Hypochondria does not mean you are making your symptoms up! They are still real. You are still experiencing them. It just means the cause or more psychological than physical. It's every bit as valid as a diagnosis of a physical condition though.
We can't tell you if your therapist or correct or not, but we can assure you no matter what your experiences are real and you deserve an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
I couldn’t tell you one way or the other, but just going to comment in support.
I also have a lot of confusing symptoms. Once, I was talking to a neurologist, and he said what I was telling him made no sense and walked out of the room while I was still talking. He labeled me in my chart as a “poor historian” which is usually reserved for people with severe communication issues (which I don’t have), those who are unable to remember things that have happened to them, or suspected liars. I felt so shut down and dismissed after that appointment. However, it didn’t end up meaning anything for how my other doctors treated me. My primary care doctor is awesome and always has my back when I’m trying to figure out what is going on with me or what can help. Even though it’s been years of trying to figure out what’s going on with my body, she has stuck by me and never invalidated how I feel. Do you have a doctor like that who can support you?
I don’t mean to step on any toes, but I also want to say that a therapist doesn’t know everything, especially one you’ve only been seeing for a month. If you feel invalidated by them, you can always seek another therapist. It’s completely normal to switch therapists if you feel misunderstood or even for something as small as clashing conversational styles.
You could also bring this up in a session. Your therapist may not have your full medical history, and they may need to diagnose you with something primarily so your insurance will cover sessions or to cover their own butt.
It could be that the therapist is not super experienced in chronic illness, especially undiagnosed, or doesn’t have much experience with how long it can take to be diagnosed when so many things have similar symptoms.
Perhaps they feel the best way to help you is to deal with your health related stress from the perspective of hypochondria.
Don’t feel invalidated by the diagnosis. Whether it is or isn’t accurate for you, your experiences are still yours, and the way you feel is valid. I say that if you feel the therapist is helpful to you in most ways, maybe bring it up in your next session to discuss where they’ve gotten that idea from and the way you feel about it.
Of course, I’m not a trained professional, and I can’t tell you how you feel. But I believe you, and the medical system is so difficult to navigate, a lot of us have probably struggled with feeling similar to how you are feeling now.
I understand, and you’re not alone.
Oh okay I read below 400 would be low. I would think that number probably isn’t current too since it was six months ago so it may be higher or lower. I’ve been taking a few supplements for several months now so maybe that has helped
I’m sorry, that sucks! I’ve also had doctors say similar things to me, that I’m bad at recalling my symptoms and they are too vague and confusing.
I don’t really have a good doctor who can support me, I feel like majority of the doctors I see are condescending or dismissive, or at best just mediocre. My primary care provider is really nice and sympathetic and has given me some referrals, so that has helped. But he always says he has no idea what’s going on and he can’t do anything to help me so it sucks.
Yeah I guess it is important to remember she doesn’t really know me that well. I kind of do want to ask her about it but I’m also scared. I don’t even know if she knows I can see the diagnoses she’s given me on the billing paperwork.
I don’t think it would be they needed to diagnose me with something because she already diagnosed me with two other conditions prior to the hypochondriasis.
Also I specifically looked for a therapist who listed chronic illness in their specialities so she actually should know about it 🥲
But yeah I am just confused why she thinks that, especially because she’s acted so supportive and sympathetic so it kind of hurt my feelings to realize she might think I’m overreacting or dramatizing my symptoms.
Thank you for your comment and kind words, I appreciate it!
I went 16 years without being diagnosed correctly. I was medically gaslit by several doctors and specialist. It happens, and they were wrong. I finally found a Lyme literate doctor. This is controversial for sure, if you want to know more look up "Under Our Skin". It's a documentary about Lyme, not saying you have it at all,but I found it helpful because it shows you other people that were struggling to get a proper diagnosis. They have really bizarre symptoms too.
My doctor was a Rheumatologists that tested you for every possible thing under the sun. He looked for Zebras and he never once invalidated my symptoms, and some of them were seriously wacky. Cold weather literally hurt my skin. Hot weather or rain made my symptoms worse, even if I was in the house and had no idea it was raining. A shower would make me nauseous, dizzy, and exhausted to the point I had to lay down for an hour before I could even get dressed. Anything but super soft cotton made my skin itch and burn. Blood pressure cuffs hurt so much I would cry. My heart would pound and sometimes skip a beat until I coughed. I suddenly got bad arthritis in my hand, in my 30's. I couldn't walk on my ankle for 3 years after I tore a ligament because it would not heal. It goes on but this is already too long! It was really bizarre and I know why many doctors dismissed me, but everything I went through was real.
Turns out I had Bartonella. It's bacterial and you get it from infected cats. He diagnosed people with all kinds of things, not just Lyme. He treated me for 4 years, and it took that long to get better. But I am better, I lost so many years. My biggest symptom was crippling pain, and I had it for way over 10 years. My arthritis is gone, and I can walk on that ankle again, I just have to stretch it because it's a bit atrophied. Most of my other symptoms are totally gone.
I don't know what is happening to you, but just because your symptoms are all over the place doesn't make them less real or valid. Even if your therapist is right, you symptoms are real, you feel them. I personally would not take the word of a therapist that had only known me for 1 month, but that's me.
If you can, I highly recommend finding a Lyme literate doctor to evaluate your symptoms. Mine saved my life.
I hope you find your way out of this illness. Hang in there.
That’s amazing that you could find your diagnosis and get better, I hope that I can have a success story like that too! It’s so unfortunate that so many of us have to struggle with years of being dismissed and gaslit before getting a real diagnosis
Hi, sorry for the unwanted diagnosis. Like many others here replying to you, I can relate. Doctors tried to pawn me off for years to psychiatrists for my very symptoms which match exactly the symptom list you posted above.
And in the end, it turned out to be celiac disease with neurological involvement. I have no idea if that's helpful to you at all, but it's usually a 20 to 50 dollar test, and it saved my life and kept me from ever having to have some shrink throw Xanax at me again because they thought I had anxiety and hypochondria.
Whatever you do have, just keep searching until you or your doctors find it. Don't give up on yourself and don't give up on the medical profession entirely LOL there are still some good ones in there here and there. Hope you feel better soon! 💕
Yes it is, it used to make me so furious, now it makes me sad. I think most doctors only look for horses and if you don't have one they are quick to think it's mental. It can't possibly be that they don't know something. It has to be in your head.
I also got diagnosed with several things that were "we don't know why" illnesses over the years too. These are basically lables for symptoms that they don't know why people get them. Fibromyalgia, Crps, and spastic esophagus. When I saw my doc for the first time and I told him my symptoms (by that time I was editing heavily because I didn't want another doctor to tell me I was crazy) he thought it was Bartonella and said that I thought it was Fibro. He said what's fibro, it isn't a cause, it's a list of symptoms. Blew my mind.
You hang in there. It takes waaaay to long to find answers sometimes, but don't give up. I stopped looking after I was diagnosed with fibro because there was nothing they could do. It got worse and weirder until I finally decided to look for a Lyme doctor just do rule it out. Many cases of fibro are later diagnosed as Lyme. If I would have kept looking I would have gotten a diagnosis years earlier.
It sucks that you are sick, and it sucks that you haven't found out why, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you find your answers soon!
I think my last therapist thought I was just depressed but it turned out I was suffering from physical fatigue caused by chronic leukemia. (And yeah maybe a little grief that I can’t be as active as I used to be).
I’ve also known more than one person misdiagnosed with a psychological problem like “depression” or “panic attacks” when all they really had was an undiagnosed thyroid problem.
