For a hypochondriac RN

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I know that it is not uncommon for health care professionals to have hypochondriac tendencies, but I'm beginning to think that I am taking it to the extreme.

Self-diagnosed ailments to date: abdominal aortic aneurysm (on the verge of rupture, of course), kaposi's sarcoma and HIV encephalopathy (I'm HIV negative), Hep B (I'm immune), various other hepatic diseases and symptoms (ascites; jaundice; abd. pain must be onset of acute Hep C), various cancers, and the list literally goes on and on.. all the way back to when I started patho... I currently think I have either an appendicitis brewing or an abd. hernia. Every little symptom is simply the onset of a life-altering disease.

It all sounds kinda funny when I think back on some of them, but they cause legitimate anxiety and stress. Each of those diseases mentioned above represents a couple months of worrying about my health, even though I have no PMH. It causes me to become a "germ-o-phobe." My wife and my primary doc are probably sick of me by now.

Can anyone relate? If so, do you have any (preferably non-pharm.) ways of dealing with it?

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Been there, done that, in grad school now, which only serves to ramp it up a notch. Every bellyache I get is gastric cancer, every lump or bump is scrutinized. I am, however, an expert diagnostician of some things, sinusitis and pharyngitis being my top 2 (since I have them every 3 months).

Deep breaths work well, keep reminding yourself that you are healthy. Works for me, but I also was a psych nurse, so I can analyze myself if the need arises, too! Good luck.

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Specializes in tele, ICU.

yeah, absolutely i can relate. and many other nurses i know think this way, too. after a while i have learned to laugh at myself with whatever new thing i diagnose myself with, but i'm still not immune to an occasional meltdown where i'll try to convince my husband that i'm suffering from some ailment or syndrome.

i think the best way to cope is just to BE healthy- exercise, eat healthy foods, etc. and be thankful for your health and what you've got.

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Specializes in ER.
I know that it is not uncommon for health care professionals to have hypochondriac tendencies, but I'm beginning to think that I am taking it to the extreme.

Self-diagnosed ailments to date: abdominal aortic aneurysm (on the verge of rupture, of course), kaposi's sarcoma and HIV encephalopathy (I'm HIV negative), Hep B (I'm immune), various other hepatic diseases and symptoms (ascites; jaundice; abd. pain must be onset of acute Hep C), various cancers, and the list literally goes on and on.. all the way back to when I started patho... I currently think I have either an appendicitis brewing or an abd. hernia. Every little symptom is simply the onset of a life-altering disease.

It all sounds kinda funny when I think back on some of them, but they cause legitimate anxiety and stress. Each of those diseases mentioned above represents a couple months of worrying about my health, even though I have no PMH. It causes me to become a "germ-o-phobe." My wife and my primary doc are probably sick of me by now.

Can anyone relate? If so, do you have any (preferably non-pharm.) ways of dealing with it?

all I can say, is that I used to get laughed at for rubbing my hand sanitizer onto the grocery carts and not touching public door handles, now there are hand sanitizing towelettes in most places.... that's all I'm sayin'!

Taking Microbiology is where I learned what to freak out about! VRE, MRSA, ay yai yai!!! Ignorance really IS bliss. :bluecry1: I haven't gone to the extreme that you have with your ailments, but I'm a little OCD with handwashing and thinking of all of those things.... good luck to you, hope you have it in perspective now.

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I was raised by a nurse so I have been through it all. Funny thing my older daughter who is currently in NS has been the family medical kid forever with real and imagined ailments.

I have learned to take a wait and see approach.....

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I was raised by a nurse so I have been through it all. Funny thing my older daughter who is currently in NS has been the family medical kid forever with real and imagined ailments.

I have learned to take a wait and see approach.....

I agree

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Specializes in L&D, QI, Public Health.

Let' see. Right now, I'm suffering from cardiomyopathy and R-sided heart failure. I also have a neurological disorder that I've yet to diagnose. I'll be back later.

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I'm afraid it is just something that runs in my family.

My mother has been dying from colon cancer, throat cancer, mouth cancer and heart disease for about 15 yrs..

I'm filled with anxiety over being worried I have a brain tumor or some kind of cancer (mostly reproductive). I also suffer anxiety over worrying I will get some horrible disease that will kill me.

It sounds so funny and is the stuff of a comedy movie, but truly, this kind of neurosis can be very distressing and debilitating.

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Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

Take me to WebMD and give me a list of sx for prostate cancer, and I'll be the only girl on earth who's afflicted.

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Specializes in ICU.

laughing at yourself.....it's the best medicine.......you've been proven wrong how many times? :smokin:

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Specializes in dialysis (mostly) some L&D, Rehab/LTC.

I don't get sick very often...I just tell people...nothing can survive in this body...:smokin:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

as a nurse, i am not this way, but the teacher's that i work with are the biggest "germaphobs" that i have ever seen. i am a school nurse and every day i have teacher's who come to my clinic with various supposed illness'.

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