Everyone worries about their well-being and health. It is a scary thought to know that something harmful to the body is attacking our system, therefore, making us feel unwell. However, there are people out there who tend to take this anxiety, over their health, to the next level. They are known as hypochondriacs. You might be wondering: What is a hypochondriac? A hypochondriac is a person who is constantly anxious about their health; AKA me. Like all other hypochondriacs, I begin to worry about my health so much that it turns into an obsession.
As a hypochondriac, the constant thought of my health is always on my mind. The thought of being sick with a deadly virus or harmful bacteria terrifies me. Every time I get a slight pain or ache I immediately jump to conclusions. Right away I suspect that it is much more than it actually is. For instance, I was diagnosed with mono in the summer of 2014. The moment I received my diagnosis I logged on to WedMD (a hypochondriacs handbook) and searched mononucleosis and it's symptoms. One of the symptoms for mono is an enlarged spleen. WebMD advised patients with mono to avoid any physical activity because once the spleen is enlarged it is more likely to rupture. Well if my anxiety wasn't bad enough it just got a thousand times worse! Whenever I felt the slightest pain in the area in which my spleen is located, I immediately assumed that my spleen had ruptured. I knew deep down that it really didn't rupture, but there was still a part of me that said "What if it did?" This was a daily occurrence during my time with my mono. Each day I thought and worried about the same thing.
Being a hypochondriac also means that I am germaphobic. So what is life like in a day of a germaphobic? I can tell you that it usually involves a sink with running water and hand soap. I am always washing my hands! It also means that my hands and manicure always suffer, especially in the winter! My hands become and dry and cracked while my nice manicure from the nail salon never seems to stay for quite long. However, my hands are not the only things that are clean but also the doorknobs and objects I touch with my hands. I am constantly wiping down my phone, knobs and pretty much everything else in my room I touch with my hands with wipes. This is why Clorox wipes are my hero. They are my protector and savior from deadly bacteria like e-Coli and salmonella.
If you're a hypochondriac then all this sounds too familiar to you. Being a hypochondriac can be tiresome. It can also be painful at times if you always worry about it like me. But then again when I step back and realize just how ridiculous my anxieties are I can't help but laugh. Being a hypochondriac is part of who I am, I can't help it! I will always be washing my hands and cleaning the space around me. Who knows maybe one-day germs and the fear of illness won't affect me as much as they do now. But at this moment I need to go wash my hands!