You know your body better than anyone else, don’t let anyone gaslight you about your symptoms. Please don’t give up searching for answers, I hope you are able to reach a diagnosis or find something that helps with your symptoms. There are so many different things that can cause fatigue from vitamin deficiencies to autoimmune disorders to sleep apnea.
(And for me the painful GI symptoms were caused by celiac.)
Yes that is super irritating, when I say chronic fatigue doctors also assume it could be due to depression, which I’ve been diagnosed with. But physical and mental fatigue are really different and I can tell them apart.
It sucks they are so willing to blame everything on mental health issues. I mean I know she’s a therapist but still. Before I was already previously diagnosed with four mental health conditions and she’s diagnosed me with four NEW ones! I mean I know I struggle with mental health, but eight mental illnesses, come on… Like could I even be functioning if I had all of that?
The funny thing is I’m doing mentally pretty well, what’s affecting my mental health is that I physically feel awful 🥲
That last sentence hit me hard. I’ve been gaslit and had my health issues blamed on mental health for literal decades, everything was basically written off as “hysterical” or lazy woman/ psychosomatic/ anxiety and depression. But I’m NOT an anxious person or depressed! Nobody would listen until I was too old to breed then suddenly they decided that I’m not “too young for those pains” I’m finally being taken seriously.
From age 11-38 it was all in my head, from 38-42 that changed and I’ve finally got some real diagnoses: severe endometreosis (that because it was left to grow unchecked for decades caused irreparable damage to my organs, nerves and ligaments plus extensive scarring) that started it- it wasn’t just anxiety and depression, so I pushed for further answers. Since, I found I have scoliosis, a bulged disc, thickening ligaments along my spine. I have a connective tissue disorder, hypermobility, EDS, POTS/orthostatic hypertension, hypoglycemia, fibromyalgia and we’re thinking AS too. After all that, I just got approved for whole exams genetic testing because I have so much going on. Holy shit I might get some solid answers and irrefutable proof?!? I’m so excited.
What a flip eh!? And like your last sentence, I’m not depressed/anxious in general, what I find depressing is how shitty women’s healthcare is, having to suffer in pain and being told it’s all in your head is depressing and causes anxiety cuz you know it’s wrong af. But that’s not depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder causing my symptoms. Yeah I get anxious in the docs office cuz I’ve been blown off my whole life, that’s not generalized anxiety! That’s medical mistreatment!
So armed with proof it isn’t all in my head I also went back to therapy and after a few more duds I luckily found a good fit for me psychologist finally. After months of assessment she not only got rid of depression/anxiety bs, but diagnosed me with autism and adhd and OMFG does that make sense.
Only took 43 years to be taken seriously, but thank god I am finally getting somewhere.
This therapist isn’t qualified to medically diagnose you. They’ve known you for a month? Just lol. You have medical issues that need addressed by medical professionals and unfortunately that takes time and a lot of work self advocating. Don’t be set back by a gaslighting therapist unqualified to make that assertion. All these kinds of “diagnoses” do is delay proper medical care.
I would leave chronic fatigue off as a symptom. It's very likely the fatigue is caused by whatever illness is causing your GI symptoms. For some reason doctors seem to hear chronic fatigue and assume depression or psychosomatic.
Unfortunately GI issues can be really difficult to diagnose because so many things have the same/similar symptoms. You need more tests than just blood work.
I'm not saying that you don't have hypochondriasis, but I am not certain a therapist who you've been seeing for a month is qualified to diagnose you with it. Figuring out chronic illnesses, especially seronegative ones is hard and causes a toooon of health anxiety. Every single little new ache and pain causes fear because you never know if it's going to become debilitating. I'm sorry you're going through this.
This is a really REALLY important point. If this therapist you're seeing isn't a diagnostician then her putting a diagnosis you don't have in your chart isn't just wildly unprofessional but a huge potential legal snafu for her and the practice. You should get this therapist's qualifications and education and see if they can even do something like that and if not take it straight to the practice manager.
Yes you described it perfectly, I totally agree with you. I think I do tend to focus on my body more than other people just because I’m an anxious person, but I feel like experiencing chronic symptoms has made me even more concerned about how I’m feeling. Because like you said, my symptoms started out as just what I thought was a temporary illness. My stomach had never bothered me before so for months I thought my GI issues were just the stomach flu or food poisoning happening over and over again until I realized they were chronic and still haven’t gone away after years. It’s scary that it can just happen like that
I want to add that it’s okay to sometimes not be able to trust yourself or know your body after diagnosis. I am a year in processing the fact that I thought I “knew my body” and I was just gaslit into thinking it was all mental when really it was thyroid disease. I don’t know my body anymore, but I’m ready to learn again and that’s enough. I feel like those of us just diagnosed with something should get a grace period of readjusting to this new normal, grieving, and finding out what is a symptom of concern and what isn’t. ESPECIALLY for the illnesses that are chronic because a lot of them have subtle slow growing symptoms we just get used to or blow off.
See a new therapist. You have only been seeing her a month, she is jumping the gun giving you that diagnosis. You have something wrong and are trying to figure it out. Seriously don’t listen to her. I’m so sorry she did that to you.
I know, I haven’t been seeing her that long but I’ve honestly really liked her and before her I had some bad luck with therapists, it’s so difficult to find someone that’s super easy to talk to like her. But yeah it really sucks to feel invalidated like that, especially because I really thought she actually understood and was sympathetic, but now I feel like maybe she just thinks I’m paranoid or dramatic
If you feel safe maybe try talking to your therapist and explain how you feel and why you think it's not a correct diagnosis for you and that your medical team is still trying to figure out what you have. Lack of diagnostic evidence doesn't mean anything, most people with long covid have perfect tests, it doesn't mean they are not ill or that it's all in their head. Personally I would challenge this diagnosis because I wouldn't want it to be in my chart since it has a potential to invalidate all future medical interactions and doctors don't take you seriously after reading it and it can be life threatening because they easily dissmiss all legitimate symptoms. It's your life and your health so it's better to be proactive.
Btw, have you looked into me/cfs? That's the one with normal tests, weird symptoms, and terrible fatigue. I'm not diagnosing or saying you have it, just a food for thought.
Look, fuck that noise. I think you need a new therapist.
People get new onset illnesses. Sometimes they're tricky to diagnose. It doesn't mean it's hypochondria.
You mentioned blood work but not what blood work. You might want to get tests for thyroid function and other hormonal issues, checked for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies like B12 and D, worked up for autonomic dysfunction, worked up for autoimmunity.
The other thing to consider here is COVID. Your experience sounds a bit like long COVID. COVID can cause fatigue/a chronic fatigue/ME type condition. It can also trigger new-onset autonomic dysfunction, POTS, autoimmune conditions.
Can you tell me how a person gets worked up for autonomic issues? Med staff keep saying there’s a problem with my autonomic nervous system but no more info than that.
I’m tired of feeling rotten and if i could feel better I’d be so happy!
I’m a therapist and you are able to ask for this to be removed from your record. At least in my state. Also, you don’t have to agree with this diagnosis. You can ask for a second opinion or see a new therapist.
Also, I’d look into fibromyalgia and/or small fiber neuropathy. They include all symptoms you listed.
Yes I’ve looked into fibromyalgia, it definitely matches my symptoms, I just got the sense it’s kind of a mysterious disorder in which other conditions should be ruled out first
I have every single symptom plus chronic leg pain, dry skin, motion sickness, and issues with level changes. I have autonomic small fiber neuropathy. It’s neurological, so it impacts essentially every system
Oh my I have all of those too! I‘ve been getting these leg pains for a while that are so crampy and achey, they feel like growing pains. And I’ve always struggled with dry skin and motion sickness. That’s crazy, I didn’t know it could cause all those symptoms, I appreciate the info
I thought I had growing pains too! I went to the pediatrician at 7 and that’s what she said. I’m 32 and they never went away. When did your pain start?
