Hypochondriac | Teen Ink

Hypochondriac MAG

April 24, 2008
By Tim Martin BRONZE, Auburn, New York
Tim Martin BRONZE, Auburn, New York
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

I have a sickness called hypochondria. Well, truthfully, I don’t consider it an illness. I just consider it a burden. When you have hypochondria, life doesn’t seem real. It feels like you’re watching a copy of yourself, who’s watching a copy of a copy.

Hypochondria, or the scientific term hypochondriasis, is a disorder where someone thinks he has every ailment known to man. Some hypochondriacs think they have the “big time” diseases like AIDS or cancer. But I think I have everything – food allergies, cancer, brain tumors, kidney disease, Lyme disease, kidney stones, cataracts, bipolar disorder, the flu, dyslexia, strep throat, ­appendicitis. Everything.

When I think I have food allergies, I refuse to eat certain things even if I’ve eaten them before. I stay up all night worrying, not sleeping. Right now I haven’t slept in three days. I rarely eat anything but bread, water, and yogurt. I check the labels on everything from candy bars to cereal looking for things I might be allergic to. Believe me, it’s not fun.

As a hypochondriac, simple afflictions of daily life, like stomach pain or tenderness, can make me worry about appendicitis. When my breathing is messed up, I think my throat is closing. If my stomach makes noises, I think I’m going to throw up, even though I’m simply digesting the bread I ate 15 minutes ago.

Hypochondriasis is a type of somatoform disorder, or mental illness. I have had 10 doctors because I never believe they are telling me the truth about my symptoms and what they mean. My mind won’t let me listen to the doctor and understand that I am, in fact, healthy.

Being only 15, I hope that I’ll eventually break out of all this worry and start enjoying life. Many people say that hypochondria stems from depression or a mental ailment. But the truth is, I’m not depressed and I have no mental ailment. I’m a really happy kid, and I ­enjoy the things I do and the friends I have. I just worry too much.

I know it’s not right to blame someone for my disorder, but sometimes I do blame my father. He told me that he used to worry about having every physical illness known to man too. I found out later that hypochondria can be passed through genes. I ­believe I will overcome this disorder, but I will need help.

If you are a hypochondriac too, don’t worry. You aren’t sick, and most likely you’re pretty darn healthy. So get out there and be active and have fun.



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This article has 107 comments.


on Dec. 11 2017 at 10:45 am
I can relate, i have this disorder as well. Just want you to know, that i thought this explained it very well. Amazing job

very good,i like it

Kip.lu SILVER said...
on May. 5 2017 at 2:40 am
Kip.lu SILVER, Tirana, Other
5 articles 0 photos 32 comments
Omg I have the same sickness, CRAZY

on Apr. 30 2017 at 12:39 pm
hannahraky PLATINUM, Plano, Texas
24 articles 1 photo 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Feelings don't last, but life always will.

Have you ever seen a psychiatrist for anxiety? I suffer from some pretty severe anxiety, and I know how easily it can turn into something outrageous. By the way, I love the piece, and you've definitely got talent.

Luken said...
on Sep. 27 2016 at 9:13 am
This is amazing, know I understand what people with that disorder think. :D

on Jan. 29 2016 at 10:47 am
Nated315 DIAMOND, Georgetown, New York
92 articles 7 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
Truth has many shades. It's not a matter of black and white, but many grays.

so is this like an anxiety thing??? not to be rude, just trying to understand more about this subject.

on Jun. 15 2014 at 12:25 pm
AlexSant BRONZE, Brewster, New York
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
Great article man! I really felt like I was inside your mind while reading it. If any of you guys have time, check out my article titled Sports Medicine and Sports Scandals. It's currently at #12 on the nonfiction page!

vevo992 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 31 2014 at 2:25 pm
vevo992 BRONZE, Chesterfield, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 4 comments
This was a great article.  I think you have a gift for writing! Stay strong!

Abygail SILVER said...
on Jan. 29 2014 at 1:28 pm
Abygail SILVER, Defiance, Ohio
7 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." -Forest Gump

This is great, informative article! I personally don't know anyone who is like this but its interesting to hear about someone my age going through this. All it seems like that I worry about is school and homework and what my weekend plans are. I couldn't imagine going through something like this myself.

on Oct. 15 2013 at 3:13 pm
candlelightwriter GOLD, Kirksville, Missouri
16 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Secretly we're all a little more absurd than we make ourselves out to be"-- J.K. Rowling.

