Living in the anguish of illness is the daily life of people who suffer from hypochondria. Despite the reassuring speech of health professionals, nothing helps:the obsession persists and the situation becomes difficult for loved ones. Some keys to understanding this pathology and knowing how to react with the advice of Elisabeth Angevin, psychologist and psychotherapist.
They diagnose themselves with the symptoms of a serious pathology, anxiously await test results, consult many doctors and specialists, live in fear of falling ill:"They" are the hypochondriacs. 5 to 10% of consultations with the general practitioner are linked to hypochondria. If they are often mocked or derided, as in the film "Supercondriaque", directed by Dany Boon (2014), people affected by this pathology face real suffering. "This is a psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive worry about matters relating to one's own health, explains Élisabeth Angevin, psychologist, psychotherapist and president of the Union of Psychologists in Liberal Practice (Spel). Negative test results or reassuring medical advice do not manage to appease this anxious state, close to phobia, which can become very debilitating. »
An impact on personal and professional life
This disorder has an impact on all aspects of the patient's daily life. "His whole life revolves around the disease, it's an obsession", observes Elisabeth Angevin. It can sometimes take on enormous proportions:"For fear of being contaminated, some may decide to stay cloistered at home and cut themselves off from all social life", she adds. Pursuing your professional activities and having a rewarding personal life then becomes very complicated. Especially since this isolation reinforces anxiety and can cause depression. In its severe forms, hypochondriasis can increase the risk of developing cardiac, metabolic or even mental illnesses.
A narcissistic disorder
The peak of the disease occurs in young adults, between 20 and 30 years old. The origin of this disorder is multiple:"It can appear from childhood but also be linked to the occurrence of a sudden event, such as bereavement" , believes the psychologist.
Relatives do not always know how to behave. Should we seek to reassure the patient? Help him rationalize? Trying to change his mind, divert his attention from his health? “There is no right or wrong attitude, responds Elisabeth Angevin. Hypochondriacs have a narcissistic, self-centered and health-centered personality, which makes it difficult for them to hear what those around them are trying to make them understand. This disorder affects the ego and the meaning we give to our lives. »
Overcoming anxiety
In this context, consulting a psychologist is not an easy process, observes the psychotherapist:"Hypochondria has become the raison d'être of the patient, it is rooted very deeply. The therapy, which aims to remove the anxiety, will therefore upset the functioning of the person. »
To prepare for it, the role of the entourage is preponderant. "Parents, loved ones, but also health professionals must open the dialogue and try to make the hypochondriac understand that if he is very sick, he is not suffering from a physical illness" , considers Elisabeth Angevin. Once this first step towards consulting a psychologist has been taken, several techniques can be proposed. “Family therapy is indicated when health is a central theme in the family, notes the president of Spel. Another avenue is body therapy, such as sophrology, which allows you to better understand the relationship between your body and your mind. Finally, a psychodynamic psychotherapy centered on the awareness of unconscious processes can also be effective. »