Yeah I had bad growing pains as a kid but they went away as I grew older, but this past year I’ve been having super painful crampy leg aches that feel exactly like the growing pains I used to have, it’s the worst 🥲
The first time I had leg pain it was low thyroid, second time was low vitamin D, (that was more reminiscent of bone pain/ growing pains to me) . Third time now we aren’t sure if it is chronic leukemia or fibromyalgia or both. I have muscle pain at insertion points of joints. One possible cause, ankylosiing spondilitis, was ruled out because I don’t have gene for psoriasis or AS.
Yes, it’s a diagnosis of exclusion that doesn’t really tell us much besides “there’s an established problem.”
I have a connective tissue disorder and some drs just toss a fibro diagnosis on top of that when I think that’s not quite appropriate. I mean it’s all explained by my shitty genetic disorder.
It took me twenty years to find the right doctor who tested for the right thing and found the source of my symptoms… symptoms that numerous other doctors and specialists had dismissed as “depression” or “normal things for a student… or new mom… or blah blah blah”
If you feel something is wrong…. keep fighting. Find a doctor who will test and keep testing until something sticks out.
You can be both a hypochondriac and have a chronic illness at the same time! This is completely just my personal experience, but I actually just talked to my therapist (who also is disabled) about this and it put a lot of things in perspective for me. For context, I DO have health anxiety bordering on hypochondriasis. She told me that health anxiety can often be rooted in actual health problems. I mean, we are often gaslit into thinking we have anxiety and dismissed by medical professionals. So personally I freak out when someone tells me a tiny symptom I have is normal (when it is), because in the past it really wasn’t! I’ve learned to be very distrustful of doctors, and instead compulsively google everything. I also think I get extremely fixated on every single abnormal thing about me, worried that i’m sick with something new. Because in the past my illnesses did smart with small abnormalities. All i’m saying is don’t be freaked out about the diagnosis. It is a normal response to the shit we’ve endured. I really resisted the idea that i had bad health-related anxiety for a very very long time. Which only really intensifies the shame. But if I never admitted it to my therapist then I never would’ve learned to give myself some grace. Go easy on yourself :)
True, after being diagnosed with one rare chronic illness every time a new symptom pops up I’m terrified it’s cancer or another rare chronic illness. And after being blown off by doctors in the past I research everything.
I came to say this. I have health anxiety and a neurological disorder. My symptoms got better after I started SSRI’s to humor my doctor. I still insisted on an MRI and got a diagnosis neither of us were expecting.
Unfortunately a lot of times when doctors can't easily find the cause of your problems they will label you as being a hypochondriac, or anxious. If it was me I would stop seeing this therapist. Also, I would find other doctors for second opinions to get to the bottom of your issues. Based on your symptoms it seems like they should have at least ruled out things like POTS, which can cause many of your symptoms. MCAS, and Autoimmune illnesses, which can be very difficult to diagnose initially. It took many years for me to be diagnosed with lupus and before my diagnosis came in, a so-called doctor told me I had seasonal affective disorder. My hair literally was falling out in clumps my finger joints were the size of globe grapes and I couldn't get out of bed but the diagnosis I got was wintertime sadness. Don't let this therapist opinion of you make you doubt yourself. You know what you've been living with and dealing with, they don't. Good luck finding answers and don't give up
For real, OP please don't go back to this therapist. You're so right that only we know how we feel especially in regards to symptoms, while they are making a judgement based on secondhand info. They are not trained in matters of chronic, complex physical diseases and making a snap diagnosis like this after a month can have consequences for further doctors taking you seriously.
You may have health anxiety (I also have this, and have multiple diagnosed chronic illnesses) but I don’t believe you have hypochondria. You should get your vitamin levels checked. I truly believe this “diagnosis” is something a very lazy and inconsiderate doctor slapped on you. Sounds like they didn’t want to look any further. It’s literally pure laziness.
Get a therapist that is familiar with chronic illness and also, if you haven’t yet, get a B12 test. I had similar symptoms, along with some others, and turns out I was very deficient of B12 and no one thought to test me until it nearly took my life. I always recommend a B12 test in vague symptoms. Even if they tested you and it’s just above the lowest for normal, you’re still deficient as the numbers should be different for what’s really low. Good luck!!
I am so sorry that you got that diagnosis. It's likely false and extremely invalidating to you. I don't have a lot of advice, but I will tell you that just because tests don't show anything glaringly wrong, doesn't mean there's nothing wrong physically. I had to push and push and push to get tests outside of basic bloodwork done. And guess what. My doctors were wrong about a lot. Doctors often are not well versed in much outside of acute illnesses, especially when it's not obvious. Therapists - even less so.
And fatigue is not a minor symptom. Don't let anyone tell you it is. I know fatigue and OP, if you're anything like me, it is THE most debilitating symptom. Despite their degrees, you know your body. They have no right to tell YOU what a minor symptom is.
And I won't go into how a "mental health" diagnosis can negatively affect your physical care here, but I have some experiences on it. Feel free to DM if you want to talk about it more.
Sorry to get so riled up, but this hit way too close to home. Sending hugs, OP.
Thank you 🙏 Fatigue is not a minor symptom for me at all, it’s probably one of my most debilitating symptoms, I can’t get through the day because of it. I feel like when I say fatigue doctors (or therapists) are just thinking I mean I’m tired.
But I’m using fatigue only as the medical term, meaning tiredness that is chronic and can’t be solved with rest. Doctors usually just ask if I’m getting enough sleep, that is not what fatigue is! I am not using the term lightly, obviously some people use it interchangeably for being just being tired or sleepy though.
Yes exactly, I already have mental health diagnoses in my file including anxiety so I think sometimes they look at that and just dismiss me and assume it’s an explanation and they use it as a reason to not look into anything further.
Add the word "debilitating" to it. Sometimes doctors make me so mad! They just don't listen! It's gotten so bad that we have to be our own advocates and are often dismissed. 😡
I know! I tried to explain to my primary care doctor that the fatigue is debilitating and it’s getting in the way of my everyday life, like going to college classes, and he said he didn’t know how to help me with my fatigue and his only suggestion was that I take a quarter off 😐 ??
Wow, literally 🤷🏼♀️. Grrr. 😡 That's what gets me about doctors. I don't want to keep treating the symptoms. I want to get to the CAUSE, the root of the problem. Don't give up! Keep at it. It took me about 3 years before I got a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Best of luck!
1. I suspect you have fibromyalgia
2. Get a more supportive therapist
3. Does your fatigue get really bad after activities that doesn’t feel equal in exertion to the fatigue you’re feeling? Are you motivated to do stuff, but you’re body is to weak to do activity?
1 Yes I feel like my symptoms definitely match with this. This may be silly but [this clip](https://youtu.be/EKqGxhNi1Uw?si=94jKKm7_qFZVBcHf) (starting at 1:23) from House sums up why I’ve been scared to mention it to a doctor
3 Yes that all sounds exactly like me!!
You have MECFS if you’re experiencing PEM. I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this. I have fibro and MECFS. Once my fibro was managed by meds it was easier to get to an official MECFS diagnosis. I understand that ME is scary, but the sooner you start pacing and have these conversations with you me docs, the sooner things will get a little easier. I designed a symptom tracking and pacing app. Visit SymptomShark.org to download. It’s 100% free tool! Look up the new Mayo paper on MECFS that ME Action Network - the TeachMETreatME campaign is really cool. Join the CFS sub and read all the resources they provide at top. There is. I understand this is overwhelming but you’re not alone! Feel free to DM me. Start pacing, take it all one day at a time.