Thanks so much for these thoughts. I suffer from hypochondria too, though not quite to the extent you're describing. Your description was accurate and potent. A great article straight from the heart. Thanks for writing this. Hope you can overcome.

on Jun. 27 2013 at 8:14 pm
readlovewrite SILVER, Greensboro, North Carolina
7 articles 1 photo 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be quick to listen, and slow to speak, and even slower to judge."

This is really good, and I sometimes have inklings of the same fears - if to a lesser extent -  and you discribed it really well!  Hope you do outgrow it someday.

on Jan. 25 2013 at 12:25 pm
Brittany1996 SILVER, Waupun, Wisconsin
9 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.

I thought this is awesome Nonfiction writing, especally for being 15! Great job, the begining paragraph grabs the reader in and makes them want to read more. You are very talented!

on Mar. 1 2012 at 9:25 am
TheCapturedBat GOLD, Belen, New Mexico
12 articles 0 photos 88 comments

Favorite Quote:
If all else perished and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger. <br /> -- Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

I am kind of obsessive about health. I think it might go back to a time when I was six years old and was always hearing my father talk about his various health concerns. What makes it worse is that I worry about other peoples' health even more than I worry about my own, so I am always freaking out about their perceived health concerns and making their lives miserable.  

on Feb. 13 2012 at 8:21 am
Musicalartist, Xxxxx, Other
0 articles 0 photos 144 comments
i have moments when it feels like I'm watching a movie and looking at someone esle. But i dont think i have a disease. Good luck!

on Feb. 8 2012 at 2:45 am
GingerLily BRONZE, Aulnay-sur-Mauldre, Other
3 articles 6 photos 78 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world&quot; - Oscar Wilde

I can be somewhat of a hypochondriac, too. Last summer I was sure that I had pancreatic cancer because I kept throwing up, when in reality I was just really nervous from worrying all the time. And today I'm starting to think I have diabetes. But knowing I'm not alone out there felt good :) Thank you for writing this.

on Jan. 17 2012 at 12:09 pm
countrygirl28 GOLD, Colleyville, Texas
15 articles 137 photos 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.&quot; -Jim Morrison<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t think or judge. Just listen.&quot; -Sarah Dessen

I was responding to Honor's comment: "What does OCD stand for?" I answered that, and then explained the relationship between the two. The relationship is the extreme anxiety that we both feel as it takes over our lives. I was not trying to say that OCD is Hypochondriac at all. I was just trying to relate the worries and stress of both disorders.

on Jan. 17 2012 at 10:20 am
thejesusfreak SILVER, Bradenton, Florida
9 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;ok so your hated... so what? Embrace it! you are who you are and dont forget it.&quot;

This beautiful piece of work isn't even about OCD. Two different things. I don't have either one. But there are certain things that I'm compulsive over where my pencil and or phone need to be exactly aligned or things like that. It's nothing about what the writer is talking about, so in my opinion OCD although somewhat similar... Doesn't need to be talked about here.

Ella1 GOLD said...
on Dec. 26 2011 at 10:39 am
Ella1 GOLD,
14 articles 7 photos 137 comments
Thanks for sharing your view. I know someone who used to be a hypochondriac but they eventually got over it. It is hard work but you will be fine. Best of luck!

byebye said...
on Dec. 4 2011 at 7:45 pm
byebye, Nevermore, Other
0 articles 0 photos 250 comments
I have mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and I can tell you that it is not the same as hypochondria. That's why there are two separate names; two separate diseases.

on Dec. 4 2011 at 7:21 pm
countrygirl28 GOLD, Colleyville, Texas
15 articles 137 photos 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.&quot; -Jim Morrison<br /> &quot;Don&#039;t think or judge. Just listen.&quot; -Sarah Dessen

OCD=Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (I have it, too) It is characterized by obsessive, intruding thoughts, followed by compulsions. The thoughts are extremely hard to control, but with therapy, it's possible to overcome them. OCD involves a lot of anxiety and fears, so it's similar to a Hypochondriac in a sense.