How do you know when it's fake or real?

[Allenafaith]

If you're a hypochondriac like me...how do you know if it's real or not? I can't just drop everything and go to the doctor and pay a 40$ co-pay for nothing, so I usually just never know. 


How do you tell?

 

[kgord]

Well, this is something you may want to discuss with your doctor or a nurse line, most of the health providers have nurs elines that operate and allow people to use their services. They don't necessarily want people making medical visits they don't need to as well. I think you are young, can you ask your parents what to take seriously?

 

[Allenafaith]

Well, this is something you may want to discuss with your doctor or a nurse line, most of the health providers have nurs elines that operate and allow people to use their services. They don't necessarily want people making medical visits they don't need to as well. I think you are young, can you ask your parents what to take seriously?

My parents never take me to the doctor unless I have a fever of over 100 for a few hours. They don't like spending money either. They will always just say I'm fine. XD Thats what makes it more confusing.

 

[kgord]

I would make use of the nurseline. I think young adults are allowed to call, if you aren't they will likely tell you. It seems like you have some real health anxieties, and maybe you will have to trust you are fine. It could be every time you get resassurance it is like a fix, but then the anxiety starts to build again. I don't know much of your situation, but you may want to consider therapy if you are not in it now.

 

[Allenafaith]

I would make use of the nurseline. I think young adults are allowed to call, if you aren't they will likely tell you. It seems like you have some real health anxieties, and maybe you will have to trust you are fine. It could be every time you get resassurance it is like a fix, but then the anxiety starts to build again. I don't know much of your situation, but you may want to consider therapy if you are not in it now.

That actually does sound true. I get paranoid and then I end up going on yahoo answers and asking and once I get about five or six answers from different people the symptoms just go away and I feel better. I can't go to a therapist, though, because it costs too much money. 

 

[oportosanto]

This is one excellent question...! Usually I know if it's fake or real if the symptoms don't go away. Sure, we can get paranoid, but if we have reached that stage nothing like checking a doctor to make sure what's happening with us.


@Allenafaith many times the best therapists are our friends or family, someone we can talk to.

 

[Alex]

I think it sounds as if you need to think healthy. I had a friend who always thought something was wrong and we ended up in A & E all of the time, and often it was a bruise or a pain and that's all. OD you have cause to think you have illnesses?


If you lead a healthy life, eat well, exercise, and don't have any symptoms then you are healthy. If your parents really thought you were ill, then they would take you to the doctor I'm sure. You should ask you parents about any hereditary issues though, so that you are aware. I never knew my mother had a heart condition until I was 30 as she never told me, and we found out when she was in hospital all of a sudden. 

 

[kgord]

AllenFaith if you are in the United States, Community Mental Health Centers can be free. They work on a sliding scale, and may be able to see you as needed. Also, churches often have pastoral counseling programs that are free or very low cost. It sounds like you need to get some supports because clearly, what you are getting or doing now is not working very well for you. I agree with Alex though in that if there are any family health conditions you may have, you should know about them, and keeping a positive attitude about your health will likely help as well.

 

[tomorrow]

I think as we keep ourselves more informed this will only get worsened over time.  Modern digital world is over flowing with information everywhere and some of them are fake or wrong data just to mislead us.  People consult doctors for even common cold or flu and end up consuming costly antibiotics which further destroy their immunity power.  Taking advantage of the situation, doctors and drug mafia work like hands and gloves and share the profit. 


If it is the case of a fever I would usually wait for two days with some home remedies and if the symptoms do not subside or there is no improvement by then I would take the help of a doctor. In fact we are afraid of even a small headache as we are informed of its link to many diseases.  So little knowledge is sometimes dangerous.

 

[AngelaMc]

I believe we all know our own body's well enough to know when somethings real or not, at least I'm hoping we do. I also think it's worse to go on google or yahoo and search symptoms, every time I have done that, I seem to have had every side effect or symptom I googled and felt worse after doing the research. It's best to speak with your Physician or your Parents.