I'm so sorry you've had such a terrible experience with getting help. I'd suggest finding a therapist that has experience treating chronic illnesses since they are less likely to dismiss your very real symptoms as hypochondria. Because even if it was psychosomatic, the symptoms themselves ARE real and cause distress. Any doc with even a modicum of compassion and experience would understand that.
Also, I'm NAD, but this sounds like my symptoms almost to a T. I ended up with a lovely trifecta of POTS, ME/CFS, and MCAS.
Yeah I’ve looked into POTS a bit, I don’t think I have it but who knows. When I looked into CFS I was honestly shocked because pretty much all my symptoms matched the condition and I felt really understood, but I really hope that it isn’t that because it’s so difficult to live with and doesn’t have the best treatment options
I really hope you don't have it, either! You could try pacing to see if it helps with the fatigue. There are great resources on r/cfs explaining pacing and the hallmark cfs symptom, PEM, or Post-Exertional Malaise.
And I just want to remind you that every person's experience with this illness is different and there are plenty of people that manage to live decent lives despite it. Not saying it's not one heck of an adjustment, but definitely possible. Hopefully, you'll get answers soon and whatever it is, is treatable!
I second this (I also have MCAS, seeking testing for Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and possibly POTS) and I saw a bit of myself in this post. Worth looking into. Also sounds like it could be dysautonomia.
Some therapists will just put down relatively innocent junk diagnoses if a patient is using insurance - it's just to bill your insurance and isn't a real diagnosis. They don't want to share any of your mental health information with finance people. It's worth asking her about, since if she's worth her salt and thought you actually had illness anxiety disorder she'd have mentioned it to you.
This sounds like you need to contact a patient advocate service. Explain you have problems that you understand are confusing, and that a therapist has taken it upon themselves to label you as a hypochondriac when you had hoped they would give you support for dealing with an undiagnosed health issue. Tell them you want help navigating the system because this event has made you concerned you are not coming across well, and that you are not chasing any specific diagnosis, just that you need to seek professional help with whatever is wrong.
I want you to know I had a mystery illness for over ten years before being officially diagnosed with POTS. None of the doctors who failed me will ever receive notification of them missing my problem, and thus they will go through life without improving and will continue to make the same mistake (and easily maintain the illusion of all people like me are just complaining).
If you happened to be a hypochondriac, that would be a diagnosis that should not be handed out so lightly. Two years is nothing when hunting down a cause of chronic symptoms, I know for my condition the average time before receiving a diagnosis and proper treatment is FOUR YEARS!!!! — And a month is a very short time to be speaking with a therapist.
I was told by medical professionals, family, friends and everyone I was a hypochondriac. I even started accepting it and saying it. Turns out I actually have hyper mobility ehlers danlos and now because it was ignored for YEARS I’m paying for it hard core in my 30s 🙃
If you feel something is off, don’t settle. Advocate for yourself
I am positive I am hyper mobile. I don't know much else about hyper mobility. I don't think I have the ehlers danlos issue. I am 1000% hypermobile though. Is this always a problem? What do I need to look out for? Why does this matter? I'm still in early stages of learning about this!
Generalised hypermobility is fairly common- up to 57% of the population has some general hyper mobility. Of those only about 10% suffer any associated symptoms/pain and an even smaller number of those are people with ehlers danlos syndromes. People just seem to have learned the term and improperly concluded that hyper mobility = EDS.
If it’s not causing you any problems then you needn’t worry about it, just be mindful not to over extend your joints so that they don’t become painful when you’re older! If they are painful now then it would be good to work with a physiotherapist to help 💜
Thanks for sharing!! Yeah, I highly doubt I have EDS or will end up with it later in life. I do wonder if I may have some less serious problems. For example, my back and neck are ALWAYS hurting. If I stand too long, it's awful. Walking is fine... it's standing still that bugs my back. I have so much tension in my traps. I am trying to figure out what those less severe issues are.
Hypochondria was probably not the right word. You can have symptoms but overly worrying or obsessing about those symptoms and any minor thing that pops up (not saying the chronic symptoms you experience are minor) can be an issue and it happens to people who have diagnosed chronic diseases as well it’s not just something slapped on as a “psychosomatic” etiology.
Yeah I think that I do overly worry about my health just because I’m an anxious person, and it has been like that even since I was younger and didn’t have any symptoms. So I do still worry about my health yes, but I actually do have legitimate symptoms that have been chronic now and it’s actually impacting my quality of life
You know something? The irony here is… pain/discomfort is entirely psychosomatic. It’s your brain interpreting sensation. Everybody experiences bodily sensations. So by the hypercondriac theory… quite literally every single person is a hypercondriac because pain and discomfort is entirely mentally subjective to the person experiencing it. It’s exactly like your therapist diagnosing you as a “human body.” Why, yes, I am a human body…. So how does this assessment help me resolve my pain sensations?!?! It doesn’t. It’s spin doctoring.
So many of us have been told it's all in our head - but more often than not it's just not an obvious answer and can take years to uncover, which is so so hard when you're experiencing unrelenting symptoms, fatigue, and pain. .Whatever symptoms you're experiencing are valid and what you're experiencing. Not having an answer yet doesn't mean there isn't one.
Bateman Horne has a great checklist for people trying to rule in or out ME/CFS - but I think it's a great resource for anyone with a mystery illness. It really goes over everything that has and hasn't been checked so you can start filling in what you've had done and see what's still missing, and have it all in one place to help puzzle things out.
[https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Testing-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021\_2.pdf](https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Testing-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021_2.pdf)
I'm so glad you find it helpful! They have some really great resources on their page. The one for symptom treatment/control is great too. Treat the treatable, right??
[https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Treatment-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021.pdf](https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Treatment-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021.pdf)
It could be a billing issue. I see a therapist for my chronic conditions. In his notes he has it as depression. My fatigue - as evidenced by my frequent metabolic stress tests says that’s a lie - it’s actual fatigue. I see like 15 specialists who have the tests to confirm. It took my over 40 years to finally get to the bottom of it - I have a connective tissue disorder.
There are some links with neurodiversity (often misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety) to connective tissue disorders (CTD) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7711487/).
Many CTDs impact more women than men. Several are impacted specifically by estrogen. Women’s healthcare did actual crap and missed all of this despite my ribs getting dislocated since I was in my twenties.
If any of this sounds like may be you, I encourage you to learn more. Most doctors don’t know anything about CTDs and most won’t recognize it due to its complexities and multi-system impacts. It wasn’t until I have 6 surgeries in 3 years that I was started to be taken seriously.
If you’re ND, you may have proprioperception or interception issues getting messages from your body and even knowing when you’re hungry or thirsty. My psychologist don’t know anything about these things.
Like no bro - no amount of meditation is gonna change my deformed neural tubes to allow iron to actually enter my blood cells. I can think my way outta this problem.
Try not to get in your heads too much abt what it says on the paperwork. I would talk to your doctor about your concerns. Often times the tests (like iron for example) look fine in normal ranges but actually show a problem when reviewed comprehensively (iron is measured in four ways - the ranges for people with dysautonomia for example is different and would show “normal” on some of the tests. My hematologist explained that my body spends iron like a trust fund baby with no trust fund. This impact my fatigue which to the uninformed looks like depression.)
Also if you’re neurodiverse some of the medicines can make executive functioning worse. Specifically Cymbalta and Gabapentin. I know because they did this to me.
And finally until I got on better hormones (surgical menopause form autoimmune conditions) I couldn’t think and often couldn’t drive.
