A person with hypochondriasis has a preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease or illness based upon a misinterpretation of bodily sensations. The preoccupation with fears occurs despite assurance from the medical profession that the person does not have any such disease or illness.
Symptoms and characteristics
Symptoms of hypochondriasis persist for at least six months and can be episodic or fluctuating with a coexisting depressive or anxiety disorder. Symptoms essentially comprise of:
- misinterpretation of normal sensations such as heartbeats, bowel movements and sweating or minor ailments such as runny nose, aches with serious disease/illness requiring medical treatment
- a preoccupation with, and persistent fear of, illness.
For more information on some of these symptoms and characteristics, follow these links:
Workplace adjustments and solutions
In the workplace hypochondriasis can affect a person’s ability to focus and process information. There are some strategies that can be used in the workplace to reduce the effect that hypochondriasis has on a person’s performance, such as:
- identify any triggers in the workplace, for example is it the environment or the nature of the job?
- allow for open and honest communication between employer and employee so both parties can express any concerns
- if appropriate provide education to the individual who has hypochondriasis and other employees so that everyone has an idea of how it can affect people
- contact a doctor or hospital if there is a threat of harm.
There are solutions and adjustments for the following job requirements:
References
MDA Internet 1991-2010, Reed Group Ltd, Colorado, viewed 1 September 2011, http://www.mdainternet.com.
AllPsych 2004, Somatoform Disorders, AllPsych and Heffner Media Group Inc., Florida, viewed 1 September 2011, http://allpsych.com/disorders/somatoform/index.html.