Although people suffering from hypochondriasis or MUS may be afraid of death, little scientific research is done on death anxiety as a possible contributing factor for developing hypochondriasis or MUS. This gap in the medical literature may be explained in several ways.
Excessive fear of death appears to be an important characteristic of hypochondriasis (Starcevic, 2001). Patients with this disorder often report distressing thoughts and images of death and dying. In addition, fear of death has been linked to hypochondriasis both psychodynamically and philosophically.
Illness anxiety disorder is a chronic mental illness previously known as hypochondria. People with this disorder have a persistent fear that they have a serious or life-threatening illness despite few or no symptoms. Medications and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) can help.
Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms.
The good news is fear of death fades as a person ages. Men who experienced thanatophobia in their 20's usually overcome their fear and are less likely to feel dread towards the subject later on. Women on the other hand, have a higher chance of experiencing a re-emergence of the problem in their 50's.
Scrupulously controlling for as many variables as possible, this research team found that individuals who complained about their health were three times more likely to die in the next 30 years than those who perceived themselves as more able-bodied and hearty.
Doctors don't like hypochondriacs, Belling says, because their concerns mirror physicians' own anxieties about the uncertainty of medicine and the fact that we all eventually get sick and die. “These patients can undermine medicine's own self-confidence,” Belling says.
And it might be added that hypochondriacs can also “stress over their stress”—a most vicious cycle that, eventually, might even be fatal—as in, well, “stressing yourself to death.” (Talk about “wear and tear” on your system!)
People who have hypochondria actually believe they are ill, but do not manipulate test results. People who malinger pretend to be ill to gain some sort of benefit, such as avoiding military duty or trying to obtain compensation.
Keep busy with other things. For example, when you get the urge to check your body, distract yourself by going for a walk or calling a friend. You could also try these relaxation techniques: breathing exercises.
Death is a natural part of life, and it's normal to think about it from time to time. But it's very common for people experiencing mental illness to think about death more than usual. Thinking about death all the time might feel uncomfortable or scary.
Having some anxiety about death is an entirely normal part of the human condition. However, for some people, thinking about their own death or the process of dying can cause intense anxiety and fear. A person may feel extreme anxiety and fear when they consider that death is inevitable.
In general, the fear of death can actually prove healthy for human beings. When we have a fear of dying, we often act more carefully and take appropriate precautions to minimize risks, such as wearing seat belts or bike helmets.
Hypochondriac comes ultimately from the Greek word hypokhondria, which literally means “under the cartilage (of the breastbone).” In the late 16th century, when hypochondriac first entered the English language, it referred to the upper abdomen.
Hypochondria is itself a form of mild psychosis. The hypochondriac has a deep and ungrounded worry about having or developing a serious mental illness. Paranoia and suspiciousness are classical traits of psychosis but they can be subtle.
In the general population, approximately 0.26–8.5% have hypochondriasis. 4–6% of medical outpatients meet criteria for hypochondriasis, suggesting that a large percentage of those affected present for medical evaluation.
A complicated part of being human: living with the knowledge of your own impending death.
"People with high levels of health anxiety have about a 70 percent increased risk of heart disease, after taking [into] account other known risk factors," said lead researcher Dr. Line Iden Berge.
“Many of the symptoms that hypochondriacs feel are often physical sensations caused by anxiety or depression that can go along with hypochondria. The constant worrying can release harmful stress hormones and do real physical damage.”
The presence of death anxiety is reported to peak in middle age and disappear in the elderly (20, 24, 25).
In the first study, 304 men and women between 18 and 87 years completed the Collett-Lester Fear of Death scale. Death anxiety peaked in both men and women during their 20s and declined significantly thereafter.
As kids get older, usually between ages 5 and 10, they start to understand the fact that death is final. They realize that the person who has died is not coming back. They also may start to associate certain images with death like skeletons or coffins, and may even have nightmares about these things.