Home > Mental health > Tools Are you a hypochondriac? All sections in Tools » Fitness » Diet » Mind » Medical » General It's late at night and you're lying awake again about that strange stomach ache you get every few weeks. Could it be an ulcer? Possibly cancer? How will your family cope without you? You've already been to the doctor - several times. And both she and the specialist have assured you you're completely fine. Nothing more than a bit of indigestion. But you are sure they are both horribly wrong. You have also already made your will, cleaned your cupboards and stuck your kids' names underneath the pieces of furniture you would like them to have. Because you are sure your life is coming to an end. Sixth sense, or are you just a hypochondriac? What is hypochondria? Someone who suffers from hypochondria is fixated obsessively on their health. For at least six months this person has been convinced that he/she is seriously ill, despite the fact that doctors reassure them that there is nothing wrong with them. This obsession affects their daily lives, and their relationships, and also frequently leads to all sorts of unnecessary and expensive medical treatments. Hypochondria is found in equal numbers among men and women, and is found in all age groups and economic classes. Hypochondriacs have a tendency to misinterpret normal physical symptoms. Headaches are a good example of this. Someone who is not a hypochondriac will simply take a headache tablet and forget about it, but a hypochondriac will be convinced that it is the first sign of a brain tumour. So are you a hypochondriac? This quiz will tell you! What happens when you phone your doctor? a) He/she sighs and asks, "So what is it today?"b) He/she refuses to take your callc) He/she cannot remember who you ared) He/she sounds worried and asks why you're only calling now When was the last time you were ill? a) Ill? who me?b) A year or two agoc) You get flu at least once a yeard) You're not feeling too great while filling in this quiz If you have been really ill, and someone tells you you're looking better, how does that make you feel? a) Delighted, because you're really feeling better b) Miffed, because you think they don't know how ill you really arec) You're pleased, even though you're still feeling under the weatherd) Pleased, because you're tired of lying in bed and you don't like not being able to do things for yourself How do you think others react to your ailments? a) If they knew how ill you really were, they would not have looked so boredb) Even if you are ill, you don't really talk about it muchc) There are surely more interesting things to talk about than illnesses?d) What ailments? Do you think the doctor is lying to you when he tells you that you're fine? a) No, and the relief is immenseb) He/she is a doctor after all and should know what's going on?c) You would feel better after consulting a specialistd) The stupid quack - just imagine how he is going to feel when he finds out that you do indeed have leukaemia What does your medicine chest look like? a) You wouldn't call it a chest - rather an enormous trunkb) A rural state hospital could keep going on these contents for quite a whilec) You have a small box containing the most essential thingsd) What medicine chest? Where do you find your medical information? a) You phone the doctorb) You have your own small medical libraryc) You don't find information - if you ignore something for long enough, it will go awayd) You devour everything you can lay your hands on - from books, to magazines, to the internet, to pamphlets. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? a) You get into your walking clothes to go for your daily walkb) You get up and get goingc) You take your daily medicationd) You lie in bed and wonder which part of your body will give you problems today For three days you've had a pain in your lower back. What do you do about it? a) You think, "Let that be a lesson to me for when I consider carrying six boxes of books to the car all on my ownb) You decide to go to the doctor if things have not improved by Wednesdayc) you prepare yourself for a life with kidney failured) You do nothing and accept that this too shall pass Your favourite TV programme is: a) You are too busy to watch TVb) The newsc) Soapiesd) Any hospital series How do you feel about your medical scheme? a) You are urgently trying to find a medical scheme that will allow you to claim higher amounts for visits to the doctor and for medicationb) You have to belong to one, but you really think it is a waste of money, as you hardly ever use itc) By September most of your benefits have been exhaustedd) You're constantly trying to think of ways to derive more benefits from your medical scheme When you get a headache, you think that a) it will probably go away quicklyb) you must take a headache tablet immediatelyc) you definitely have brain cancerd) you should stay in bed for the day Diet Tools Fitness Tools General Tools Medical Tools Mind Tools Am I eating correctly to lose weight? 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