Hypochondria is a disorder in which people suffer from a terrible, continual fear of illness. They quite literally, worry themselves sick. There is no known physiological cause of their fear, and frequent consultations with doctors do not reduce their fear. Hypochondriasis as a psychiatric disorder Patients frequently complain of discomfort in many organ systems. In most cases, they are more interested in the authenticity, meaning and etiology than they are with the actual physical sensation.
Symptoms often become responses to stressors in everyday life.
Hypochondria bears a striking resemblance to Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. Both groups live in fear of self-harm, and they are both plagued by intrusive and uncontrollable thoughts which interfere in their daily lives. They live in fear that they have not done enough to prevent harm. Just as the OCD patient checks and rechecks their front door lock or their stove, hypochondriacs are constantly rechecking their health. This in itself can make diagnosis difficult.