Also called Hypochondrias, psysomatic or Somatoform disorder and cybercondria. The topic of hypochondria is a sore subject to me. I was in perfect health at age 16 and the next year started having sore throats, colds, flue like symptoms and for the next 50 years treated as a hypochondriac. Dr's run test after test and never found anything so they told me I was imagining my illnesses. When my illness became worse depression appeared. This added to their belief that I had only hypochondria and not some other disease. After 50 years I went on a gluten free diet and 90% of all my depression symptoms disappeared. Since then I have researched a number of diseases relating to the immune system. In 1994 and 5, I asked two different dr's a year apart, "What can you do to treat my immune system". Remarkably they both said the same thing, "We know nothing about the immune system, we only treat things we can prove by imperial science and since there is no imperial science to substantiate the immune system causing any illness, to us it does not exist and anyone who believes the immune system causing a disease is a hypochondriac."

Now, that would have been ok it it were not for the fact that there is absolutely no imperial proof for diagnosing hypochondria. Yes there hundreds of studies and conclusions but no imperial proof that hypochondria exists. I challenge any medical professional to show me proof that anyone can be a hypochondriac. With this challenge the Dr must be able to substantiate that the persons they believe to be a hypochondriac does not have any disease. This means that they do not have a problem immune system and oxidative stress. See my list of diseases that cause depression and you will see scientific proof that many who are erroneously diagnosed as hypochondriacs actually have a metabolic disease. This is compounded by the AMA and FDA ignoring that metabolic stress exists and that it can be the result of oxidative stress. Click on these two links for metabolic and oxidative stress and read the scientific research. It is such a travesty that the listed symptoms of hypochondria are the same as those listed for metabolic and oxidative stress as well as those for every immune disease. See even greater proofs by entering oxidative stress in the search box above then read the various pages. So many scientific research reports we have collected show undisputed ties between disease and oxidative stress. Like wise many herbs have antioxidant properties proven to fight oxidative stress. These facts and herbs are ignored by the main stream medical community.

The medical community is so divided on these issues that the novice and even skilled doctors fail to see that treating the underlying cause instead of the symptoms is valid. It is more profitable to treat symptoms over and over than cure a disease. We have developed a blind trust in doctors that we close our mind to the truths that are becoming more and more evident. Truths that are being researched and studied by medical doctors in research labs yet ignored by front line doctors. Too often it is about making and protecting profits.

So again show me the proof that hypochondria has imperial scientific substance and I will add it to this page. Don't even think about double blind tests because they are often designed to provide the outcome of those who pay for them. Give me the same science used to prove any other disease, not subjective tests like the ones below.

I want to comment on the term cybercondria. This is a term used by doctors to describe patients who look for information on the internet about health. Is it any wonder when our medical community peddles drugs with more side effects and harm than herbs when used right, that we are tired of the harm the drugs are causing? Instead of the doctors researching and treating the foundation of our health they prescribe drugs to treat the symptoms. The popularity of people searching the web is evident that they are looking for ways to fix their diseases. Along with this is the fact that the new HMO's treat patients as a cash cow and do not let the doctors have time or support them researching patient problems. Instead they limit doctors to 15 minutes and to prescribe drugs that are more profitable. This means patients are compelled to try and find solutions and the only place they can is on the internet. This is one of the reasons for this site and its concept of avoiding undocumented commentary. We attempt to provide scientific research reports for every page. This page contains more commentary than most pages because this topic has few who will tell it as it is.

The whole concept of hypochondria ignores the accelerated incidence of diseases from new chemical discoveries beginning with WW II. Since WWII diseases have compounded and continue to accelerate. Some claim there are over 30,000 new compounds that have not been tested for safety to humans.

Those who believe in hypochondria do not recognize that chemistry in the body is altered by new compounds and are causing diseases and diseases that cause people to have obsessive compulsive behaviors. New discoveries are being found about the toxic effects of fungus on the human body and medical science is way behind in this area. Rather than recognizing these problems they become buried and ignored when doctors stop looking because they believe in the theory of hypochondria.

