowing down. Countless experiments have shown what a powerful influence the mind holds over the body. If the mind of a hypochondriac decides that the body is weak--or, even, near death--all too often, the body will follow suit. Imaginary illnesses reduce their sufferers' quality of life, and can lead to very real conditions, such as depression, weight gain, anemia, or a weakened immune system.

When You Need A Cure For Hypochondria

It's obvious, then, that hypochondriacs can't simply be told, "there's nothing wrong with you." Ethically, we cannot be dismiss them with that simple phrase, and then allow them to suffer from ailments of their own making. Hypochondriacs did not "choose" to become morbidly obsessed with the idea of becoming ill, any more than agoraphobics "chose" to be afraid of open spaces and crowds. Fortunately, there are powerful techniques that can help.

Stop Hypochondria With Hypnotherapy And NLP

Hypochondria is no different from other mental disturbances, in which a patient is plagued by a recurring, destructive, self-perpetuating, obsessive thought (in this case, becoming ill). NLP, or neuro-linguistic programming, is a method of ultra-effective communication that a skilled therapist can use (often, in combination with hypnosis) to "talk" you out of your obsessive thought patterns. With the help of the NLP therapist, you'll learn to isolate destructive thought patterns in yourself (e.g. "I'm going to get sick") and re-condition your mind to replace those destructive patterns with more constructive ones (e.g. "I'm not in any real pain, therefore I'm not sick").

In this way, you should look to a therapist, and not a medical doctor, to find a cure for hypochondria.

Autor: J J Seymour

J J Seymour is a writer with Self Help Recordings. Hypnotherapy and NLP can be very useful Cure For Hypochondria - one good source of experienced hypnotherapists and NLP practitioners is Just Be Well. This organization has experienced professionals throughout the UK in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, East Anglia, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Surrey, Sussex and Scotland. You will also find links to related practitioners for hypochondria treatment in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, for Dublin, Ireland, and for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia. If you are unable to visit a practitioner in person you may well benefit from a good and guaranteed self hypnosis recording such as Releasing Fear, by experienced hypnotherapist Kathy Welter Nichols.

Added: July 21, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/