All kids pretend to be sick…or at least think they are sick when they are actually fine. Whether it’s because they’re skipping school or because they’re really nervous about an upcoming exam make They themselves are uncomfortable (relevant) and every parent has to play this little game in their head of “Is this legal?” When a child complains of a headache or an upset stomach. But you know your child—if their complaints start to become more intense or more frequent, you may worry that your child is suffering from depression. But how to tell if your child has hypochondriasis? What’s the difference between a child who shares every tingling feeling in your stomach with you and a child who is truly hypochondriac and convinced he’s sick?
Luckily, it’s not too hard to figure out, and therapy will really help kids with hypochondriasis, family therapist and high school counselor Alex Goodwin tells Scary Mom. “Hypochondriasis can be debilitating, but I also don’t think it’s as severe as parents think. It’s possible that your child suffers more from general anxiety and that their anxiety tends to be focused on their health, rather than on their health. Not a comprehensive diagnosis of hypochondriasis.
What is hypochondriasis?
Hypochondriasis is a chronic illness anxiety disorder. Hypochondriacs have a constant worry that they are sick or will get sick, even if they have zero symptoms. (There are some symptoms, even something as simple as a sore throat, that can lead a person to believe they have throat cancer or some other larger illness, and thus experience hypochondriasis.)
Everyone is prone to experiencing health anxiety (who among us hasn’t thought “brain tumor” the moment you get a headache?), but hypochondriasis isn’t something you can shake off. People with this condition may find it difficult to focus on anything else in life because they worry so much about their health. It affects work, relationships and their daily lives – it’s very draining.
A person with hypochondriasis may spend an entire day researching illnesses and disorders. They may avoid going somewhere for fear of catching germs, or constantly take their temperature and check their vital signs to make sure they’re not sick. It’s incredibly intense.
But the good news is that hypochondriasis is rare. The Cleveland Clinic reports that about 0.1% of people in the United States are affected by the disease, and it usually appears in adulthood.
Will children suffer from hypochondriasis?
Of course, anything is possible, Goodwin said. But generally speaking, worrying about a sick child isn’t exactly the same as being a hypochondriac. When you really think about kids’ fears—perhaps worrying about going to the doctor if they get sick, or worrying about feeling uncomfortable on a math test and convincing themselves they have the flu—it can often be attributed to anxiety. “If your child is worried about a headache but the worry seems to go away when the headache goes away or when he rests or relaxes at home, that’s not hypochondriasis,” Goodwin says. Now, if your child is afraid because Refusing to go to school with a cold that turns into pneumonia and then hospitalization? “It might be time to get treatment,” he said.
“Hypochondriasis is an anxiety disorder,” Goodwin adds. “But not everyone who has hypochondriasis will have generalized anxiety disorder, and not everyone who experiences general anxiety will exhibit hypochondriasis.”
In many cases, your child does not have full-blown hypochondriasis but rather severe hypochondriasis. Sometimes the anxiety they experience makes them feel uncomfortable, which in turn can make them worry that they are actually sick. “Rapid heartbeat, chest pain, nausea, lack of sleep — these can all be attributed to anxiety and then make you feel like something is really wrong,” he says. “Obviously you should take your child to see a doctor if you think something is really wrong, or it might help reassure them – don’t just allay their fears – but therapy can really help with anxiety.”
My own daughter has had this experience. She was absolutely convinced her heart wasn’t beating, even after we had us feel her pulse and time her and She cried in bed at night as the pediatrician gave her a thorough exam and checked her heart rate and blood pressure. We reached out to her school counselor and they gave her some coping mechanisms that she still uses two years later.
“Sometimes kids do better with more information,” Goodwin said. “Kids develop a lot of anxiety because they don’t know what’s going to happen next. So a small thing, like thinking their heart isn’t beating anymore, can put them in trouble. If you think your child has any type of disease, then they will feel anxious.
And, you know, maybe having them stay home from school occasionally. It’s not hypochondria, but a day on the couch with mom can do wonders for anyone’s anxiety.