Symptoms according to Mayo Clinic

"Having a long-term intense fear or anxiety about having a serious disease or health condition
Worrying that minor symptoms or bodily sensations mean you have a serious illness
Seeing doctors repeated times or having involved medical exams such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), echocardiograms or exploratory surgery
Frequently switching doctors — if one doctor tells you that you aren't sick, you may not believe it and seek out other opinions
Continuously talking about your symptoms or suspected diseases with family and friends
Obsessively doing health research
Frequently checking your body for problems, such as lumps or sores
Frequently checking your vital signs, such as pulse or blood pressure
Thinking you have a disease after reading or hearing about it"http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypochondria/DS00841/DSECTION=symptoms

Cyberchondria WebMD Feature "Thanks to the Internet, becoming a hypochondriac is much easier than it used to be.

The easy availability of health information on the web has certainly helped countless people make educated decisions about their health and medical treatment, but it can be disastrous for people who are likely to worry. Hypochondriacs researching an illness used to have to scour books and ask doctors for information. Now a universe of information is available with a few mouse clicks. "For hypochondriacs, the Internet has absolutely changed things for the worse," says Brian Fallon, MD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and the co-author of Phantom Illness: Recognizing, Understanding and Overcoming Hypochondria (1996). So far, no studies have been conducted on just how hypochondriacs use the Internet, Fallon says. But the phenomenon is common enough to have a snappy name -- "cyberchondria." http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/internet-makes-hypochondria-worse

The above conditions doctors use to diagnose hypochondria is extremely subjective and devoid of any actual science. If a person has an illness that is not being diagnosed or treated properly doctors are taught to ignore it which has resulted in many deaths. how many people do you know or have heard of who's doctors would not or did not diagnose a cancer or other deadly disease until they were beyond being treatable. If doctors could provide a definitive scientific test I would be willing to accept that hypochondria is a valid disease. Since there is not on and since doctors state thy only treat scientifically proven diseases hypochondria is a hoax. Medicine has never been an exact science nor have doctors been able to diagnose every illness and the modern drugs often do not help. Then they stupidly and maliciously want us to believe if we go to the internet to find answers we are a Chberchondriac. Where is the science in all of this?

Below are some comments by others relating to hypochondria

1. "Hypochondria is a belief that real or imagined physical symptoms are signs of a serious illness, despite medical reassurance and other evidence to the contrary. People with hypochondria are preoccupied with their physical health. They have an unrealistic fear of serious disease that is out of proportion to the actual risk. There is no specific cause of hypochondria, and it occurs equally in men and women.

* Disturbance lasts for at least 6 months (24 weeks)
* Misinterpret symptoms
* No apparent physical disorder that can account for symptoms
* Persistent fear of having a serious illness with no medical reason
* Preoccupied with fear of illness
* Symptoms may shift and change
* Symptoms may be vague or specific (see somatoform pain disorder)

Those who are affected may recognize that their fear of having a serious disease is excessive, unreasonable, or unfounded. Source http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001236.htm

2. " For hypochondriacs, the Internet has absolutely changed things for the worse," says Brian Fallon, MD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and the co-author of Phantom Illness: Recognizing, Understanding and Overcoming Hypochondria (1996). Source http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/internet-makes-hypochondria-worse

3. "Studies estimate that 10%–80% of patients have somatic complaints for which no adequate physical cause is found.2–7 DSM-III-R Hypochondriasis had a prevalence of 4.2%–6.3% in a general-medical clinic in Boston, Massachusetts8 and 8.5% in the clinics at the University of Iowa (when the duration criteria were excluded).9 Somatization disorder occurs in 3%–5% of primary-care patients.10–12 (

Did you know doctors are taught 50-80% of all patients are hypochondriacs?
Quote, "Somatoform disorders are common in primary care medical settings. The most common diagnosis in primary care may be "nonsickness."1 Studies estimate that 10%–80% of patients have somatic complaints for which no adequate physical cause is found." Source