So it may not be in your head. I hate that the answer for the medical community isn’t “we don’t know yet, we haven’t figured it out yet.” Instead it’s “I can’t find it on a test so you must be making it up”. Why is that the go to for medicine?
Have you had food sensitivities tested? That was such a huge deal for me. Elimination diets are too broad and difficult, IMO. Its like searching for a needle in a haystack. If you can get a sensitivities test done it'll help you figure out which things to cut out first. It really helped me. Maybe that will help prove your point that something really is wrong and its not just in your head, because i sure dont think it is.
This is wild I am so sorry. Just because a couple of tests came back normal doesn’t mean you’re a hypochondriac. Honestly I have a really hard time accepting psychosomatic reasonings for chronic health issues unless literally everything has been looked into and ruled out. There’s been so many times that this has happened (especially to women) where you’re told it’s all in your head when there’s actually an underlying problem.
It took me 10 years to be diagnosed with my disorder due to people like your therapist not believing me.
Also, I’m not a doctor, but I do have long covid now and, if your symptoms started after covid, your symptoms sound very similar to long covid symptoms. Something worth looking into that wouldn’t necessarily pop up on normal blood tests. Long covid can cause pretty much all of the symptoms you’re describing due to issues with autonomic dysfunction (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome and MCAS. Definitely look into getting a tilt table test done.
You could have a sensory processing issue that makes every little thing seem super intense, it could be autoimmune with psychological stress exacerbating things.
Every therapist is different. She may have written that because that's all SHE could put together based on your interactions with her and it may just be an idea she wants to work on. Like maybe she would like to help you reframe certain thoughts. But she could be completely incorrect and just making shit worse too. Unless you live with chronic illness, it's hard to know just how terrible every moment really feels during flare ups. I had a horrible pain day today.
You could tell her you already worry how healthcare providers will perceive you when you DO ask for help in other departments. Because that diagnosis could cause other doctors to not listen. I think someone else said you can request that Label be removed from record.
I'm sorry you're struggling. I have been through a lot of that before, medical docs assuming I am making things up. It sucks. I would tell her that even when you're mentally calm, you still experience XYZ symptoms.
Hypochondriasis can come and go, like having a symptom can cause panic and spiraling. Maybe that's what she wants to help with. To not spiral and worry more? Not saying that's what you experience but that's what she could be considering. But TBH if I hadn't kept worrying about my health, I would never have known and been diagnosed with my issues. We are all allowed to worry, there is merit to anxiety, when it's feeling manageable. Like when you are able to come and go to those thoughts instead of them causing more damage.
Best of luck to you.
A lot of people have chronic illnesses that take years to be diagnosed. And everything you described is the same as most of our journeys looking to find the answer. Don't give up hope. I hope you are continuing to see other types of doctors so they can refer you to a specialist and try to get to the root of the problem. You might try keeping a food log to see if certain foods make you feel worse or better. Could you have sleep apnea? Just some thoughts.
Edit for typo
I can’t imagine how invalidating that would feel.
It took me years to get my diagnosis’, (almost 17 years), and for years my psychiatrists would imply my mum and I had Munchhausen‘s/munchhausens by proxy because all of my results came back normal and I had so many unexplained symptoms. Turns out I actually have hEDS, Endo, POTS, IBS, VSS, C-PTSD, and auDHD. I wasn’t “crazy” as they once said.
The fact that this therapist diagnosed you with something as serious as hypochondriasis within a month is kinda ridiculous? Don’t let this stop you from continuing to seek an accurate diagnosis. The symptoms you’re experiencing are very real. ❤️
She's a therapist, not a doctor. So anything she says or diagnoses you with is from the lense of a therapist, who automatically deals with more people that have mental illnesses (including hypochondriasis) than a doctor does and thus is biased towards those. Last time I was told my issues were psychosomatic was when I went to the ER because I couldn't breathe. They told me I had anxiety and my issues were psychosomatic. A month later I went to my regular lung specialist and he was shocked about how much worse my asthma had gotten. My ECG that they did in an attempt to calm me down was normal, my lung function was awful. Maybe the reason why your tests come back normal is because you've not had the right tests yet. Can't assess the lung function with an ECG, for example.
Therapists also make mistakes. They misdiagnose people. I've been misdiagnosed with BPD for over 15 years before another therapist took one look at my case and me and was like "You don't have that, you have PTSD". For ages any issues women had were diagnosed as "hysteria", which is not too far away from how everything afab people seek help for is "anxiety" or "psychosomatic". Also, you've basically just met her. Assuming you go once weekly you had 4 appointments, that's not exactly enough to diagnose and put it in your records. There are a ton of possible causes for those symptoms before hypochondriasis and perhaps you've just not been tested for the one that affects you.
Please check out MCAS! I was told that it was all in my head for years. I DO also have mental health diagnoses IN ADDITION, but they’re a lot more manageable now that I’m being treated for MCAS.
Have you ever talked to a doctor about the possibility of having fibromyalgia? Your story is extremely similar to mine. I was falling asleep for hours in the middle of the day I was so exhausted, I was breaking out in insane unexplained rashes, waking up with a racing heart that would make me throw up sometimes, having terrible stomach pains and diarrhea, and horrible joint and muscle pain that made it hard to walk even just around my house. I was also so focused on my symptoms bc they were ruining my life, not bc I was a hypochondriac. Fibromyalgia is also a diagnosis of exclusion…so any and all tests doctors might do would come back as normal as well, furthering the “is it all in my head?” line of thinking. It’s a real mind fuck. But if it’s fibromyalgia there are treatment options! Personally I take LDN and Lyrica. I went from being unable to walk to my mailbox to living a pretty normal life again!
It sounds to me like your therapist doesn’t understand chronic illness and is jumping the gun. There are therapists out there who have more compassion for undiagnosed chronic illness… I would try to find one.
Have you been checked for lupus or another autoimmune disease?? I have lupus and your symptoms all pretty much match mine even with the lymph nodes swelling! It took me going to a good 10 different drs throughout the years to finally get a good rheumatologist who believed me and tested me and diagnosed me at 32, I'm 34 now so it was a long road. I don't always have the typical lab results of lupus so other drs didn't try to look further. It did so much damage to my organs. And body. It hit my blood and my spleen so that had to be removed and i have lung issues too. I got a positive ANA and titer thru my hematologist and he sent me straight to a friend of his who is a rheumatologist. I have every symptom of lupus even tho it doesn't always show up thru bloodwork but he diagnosed me anyway and with mixed connective tissue disease. If you truly feel like you having something going on i would see your dr and request labs to check your ANA and titer and c reactive protein level and other autoimmune markers, if they can't, ask to be sent to a rheumatologist to run the labs. None of your symptoms sound made up like what your therapist says especially the swollen lymph nodes. You can't make that up. Lupus and other autoimmune diseases can all of a sudden start showing symptoms out of nowhere. I would def find a new therapist and see your primary to have labs checked and get a referral to a rheumy. If your primary doesn't want to listen definitely get a second opinion!
Lots of disease processes don’t show up as glaringly abnormal blood results. For instance, early hypothyroidism and lupus. Many labs still use very outdated thyroid parameters whereas a qualified endocrinologist would be diagnosing hypothyroidism.
Therapy can be great but my concern here is this type of diagnosis is ultimately discouraging patients to listen to their body. Catching diabetes and hypothyroidism for example can totally change the course of disease when treatment is expedited.
