Am I a hypochondriac?

Hi girl of 15.

It’s not easy to be so worried about being sick, and it must have been very tough having a virus in your lungs and a lack of iron, at the same time. You get tired more quickly when your body doesn’t function as it should, and then you can easily become worried that there’s something wrong with your body. But this doesn’t mean that you are a hypochondriac. Lots of people worry about similar things at different times of their lives, and it’s maybe even easier to worry when you’re a teenager and your body is maturing.

It was good that you went to the doctor and told him/her how you are feeling. If the doctor says that you are healthy, it means that he or she has not found anything wrong when they examined you. It’s a good idea to try to come to terms with the fact that there’s nothing wrong with your body, even though you have a lot of emotions and feel very tired.

If you get new symptoms or pain which make you more anxious about being sick, then you could visit the doctor again, that is what you should do when you notice something is wrong.  In that case you can then get treatment if it is necessary. We can often become anxious about things that never happen, or diseases that we don’t have. It’s a good idea to read the words of Jesus if we have a tendency to be anxious:

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Matthew 6:25–34

It could be a good idea to talk to an adult you trust if you are often worried, for example a pastor, priest, youth leader or school nurse. They can perhaps help you to filter your thoughts so you can see which worries are unnecessary. Then it can be easier to avoid being anxious.

Best wishes, boyandgirl.info