Quote, "Kellner (1985) estimated that 50% of all patients attending physicians' offices "suffer either from primary hypochondriacal syndromes or have 'minor somatic disorders with hypochondriacal overlay" Source: Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry Chapter 13. Somatoform Disorders page 822

How hypochondria is diagnosed

* First is that doctors believe that up to 80% of all patients are not ill.
o This results in believing a patients complaints are 80% imaginary and inaccurate.
* Second is that they are taught that usually reoccurring headaches, depression, gastric, respiratory, candidia, lyme, heavy metal, chronic fatigue or immune system problems do not exist.
* Third they perform basic lab tests and physical observations.
o If the observations or lab tests do not show an illness the doctor often determines all the patients complaints are invalid.
* Fourth after the preceding three steps they may administer the Whitely Index or ask similar questions to diagnose hypochondria.

Here is why this constitutes a breech of the "hypocritical oath" to do no harm.

* First The methods used to determine the high percentage of hypochondria is based on the second, third and fourth items which are seriously inaccurate.
* Second There are numerous proofs that headaches, depression, gastric, respiratory, parasites, candidia, lyme, heavy metal, chronic fatigue or immune system problems are true diseases or caused by other maladies. Yet despite the overwhelming proofs the majority of doctors continue to ignore them. Hundreds of patients have died or suffered serious problems because their doctor refused to treat their symptoms. The third leading cause of death in the US today is doctors according to an article in JAMA. Source
* Third The common lab tests and physical observations do not reveal all diseases.
o For example the lab tests for lyme disease is highly inaccurate. see lyme page Many doctors refuse to accept the facts by the Center for Disease Control that lyme exists in almost every state. This results in many lyme sufferers being denied needed treatment and distorts the reporting of actual cases of lyme disease.
o Another common lab test problem is using blood testing for heavy metals. Seldom will heavy metals show up in blood tests. Doctors seldom accept or order other lab tests such as feces, urine or hair analysis. Hair analysis may be somewhat unreliable but far more conclusive than blood tests. For a doctor to not perform further tests is irresponsible when the symptoms of heavy metals are evident or mentioned by the patient. Interestingly the symptoms of the following diseases have symptoms doctors are taught are symptoms of hypochondria. See our pages on Aluminum, Copper, Selenium, Parasites and Wilson's Disease
o These are just a few of the causes of elusive symptoms ignored by most doctors.
o There is a conclusive blood test to determine candidia however since most doctors do not accept candidia as a valid disease or are afraid to diagnose it they do not test for it. Physicians have lost their licenses if they diagnose and treat candidia. This doctor lost his license because he treated candidia Is it no wonder doctors are afraid to treat people with anything other than invasive drugs that have the AMA stamp of approval.
* Fourth The Whitely Index is the most stupid and unbelievable test devised. To think that doctors claim to treat only diseases they have imperial proof, then do a complete reversal and use this subjective test is simply just too unbelievable.

It were not for the facts that the symptoms used to diagnose hypochondria are also symptoms of so many other diseases one might be able to accept the theory of hypochondria. I say theory because there really is no imperial proof of hypochondria. Sure there are hundreds of reports and research that state hypochondria exists however they are not based on imperial undisputed science. They are based on subjective tests such as double blind tests that can be manipulated to achieve what ever conclusion wanted. The fact that pesticides, copper, aluminum, parasites, candidia, lyme just to mention a few have the same symptoms of hypochondria cloud the so called finding of any subjective test.

We have all heard of someone who seems to act as a hypochondriac such as the person who hears about a new disease, symptom or treatment and appears to adopt or become what they heard. What is not considered is, that person may have a chemical brain problem and their quest for a solution seems to be an obsession to those who observe that person.

How often have you heard of or know someone who died of cancer or other diseases while their doctor ignored or would not believe their complaints. There are possibly thousands who have died or suffered debilitating problems that could have been diagnosed if their doctor did not; avoid further tests and did not ignore the patients statements. There certainly are cases where a doctor can not diagnose a problem and is not neglant. However too many patients have been denied needed treatment or had treatments delayed because of the hypochondria theory. Source http://psy.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/40/5/380