What Do Hypochondriacs Die Of?

[Hypognosis]

Serious question! Presumably, once marked down as a hypochondriac, even changing GPs does them no good, because it's there in their notes.

Or is it? Would a FOI request reveal it or merely trigger hasty removal of the marker?

So, what do they actually die of?

My guess: The law of diminishing returns means that, eventually, they become averse to visiting the dictoctor and it is not until symptoms have progressed to something visible abd serious that they feel confident to visit again. By which time it is sometimes too late.

(Inspired by a thread about a doctor declining a patient's request for a certain test. Bonus question: does patient requests being turned down signify GP thinks they are a hypochondriac?)

[Buenchico]

I doubt that 'hypochondria' is a term that you'd find in a patient's notes. It's more likely that there would be a series of investigations recorded (into each set of symptoms that the patient had said that he'd got), each concluding with 'possibly psychosomatic' and perhaps a referral to mental health services.

[Buenchico]

PS: The Freedom of Information Act is irrelevant here. That only refers to information held by public bodies, such as local councils. A person wanting to know what information is stored about him as an individual needs to make a 'Subject Access Request' under entirely separate legislation (the Data Protection Act).

[Hypognosis]

Thanks, 'Chico.

Being told it's 'Psychosomatic' is such a let-down. If true, how the heck does one go about 'switching it off'? In my case I've got piles of stuff I want to do, I'd like to have some confidence of being able to hold down a job for more than a couple of days and enough ebergy to go out and meet people i. the evenings would be great. Sitting down and typing stuff is about my limit at the moment.

[Old_Geezer]

It sounds a bit of a get out too. If all they can offer is a nice chat and hope symptoms are no longer experienced.

I suspect they die of the same things non-hypochondriacs die of.

[DTCwordfan]

Theyt don't - they start to pick up 'Thantaphobia.'

[Old_Geezer]

Is that folk with a lisp who are afraid on men in red costume with a sack ?

[boxtops]

There can be any number of reasons for declining a test though

The doc may not think it's appropriate
It may not be available funded in the patient's CCG area, so she GP's not permitted to order that test
The condition presenting may not be one for which that test would help with diagnosis

The GP wouldn't mark hypochondria, surely - since patients have the right of access to their notes now, acronyms such as NFN are now not in use!

[boxtops]

Hypo - I don't know what your illness might be, but have you thought about seeing someone privately, or asking the GP to refer you for counselling, if the condition is perhaps not physical but rather a psychological need to boost your confidence?

[Daffy6543]

DTC, you slightly misspelled it, it's Thanatophobia.... fear of death.

[atalanta]

Here's a sad story - a friend of mine went to the doctor complaining of funny noises in her ears. It was in fact something to do with excess wax, but the doctor took it that she was hearing voices, and sent her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist too took the "voices" seriously and diagnosed her as having a mental problem. She was never able after that to get any doctor to take her seriously, whatever the symptoms, since she had obviously been marked in everyone's notes as a nutter.

[Zeuhl]

what do hypochondriacs die of?

being (eventually) right

[Hypognosis]

@boxtops

//acronyms such as NFN are now not in use! //

NFN="Normal for Norfolk"?



//have you thought about seeing someone privately,//

No. I doubt I can afford BUPA, or similar.

// or asking the GP to refer you for counselling //

I have enough trouble just attending everyday appointments, due to a shifting sleep pattern. If an appointment is set for more than two or three days, I can't predict whether I will be asleep or awake at that time of day. Normally, GP appointments are always set 5 or 6 days away.

I got kicked off a CBT course, many years ago (a different town), for non-attendence. No-one even came to my house to find out if I was unwell, or worse.

//a psychological need to boost your confidence? //

I've never expressed any difficulties with confidence in the past. Where did you get that from?

[ladyalex]

Hypochondria is not a diagnosis . It is a lazy and unhelpful way of describing a patient for whom the Doctor has not yet been able to find a diagnosis.

People who appear to be overly concerned about their health either have a physical problem which has not so far been diagnosed or have a psychological problem with something which may or may not be health related.

If the problem is coping with dis-ease (as opposed to disease) or dis-comfort, clinical psychologists can be very helpful, as can psychiatrists, especially if there is a depressive element to the patient's condition....not uncommon.
These specialists are also, on the whole, pretty good at distinguishing between people who have undiagnosed physical problems and those who have problems which have become attached to concerns about health.

To answer your question, though, people who are dissatisfied with their health status will die of whatever they are destined to die of, as will we all.

[jno]

Normal for Norfolk indeed. Others in medical use: NOONG (not one of nature's gentlemen), TEETH (tried everything else, try homeopathy), BBSS (big boobs, see soon), and "pumpkin positive", the idea being that if you shone a torch in the patient's mouth his brain would be so small that his whole head would light up like a Halloween pumpkin.

[Hypognosis]

Thanks ladyalex.

I liked those ones, jno.

I don't understand what "not one of nature's gentlemen" might mean. Sounds more like a comment on impoliteness. I don't get how going to the doc would provoke that sort of response.

[ladyalex]

All the best , Hypognosis.

[jno]

doctors put things on your notes which other doctors will read, so NOONG is by way of a warning; BBSS is the opposite.

Others include UBI (unexplained beer injury) and CTD (circling the drain - ie likely to die any minute).

But as patients now have access to their notes, I gather this sort of thing has died out.

[Hypognosis]

Good answers all round but I gave it to Zeuhl, for raising a smile.

A pity it didn't garner any interest from Sqad, although not giving away insider info cheaply is the name of the game.

[DTCwordfan]

Probably no response because he's a hypochondriac, Hypognosis.....

runs for cover

[pixie373]

SOB is used too- officially -shortness of breath. You can guess what else it stands for.