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Psycho-hypochondria???

22:39 / 02.02.04

Little help?
If a hypochondriac is someone who falsely believes he is always suffering from different physical ailments, is there a term for someone who is always convinced he is suffering from different *psychological* ailments?

I'm writing a piece of fiction about a dude who fits this description, who psychosomatically GIVES himself different mental illnesses just by being paranoid that he already has them. [gross over-simplification but you get the idea---and don't go biting it, fuckers!]

anybody who might know a useful term for this or something like it, let me know....

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

00:14 / 03.02.04

I don't know if there is an actual term for it, but when I was taking a lot of psych classes, we were told by one professor that as we read about the illnesses, we might think we have them, but the mental illness was determined by the severity of the symptoms.

Or maybe we were all just nucking futz.

Smoothly

10:07 / 03.02.04

I like your idea onem1nd. I sometimes get anxious that I'm a hypochondriac because I imagine I have illnesses which don't have physical symptoms. I suppose that's a low-level manifestation of what your character has.

I can't find a term for what you're talking about, but 'Cyberchondria' has been coined for the anxiety brought about by browsing medical websites. You might be able to work out your own variation on that theme.
There's something called Ganser Syndrome in which people mimic what they believe to be symptoms of mental illness. Again, not exactly what you're looking for, but if you read around that and factitious disorders generally, you might be able to put something together.

Good luck with it.

not nervous

13:45 / 03.02.04

Funny, i rap and i just recently wrote a lyric along those lines, "i've got imaginary symptoms of a mental illness..."

if your piece of fiction ever ends up on the shelves or if there's ever another way of reading it i'd be interested in doing so.
you'll let us know, right?

Pants Payroll

13:48 / 03.02.04

Would'nt hypochondria itself be considered a form of mental illness?

not nervous

14:56 / 03.02.04

yes, but what if you just think (imagine "think" is in italics, please)
you're a hypochondriac?

Eloi Tsabaoth

15:14 / 03.02.04

I know how you feel. I've been pretending to have Munchausen's for attention.

Char Aina

17:01 / 03.02.04

synchronicity....

i was sketching a similar character the other week as well.
i havent got very far with it, and it wasnt the main part of his make up, but its still a little spooky.

i have no idea what you call it, but you might try playing with an ancient greek dictionary and coining your own term.

pomegranate

15:54 / 04.02.04

in this day and age of many many medications for mental ailments, is there still such a strong line drawn between the physical and mental? aren't they all just health problems?

Whisky Priestess

17:44 / 04.02.04

Try "psychochondriac". I like the cho-cho in the middle.

40%

18:39 / 04.02.04

I'm writing a piece of fiction about a dude who fits this description, who psychosomatically GIVES himself different mental illnesses just by being paranoid that he already has them. [gross over-simplification but you get the idea---and don't go biting it, fuckers!]

Comic book guy: Question: is your name Ridley Scott or James Cameron?
Homer: No, it's Homer.
Comic book guy: Then I would thank you to stop peering at my
screenplay, _Homer_. And if I see a movie where
computers threaten our personal liberties, I will know
you have stolen my idea.
Homer: But I'm just waiting for my kid.
Brain: Mental note -- steal his idea.

caronut

08:45 / 09.02.04

I always thought it was weird that a person who thinks they have everything wrong with them can't see that they've got hyperchondria. You'd think they'd add it to their list of ailments! Mayby this is obvious to most but I find that bit particularly weird.

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