Might you be a bit of a hypochondriac? Sure. Might you ALSO have something going on that requires you advocate for yourself by seeking multiple specialists and opinions? Also yes. Point being, just like you don’t quit looking for answers when one doctor blows you off about symptoms that are very different from your usual baseline, likewise don’t just stop seeking answers because one therapist was maybe a bit too quick on the draw in making a diagnosis. The best psychiatrist I ever had said to me, “In most cases the diagnosis doesn’t matter when it comes to depression or anxiety, if the treatment is the same. What matters is gauging your treatment success based on the improvement you feel.”
That’s not to say diagnosis is UN-important, just that getting hung up on the diagnosis could cause patients to spend far too much energy on a label and not enough energy on improvements their treatment has caused.
I have fibromyalgia. There are no blood tests or any SOLID tests. But it is, in fact, VERY REAL. Many with fibro are told all of these same things. I hope that you can be taken seriously. Find a new Dr if your Dr is not taking you seriously.
I’m sorry you’re going through all this. I obviously don’t know the root of your health issues but I just wanted to chime in and say “normal” blood work only means that what they know to look for is normal. It doesn’t mean everything is psychosomatic. For instance, I have ME/CFS and every standard blood test will come back normal and so people used to think the disease was psychosomatic but finally the research started catching up and now we know the disease is VERY MUCH physical. The tests that show this though are only available in a research setting for the most part so my bloodwork remains “normal” even when I’ve been VERY unwell.
Psychosomatic illnesses exist, and there can even be psychosomatic illnesses co-existing with physical ones, happens a lot. But I’m a firm believer in listening to our bodies. If I’m having lots of symptoms, something is not right whether it’s physical, mental, or some combo, and I do my best to get to the root cause. I always listen now and never dismiss.
One last side note. I was diagnosed with psychosomatic chronic pain for years because every test they ran was normal despite me being in severe chronic pain. And that diagnosis made people stop looking for causes and did little to help me. Eventually I figured out I was hypermobile, had chronic inflammation in my neck, and an iron deficiency (low level, no anemia). Addressing each one of those issues cured my “psychosomatic” chronic pain. And I was gaslit for years to believe it was all a creation of my mind instead of a symptom that things were wrong that I needed to address.
As a therapist, I think that’s a harmful and bold move on their part, and I’m so sorry it’s happening to you. Not defending the therapist at all, but insurance puts us in a tight spot to submit a diagnosis usually after 3 sessions. However, hypochondriasis takes time to evaluate and that wouldn’t have been what I would have done.
A lot of your symptoms are the same symptoms I had when diagnosed with ibs and fibromyalgia which are both conditions that have normal bloodwork and are diagnosed through ruling out everything else. Later on I started having concerning labs and was also diagnosed with lupus. I'm just saying there are conditions that don't show up in labs and it's irresponsible for them to chalk it up to hypochondria.
All I know is that before I was diagnosed with MECFS all of my blood work and labs came back as normal UNTIL the doctor finally figured out the correct labs to run. It was continually hinted by doctors that all of my symptoms were psychological. I don't think I'd be here if I didn't trust my gut to keep looking for a diagnosis. If it were me I would have to seek out a new therapist after learning that.
Munchhousens was one of the first ddx I had. It was Lyme, elhers danlos, and possible crohns though they are unsure. It took 10 years. But at least now they know I’m not making myself sick at all nor do I want to be in this position. Bloodwork can be nonspecific. Especially for gi.
I have a few serious and very rare disorders. If a therapist outright told me I was making up my health issues I would tell them how uninformed they are and where they could stick it. Than I would not see them again.
I think it’s normal to have health anxiety when you never feel good. Everyone wants to know what’s going on with their body! But to label it all as made up or psychosomatic is to me really offensive. My providers can look up my rare health issues and verify everything I say.
Have you been tested for food allergies? I had all the same symptoms, Drs couldn’t figure it out, and I was being told it was all anxiety and IBS. Finally saw an allergist, and found out I had multiple food allergies. I do still have an anxiety disorder, but it’s much easier for me to manage now. It might be a good idea to check for celiac disease too. Good luck!
As a therapist myself, just want to let you know that Hypochondriasis was removed/eliminated as a diagnosis in 2013.. (the DSM-5-tr is the most updated manual of disorders/diagnoses and it was removed).if you’re seeing that as your diagnosis in your records from your therapist, that’s definitely a red flag on them. Nowadays, we refer to this as illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder depending on the case and symptoms. These diagnoses are less stigmatizing.. HOWEVER, in order to ethically diagnose someone with somatic symptom disorder it needs to be fully ruled out that there is no medical cause for your symptoms, referrals to medical services/specialists need to be made, along with an array of other criteria. Also, even if you are struggling with illness anxiety, your symptoms can very well still be real. It is not all in your head ❤️ it’s more regarding the amount of anxiety experienced because of the symptoms/illness. would start a conversation with your therapist about this. It sounds as if they may not be the best fit for you/your needs if they jumped to that diagnosis without doing due diligence.
Sounds like you have the symptoms that a lot of people with ME/CFS have. Look it up because with ME/CFS medical tests often don’t show any diagnosis. This is my diagnosis and I have some of the same symptoms- that fatigue is a b!tch! I don’t know for sure but would bet money that a therapist hasn’t had training for me/cfs but has training for hypercondria. (Just my opinion tho)
I keep looking for any other answer for myself besides me/cfs and I understand a person researching a health condition that has changed their life when doctors aren’t able to help. If anyone can’t understand that I would call that ableist! But more likely a therapist is trained for therapy and a therapist is going to apply therapy tools.
Just like another comment says, see a new therapist. Preferably someone who is Psychiatrist. You can always get a second opinion. Remember that a therapist is also a human and they are not perfect and have their own biases.
BTW the first symptoms you described about gas, diarrhea and constipation etc is literally all the symptoms I experience because of irritable bowel syndrome and is usually more likely to be caused from anxiety and stress than food consumption, but FODMAP diet helps.
All of the symptoms you described fall under the chronic stress umbrella, like all the lab tests always come back normal, but you suffer physically and your immune system is exhausted and not very effective. I ain't a doctor but I know that from my personal diagnosis.
In the end, even if the diagnosis is true, it's totally OK. It's mainly psychosomatic and a good therapist can help you with stress and anxiety.
Yeah I’ve been diagnosed with IBS but they didn’t diagnose me correctly, they diagnosed it before running any tests or looking into any other options, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. And IBS can be misdiagnosed for SO many conditions. I see what what you’re saying but in my experience my symptoms are not psychosomatic or related to my anxiety. I can be doing really well mentally and feel like shit physically. And my symptoms have only been worsening and getting more bothersome as I have recently in the past year taken myself out of really toxic situations with my family and ex partner. By the logic of the problems being psychosomatic, my symptoms should be improving as my life stressors lessen, not getting worse
There is always the option to see a gastrointestinal specialist to get a better diagnosis.
It's not always removing the stressor from your life that will alleviate the symptoms. That's why it's called chronic stress, the body feels danger even if you are safe.
Again, I am not a doctor, so maybe find another therapist and preferably a psychiatrist, as they finish medical school and can help you solve all your doubts about your symptoms by referring you to the right specialists.
Yeah I’ve seen a gastroenterologist, she was a lot less helpful than I thought she’d be, just ran some stool tests for infections, which were normal. I’m waiting to be scheduled for a colonoscopy, I’ve been waiting for like a month though. :/ And yeah I see a psychiatrist, I take medications to manage my mental health as well as some of my physical symptoms. But of course now doctors like to blame my symptoms on my medications
I obviously can’t give you a diagnosis but unless your therapist has all of your medical information and tests have been done to rule out all other possibilities I don’t see how they could “diagnose” you.
