Hypochondria Kills? Swedish Study Finds Those Suffering From ‘Illness Anxiety Disorder’ Have Increased Risk of Death From Both Natural and Unnatural Causes
Hypochondriacs are up to four times more likely to commit suicide.
It seems that, sometimes, you can indeed be ‘worried sick’. A large Swedish psychological study has discovered that people diagnosed with an excessive fear of serious illness actually tend to die earlier than people who aren’t hyper-vigilant about their health.
Hypochondria, now called illness anxiety disorder, is a rare mental condition, plagued with symptoms that go well beyond average health worries.
People afflicted with this disorder are unable to dispel their fears even if they show normal physical exams and lab tests. Some people change doctors non-stop looking for ‘the problem’.
Associated Press reported:
“’Many of us are mild hypochondriacs.
