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August 21, 2008, 9:07 pm
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Do you think that hypochondria has gotten worse with the internet? I know my aunt is always coming up with rare diseases that she knows she must have because her symptoms fit the description on the internet.

I for one avoid looking up symptoms on the internet, when ever I do I freak myself out.

Hahaha I can see that happening. You can look up anything now and be sure to come up with some kind of ailment. I would freal out too and be calling my doctor for all kinds of tests.

That is one of the problems with teh internet. Everyone has everything.

But you will notice no one with acne ever says they have the bubonic plague!

j

I think its a toss up since I know some people that never use the internet for anything other than normal email and work, but still say they have everything known to man. It hasn't helped, but I don't know how much it has hurt as well.

I use the internet to look up medical conditions so i can see how one can think they have every disease under the sun!!!

LOL - you know, when I was studying medicine I remember coming across a clinical diagnosis regarding the recent surge in hypochondria related to the internet - I wish I could remember what it was! I can attest that this is definitely a true phenomenon.

My aunt doesn't need the internet to come up with diseases she is sure that she has, lol. She just listens to what other people say they have, and then boom! she has them too! I do agree though that it seems worse now.

A little bit of knowledge can be a terrible thing. There are so many diseases that have similar symptoms that a hypochondriac can swear that they have a disease that is only in a small country.

I try not to look things like that up on the Internet because I am a hypochondriac. :)

I also avoid looking up things on the internet, and when I do I am very careful not to jump to conclusions! It's hard, when your child has, say, a mysterious rash, to try to look it up while not freaking yourself out that you have a flesh eating virus slowly killing your child.

I am not surprised that it has increased with everything being able to be looked up online. Though I think there has most likely been several cases that it has helped to identify a problem as well.

Between the internet, the news and talk shows its easy to find something that someone is suffering with you may not share symptoms of. Thats why a responsible story will include to "ask your doctor" or "seek medical attention for diagnosis" before jumping to conclusions.