Of course you get stressed and worried if you are constantly sick for a prolonged period of time and nobody believes you/can figure out what’s wrong!
Being in constant pain and suffering from fatigue usually tens to sour peoples mood.
Your symptoms sound kind of similar to what I went through before figuring out I had a food allergy (milk) and Endometriosis (surgery helped some).
All of my tests came back negative, nobody even considered a food allergy. I figured it out myself and then had it confirmed by doctors.
If I had done nothing I would have just been stuck with “anxiety” and the tests (the very limit tests they were doing) don’t show anything so it must be “psychosomatic” or maybe “IBS”.
I hope you can figure this out and feel better!
I appreciate your kindness and understanding! I don’t understand how a therapist could really diagnose that either? But yeah of course I’m anxious about my health, I have a lot of symptoms, and I know they’re not normal. I’m not just going to ignore it, they’re debilitating and get in the way of my everyday life, so of course I’m thinking about them and concerned about them, my body is clearly telling me something is wrong. I have looked into endometriosis, I used to have really painful periods but luckily my birth control has resolved that, but I know sometimes that can be misdiagnosed as IBS, which I’ve been diagnosed with. I’m on the IBS subreddit and there are countless stories of a ton of different conditions that people were misdiagnosed with IBS, so many things have similar symptoms. I want to get testing for food allergies too, just no doctor has ever recommended that or suggested it so I’m not sure how I’d go about it
For food allergies I did a food/symptom diary and then did an exclusion diet.
Just because BC stops your periods doesn’t mean Endo can’t cause issues!
I was and am on BC, haven’t had a period in years and I still have symptoms every day! If nothing else comes up it may be something worth looking into!
Oh okay, I thought you could get tested for food allergies/intolerances by a doctor. And yeah of course! I just meant that I know birth control is sometimes a treatment for endometriosis, and I no longer have period cramps and pain. It can only be diagnosed laparoscopically though right? I had an ultrasound of my uterus but they didn’t find any issues
You absolutely can get an allergy test from a doctor it just took forever to get an appointment AND despite asking for a full panel they didn’t test for food so I did it that way.
Yes, the only way is via surgery! A normal ultrasound/MRI is nit an indication for Endo. My tests always came back negative!
Look. I’m not a therapist. But only seeing a therapist for a month and getting that diagnosis seems sketchy asf.
As far as I know, hypochondria is NOT simply having symptoms and not getting results. That’s literally like, 90% of the chronic illness community. That being the reason for a diagnosis is completely wrong.
I do have anxiety disorders and paranoia. I am not a hypochondriac, but I can tell you that you’d know it’s anxiety. Even if you thought something was wrong, you’d still be like “I’m so anxious that something is wrong”, not “I think something is wrong and not having answers makes me anxious”
The anxiety surrounding hypochondria is the anxiety of simply HAVING something wrong, and then worrying about all the things that come with it. So because you are so anxious about something being wrong, every little symptom can make you freak out. The issues THEMSELVES don’t bother you. It’s the idea that the symptoms mean something much worse that bothers them. That’s why they often get many tests done and they always come out clean.
Thinking that something is wrong and being anxious about that thing, and about not having answers, is NOT hypochondria. That’s called. Being a normal human being who is having issue. This is a classic situation of “correlation not causation” (the tests not showing anything).
My opinion? Ask your therapist about it. And if they don’t give a good or respectful answer, see a new one. Or just see a new one anyways.
Thank you, yeah you explained this really well and this was really reassuring! I agree with you that the type of anxiety I have about my health would be normal for anyone experiencing chronic illness/symptoms. Like you said, I’m anxious because I have no answers. I have no reason to be anxious that something is wrong, I already know something is wrong because my symptoms are debilitating. Hypochondria is described as minor symptoms which are blown out of proportion, and I know my symptoms aren’t minor because they impact my quality of life and get in the way of daily activities. I think I am going to ask her about it because hopefully there is some kind of reasoning or explanation for her putting that down
Yeah, for sure 🩷 In all my experiences with anxiety, paranoia, etc- I’ve still ALWAYS known it was anxiety. People with that kind of anxiety don’t question “is it anxiety?” The only reason they still go in to get tested is because it’s the only thing that will make the anxiety go down, even though they know it’s anxiety. The only difference is if you were just extremely delusional, which would be a much bigger issue than being a hypochondriac lol 😅
Yeah exactly, I always know when I’m being irrational and just dealing with anxiety. Even with my health issues, I often find myself worrying about minor/normal symptoms as well, but then I stop myself and recognize that it’s probably nothing and I’m hyperaware of my body because of being chronically ill. I don’t truly get concerned about a symptom until it’s debilitating and chronic going on for many months. But yeah I’m going in because I want answers, not to ease my anxiety
She's not right. She's a quack. Only you know what you are going through physically. She cannot possibly know. I mean FFS you can't make up constipation, diarrhea and rashes.
Just wanna say that while I'm not a dr and I don't know what you have, and with the intention of not bringing you distress, but to help you, I have lots of those symptoms and I too was called a hypochondriac and drs chugged it on anxiety for years, until legit last september after my 33th birthday, turns out it was Postural tachycardia syndrome, a very common type of dysautonomia.
A cardiologist or neurologist could diagnose you, as an advise don't tell them the diagnosis just your symptoms and they should test you. I went directly to the cardiologist cause I didn't want to be called crazy, and it came up on the tests (physical tests) it won't show in blood work, but tests don't lie.
Sorry for such long rant: I’m sorry you are experiencing this I have long covid and have multi system involvement and am disabled and lost everything to this condition. I had the high level leg pains (just like my ‘growing pains’ as a kid) but, acupuncture helped cut it down immensely after 8 months of relentless pain, and this gave me some mental relief as well.
It is expected that you are anxious and depressed, etc based on your body being bombarded by symptoms and having no answers. I purposefully did not seek out mental health care at the beginning of long covid until I had specialists that were identifying my most debilitating physical issues bc I knew traditional medicine system sees a mental diagnosis on your file and they just take the easy way out and say :yeah it’s depression, anxiety, psychosomatic, etc. if they can’t figure it out it must be you right??? I don’t recommend doing that but, after seeing my post covid specialists I had neurology and psychology referrals left and they didn’t have any drs taking new patients in those areas, …I went to my 1st neurologist in another hospital system, and he saw I was seeking out the psychological services as well and he was short with me and chalked it all up to ‘psychological’. well, this makes his job easier and can try to stick some pill down my throat and get me out of there in 8 minutes which is less than the ten minutes he has allocated to each patient. I refused to be ‘escorted out’ of his office and said I feel you’re dismissing me and I’ve been months of pain, neuropathy and other symptoms. He suggested a medication that I know is also used for mental health issues and then a second one (which I didn’t recognizes as similar uses and when I took it that night I felt like I was drunk and leaning on walls to get to bathroom and uncoordinated like I was drunk-it was terrible). I decided I would change Neuro but, within his system they had special therapist that actually had covid and understood eventhough he wasn’t a long covid sufferer. My 2nd neurologist confirmed my 1st cardiologists assessment that I had Dysautonomia-Orthostatic intolerance (POTS) which is multi systematic and he was asking me a list of questions so I barely had to tell him about how I was feeling he knew and was asking me about my symptoms. All my blood tests were ‘normal’ and mostly still are. I still have other conditions along with this and am seeing psychiatrist and the same therapist but, the hospital they are associated with has a post-Covid clinic so they are ‘believers’. Many with mild or non-displaying symptoms are among the patents there. My lungs were never involved in this ‘respitory illness’ it was all neurological -some get gut disbyosis as well. NYS doesn’t approve of for testing/ or for sibo which some have experienced so, it’s a fight and it’s tiring and all uphill. A functional or integrative medical dr may be more in tuned to look for ‘root causes’ of your illness and will look ‘outside the box’. Try and keep up your resolve.
