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If you have a little hypochondriac in your house, you will know the sincerity with which Paranoid feels his current ailment will lead to his untimely death. It does not matter if you explain that the bruise on his leg is not a sign of internal bleeding, or that his headache is not from encephalitis, that the cut on his finger will not cause hemorrhage by night fall, that his cough is not due to tuberculosis or that his runny nose is not a rare form of sinus cancer.
Parents justifiably become frustrated when a child thinks every lump, freckle or cough is something serious. But parents must realize that to the hypochondriac, the perceived illness is real. Some children experience true fear and anxiety over their health, and will stress over their symptoms until they are convinced otherwise, or until a new symptom develops.
Signs that your child is overly concerned with his health include consistent complaints of illnesses, preoccupation with examining the body for signs of disease, asking to go to the doctor when he seems to be in good health, when he asks for medical textbooks for his eighth birthday, if his favorite Internet site is www.ailments.com, and when you no longer believe he is sick unless he is paralyzed on the floor.
To help Paranoid, it is important to avoid putting ideas into his head. For example, do not tell him that if he doesn’t brush his teeth they will fall out, get swallowed in his sleep and cause a bowel obstruction. Try not to exaggerate consequences to things so Paranoid doesn’t fear he will grow a watermelon in his stomach if he eats the seeds, or will get rickets if he doesn’t drink his milk.
Monitor your own reaction to illnesses. Do not panic when your children become ill or have minor injuries. Children pick up on this and will fear their injury is more severe than it is and will mimic your responses. Also, try to keep reactions in perspective by avoiding statements that you are dying, or that your sore throat is killing you. Some children take these statements literally, and either fear you actually will perish from a cough or that the next time they get one they are a goner.
Point out how healthy your child is. When Paranoid recovers from a cold, emphasize how his body was strong enough to fight it, or that he was able to heal after he fell and scraped his knee.
Do not let Paranoid browse for symptoms on the Internet. There is too much information out there, and some of it could actually reinforce his health anxiety. In searching for the deadly disease which caused his wart, he may decide he has the extremely rare but serious side effect no one has ever heard about. Also, limit exposure to TV or media as discussions regarding outbreaks and pandemics can cause Paranoid to panic. Avoid watching shows dealing with surgeries gone bad, health disasters and the rare, misdiagnosed, or should-have-sought-care-earlier situations. Also, avoid having discussions about sick or dying relatives or friends in front of Paranoid.
Health anxiety is a real worry for some kids. For those who are obsessed with illnesses, or their fear of disease prevents them from engaging in routine daily activities, talking about it with your pediatrician is a good idea. Helping him become confident with routine ailments will prevent Paranoid from worrying himself sick.
Ann-Marie Berg is a pediatric nurse practitioner and freelance writer whose work appears in other newspapers. She can be reached at amhberg@mchsi.com.
