13% of French people are worried about being or becoming sick, even without showing symptoms. For others, this anxiety turns into hypochondria, a pathology that can be treated.
According to a recent Ifop / Capital Image study (1), a tenth of French people are anxious at the idea of being or becoming sick, and without having symptoms. As a result, nearly three-quarters of these people go to the Internet for information and 61% will discuss it with their relatives. They will also see their doctor (59%), or even several doctors.
But in some cases, anxiety is a real syndrome: “hypochondria”. The first image that comes to mind when we speak of this state is undoubtedly that of Molière’s imaginary patient. “But in reality, hypochondria is quite serious and much more complex than it seems”, confides the Prof. Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatrist at Henri-Mondor hospital (Créteil) contacted by the editorial staff of why actor.
How do you recognize a hypochondriac patient?
Prof. Antoine Pelissolo : We speak of a problem of hypochondria when the person cannot be reassured about his state of health. Unlike the anxious, hypochondriacs do not manage to allay their worries, even after one or more visits to the doctor. Moreover, even when their symptoms do not correspond to Internet searches and they are healthy, the doubts persist and return very quickly. It is a form of anxiety in which the patient always fears to be sick or contaminated by others.
Do all hypochondriacs spend their lives in the doctor’s office?
Prof. Antoine Pelissolo : No not necessarily. Because some hypochondriacs are fairly certain that the results of their medical examinations will be negative. For them, this can delay screening, even when it is needed. In this case, it is very problematic. And in these patients, hypochondria, or anxiety, is associated with a phobia, that of diseases and the fear of catching them. This is also one of the reasons why the patient does not go out, he prefers to live as a recluse at home. In these extreme cases, hypochondria is inhibitory, and keeps the patient in a passive attitude, away from all medical offices.
How should doctors react to a hypochondriac patient?
Prof. Antoine Pelissolo : For general practitioners, it is always very complicated. Personally, I advise them to refer these patients to psychological therapy, psychologist or psychiatrist. Because very often the problem is psychological in these patients. If the patient is refractory, it is necessary to insist. It is by addressing the basic questions that one can cure a hypochondriac. Sometimes, the cause of the pathology can go back very far in the past (example, a relative ill during childhood).
Is it a pathology that is easily treated?
(1) Survey carried out last July with a sample of more than 1,000 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
.