 

[janemariesayed]

It is best to wait a few days to see how the symptoms pan out before rushing off to see the doctor. especially if you have to pay to see one. Unless of course it is something serious and needs immediate attention. The World Wide Web is a great thing that gives us the opportunity to look things up for ourselves. On the other hand, the World Wide Web is not such a good thing as we can imagine all kinds of things are going on inside us if we look too much on sickness pages. The fact that you ask on YahooAnswers is a good idea. But wait for all those answers to come in before you make a decision.

 

[pwarbi]

Knowing if your illness is real or deciding how severe it is, is probably one of the hardest things that we have to decide, even when we aren't an hypochondriac. I tend to go the other way and even when I am ill I choose to ignore it and just hope it will go away. I'm 39 years old, and can count on one hand the times I have been to the doctor, and in a way that's even more dangerous I think.

I know people that are never out of the doctors waiting room, and even they know that really what they have isn't a case that needs treatment, it's just almost like a habit that they have grown into over the years, and one that's hard to get out of. Hypochondriac or not, I think if look deep down, we know ourselves when we are ill, and when something really IS wrong, and it's just trying to get that mindset that anytime you feel under the weather it doesn't necessarily mean we have to get treatment.

 

[misszerable]

I would prefer not going to the doctor unless there are physical signs or there are other symptoms that I've experienced in the past where medical attention is actually required. I guess I am more scared of doctors than a potential illness. I've managed to avoid doctors when I was a child and most of my illnesses were cured with just home treatment. My grandparents used to place cane vinegar-soaked cloth on my forehead to relieve the fever. That and probably the TLC got me through childhood fevers and headaches.

Some symptoms go away after a few hours or days but if it persists, you should go to a doctor for help as you only have one body and one life to live. While I do practice natural cure on my own body, I'm afraid that I can't trust folk medicine when it comes to my own child.. I have to actually control the urge to take him to a doctor at the slightest sign of a disease. You can say that I am a hypochondriac for others .

 

[Hope Matthew1128]

If you're a hypochondriac like me...how do you know if it's real or not? I can't just drop everything and go to the doctor and pay a 40$ co-pay for nothing, so I usually just never know.


How do you tell?

My answer might be a bit biased because I never go to the doctor. The latest checkup was last month after (3 years) because my daughter made an appointment for me by force. Anyway, the blood test turned out 'perfectly' normal. My BP was high but I chose diet, exercise and avoid stress-stimulating situations. Unless, if I'm prepared to find out what's causing the stress and anxiety and do something about it-- without drugs and doctor-pushing drugs on me.

Only you can tell what's making you feel sick. If you keep a very productive lifestyle and then, suddenly, you feel sick --then, you must listen to your body. I good rest, drink lots of water, Vitamin C, and good food could just be the answer.

 

[Danes]

Great answer, Hope. I also think that it's a good thing to look at your history and see when you had episodes and what the outcome of those episodes was. For instance, say you felt sick 10 times in the past six months and went to the doctor 8 out of those 10 times, and you were fine each time, then I would say the odds are that you will always mostly be fine unless you experience symptoms that are worse than what you've been experiencing so far.

 

[Natasha0717]

If you're a hypochondriac like me...how do you know if it's real or not? I can't just drop everything and go to the doctor and pay a 40$ co-pay for nothing, so I usually just never know.


How do you tell?

Very, very interesting question. I'm not sure myself. Which is why I use other family members to tell me when it's serious (and more importantly, real) and when it could possibly be my mind/anxiety creating it. Although my Mom is a nurse and I really should turn to her, for some reason I turn to my Dad. I think because he is a realist. He just seems to see things for what they are, and he's a very stable person. I wish I would have gotten more of that from him, but I didn't. That poor man has heard every symptom I've come up with. If he dismisses it right away, I know not to worry. OR he will say, "Wait a few days and see if it goes away. If it doesn't, we'll get it checked out. But it will go away." And you know what? It usually does. Only a couple times we ended up at Urgent Care/doctors offices (because I guess I still needed more convincing)...and they always just sent me home with tranquilizers. And my Dad would usually throw in the, "See? Congrats! You're not dying!"
I do ask my Mom some things too, but my Dad (and also my doctor when I see him) are my top two choices for letting me know which symptoms are real, and which ones are not.