I am a hypochondriac. How can I get over this? --Barbara

First, a definition. The clinical term for what's commonly called hypochondria is "hypochondriasis," as it's called in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Hypochondriasis is characterized by preoccupation with fears of having a disease, or the idea that one has a disease, "based on a misinterpretation of one or more bodily signs or symptoms."

Note that part about "misinterpretation" -- the person with hypochondriasis isn't consciously making things up. Instead, he or she is erroneously interpreting bodily signals as indicating (or possibly indicating) disease. Also inherent in the concept of hypochondriasis, of course, is that the person does not actually HAVE a disease or medical condition that accounts for the concerns or bodily symptoms, and the person's fear of or preoccupation with having a disease persists despite medical reassurance. The individual with hypochondriasis is not delusional, however -- he or she can acknowledge the possibility that there is no disease.

Hypochondriasis is more than simply worrying about your health. In order to meet clinical criteria for hypochondriasis, the preoccupation with bodily symptoms must cause significant distress or impairment in social life, work, or other areas of life; last at least six months; and not be better explained by another psychological condition such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, depression, separation anxiety, or another somatoform disorder. (Hypochondriasis is considered one of the somatoform disorders in DSM-IV. Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms --"soma" refers to the body -- that are not fully explained by a medical condition, the direct effects of a substance, or another mental disorder. The physical symptoms are not intentional or under voluntary control.)

In some people, hypochondriasis is associated with past serious illness in the patient or family members, particularly in childhood. Other people seem to have developed the preoccupation with illness after a psychosocial stressor, especially the death of someone close.

You ask how you can get over your hypochondria. I can't speak specifically about your situation, of course, without a thorough assessment. But psychotherapy can help individuals with hypochondriasis work through and resolve their problems and any issues associated with or causing their preoccupation with illness. Hypochondriasis is a disorder for which psychotherapy will probably be more helpful than medication. Your physician should be able to refer you to a psychologist or other mental health professional who can meet with you in person and discuss your situation and appropriate treatment. Good luck.