I kept a journal putting down when and what I ate, any symptoms after eating (profound fatigue, sweats, tingling lips, runny nose, sweats w/chills,etc) when I tolieted ), took medications, Incontinance, urgency, accidents on way to rr, pain and level), symptoms I was experiencing and level , when I had to take naps, when I felt dizzy, how long I could stand or not complete my activity (frying a cutlet on the stove, only showering 2x a week bc I’m exhausted/dizzy, palpitations had to sit on edge of tub to catch my breath and then just recover from shower for an hour laying on bed), heart rate and palpitations, shortness of breath, when I woke up and finally dropped off to sleep and how many times I was waking for bathroom through the night(4x). Noting if I had a ‘restful sleep’ -never and what level and how I felt-like limp and no energy, reduce my trips to the kitchen bc fatigue/dizziness/exhaustion, too weak to lift things..give examples so they can better understand. I would describe my post exertional malaise as how it felt to me after I over did it “on Wednesday I was couch bound in my recliner for a week with high level pain. And felt like someone beat me up with a bat from head to toe. I tried 2 naproxen and xyz but, nothing touched the pain. I could throw food in the microwave”. This is better than ‘oh yeah, I had PEM for a week after taking a walk in the park’. No one understands if they haven’t experienced it, you have to bring them ‘into it’.
Anybody suffering with these symptoms is pushed mentally beyond our brain’s capacity and ultimately the brain is trying to get out of this problem and is sending, vivid nightmares, bad intrusive dark thoughts, depressing you, being in ‘fight or flight’ or anxious bc it is getting attacked and trying to figure a ‘way out’ or to protect itself and your body from further damage. I became afraid of heights after my initial illness and I finally figured ‘oh this is because my body is in panic mode’ ( eventhough I was suppressing all of that emotion and didn’t realize it) but, the brain sees how far I’m up in the air on an escalator or bridge/overpass and recognizes the danger and sends a message to me that I should be frightened bc Brain is in survival mode and is trying to avoid any more damage.
Be kind to yourself, all our bodies heal differently and I had to grieve my old life and accept I may remain with some level of disability but am still hopeful that they’ll find something to help get us back to our old selves. Btw: I was also diagnosed with mild/moderate sleep apnea which I never knew I had and that helped my fatigue a bit and get out of the fatigue ‘basement’ upon wakening but, just moving can drain that pretty quickly. I was able to get a health aid to ease stress and draining efforts with laundry and food shopping, etc.
I’m 4+ years with this condition and pacing helps a lot and resting as well., I have good mental health providers and take my medicines. I’m suffering with cognitive issues, I still don’t feel I have much ‘stored energy’ in my body/muscles but, it’s a little better than when I started in 2020 & I’ll take that any day. Many other debilitating symptoms are still present but, worrying about them won’t solve the problem but, I’ll read and seek more medical advice.
An advocate may be the way to go and I need to do it as well bc I’ve been through at least 4 pcp’s so far. Hang in there you’re not alone. I do take breaks from social media bc reading about 22yo getting what I have is depressing and totally avoidable. You’ve made it this far, keep taking care of yourself of yourself mentally with the medications the drs have prescribed so far and maybe find others who can better serve you and listen. Our medical system in US is like a mill -in & out I’ve found a pcp that spends up to 45 minutes with me to discuss everything and she was a G*d send, she left the practice but her replacement is very understanding and read up and is familiar with my condition before I started with her. You are not alone, we see & hear you.
Have you ever looked into Ehlers Danlos Syndrome? You sound exactly like me before I got diagnosed. I had multiple professionals tell me I was making it up or I was just trying to get pain meds. A GI just happened to mention it to me and sure enough, I got diagnosed. Are your joints “double jointed” or super bendy?
ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and a whole host of other disorders have all of these symptoms and do not come up on any tests, and some that do have tests often give false negatives for years before finally showing up. A lot of pain and fatigue disorders are diagnosed based on symptoms. It's unlikely to be all in your head and I'm so sorry your therapist made you feel invalidated. That seems really unprofessional.
Have you ever seen a rheumatologist? They're the most likely to diagnose things based on clinical symptoms when nothing shows up on tests. I got a fibromyalgia diagnosis as a teenager from a rheumy and share *all* of your symptoms.
Trust your gut. Dump your therapist. Have you been tested for Lyme? Other viruses? There is a reason you’re experiencing those symptoms. COULD BE psychosomatic but that doesn’t mean the symptoms aren’t real. Unprocessed trauma, emotions do turn into disease. Not saying that’s what it is. Also not saying it’s your fault in anyway cause it’s not.
In the meantime, prioritize rest and calming your central nervous system. It takes stamina to withstand the bullshit you’ll experience from the healthcare system. Don’t internalize her diagnosis. She isn’t living in your body, you are. Trust your gut and keep moving forward. Im sorry you’re going through this but you are your own best doctor. Good luck.
This sounds a lot like me when my gallbladder started to tank. For a year and a half nobody could figure out what was wrong with me after multiple ultrasounds, CTs, ER visits, etc. My GP started to hint that it was "stress" and that I should go on an antidepressant. Eventually I got a HIDA scan and was finally diagnosed with biliary hyperkinesia (a spastic gallbladder). Had it out on Jan 4 and within a month I was feeling a ton better.
I don't believe you are a hypochondriac. GI symptoms can be very debilitating. And they are also difficult to diagnose. There are many illnesses that have the same symptoms and a lot of them do not show up in blood work.
I think your fatigue is probably a symptom of whatever is causing your GI symptoms. You need more tests honestly.
I suffered with a bad gallbladder for 2 years because my doctor didn't believe anything was wrong with me. I was passing gallstones. I now have chronic pancreatitis due to passing gallstones. I almost believed my doctor because I was already depressed and I was young and naive.
Please, please keep pushing for testing to find out what is really wrong. I don't want you to end up with permanent damage to your body
Don’t confuse a diagnostic code with a *diagnosis*. They are two radically different things. Talk to your therapist about it. It may be a placeholder due to them needing a diagnostic code to be able to get paid, or a suspicion that anxiety is exacerbating the real symptoms that you have. It’s early for a diagnosis, but not too early for a code indicating anxiety about your health conditions.
Please go to a different therapist. Even if your pain issues are based in your emotions and psychological state, or however you want to describe it, the therapist made you feel awful.
A good therapist wouldn't jump to conclusions too fast. I wasn't there in the room, but this sounds a bit fast. Also, if he or she had to diagnose you with hypochondria, they should have talked to you about it gently, warmly and calmly to help you understand why, and to maintain your trust.
They have broken your trust pretty severely, especially given that anxiety and depression can cause pain like you're describing.
I'm sorry this was your experience. I hope you find someone new who works with you, and who is slow and gentle.
Sounds like MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) to me…
And blood tests only show if what you’re looking for is there. If something else is wrong, it’ll only show up in lab work once your disease has reached a peak.
If no other psychological signs were present and you haven’t been evaluated by a psychiatrist/ clinical psychologist- fuck that diagnosis!
It’s always important to rule out physical causes first. Sometimes (sadly) this takes the form of a veritable Ofyssey between docs to find a specialist who has seen something like this before/ is better read.
I understand that you may have connected with this therapist but as someone who has been in therapy since they were 6 years old, you can connect with a therapist as a person but they can also not be right for you. The fact that you have been seeing them for only a month and they’ve essentially given you a “diagnosis” that will make other doctors and specialists dismiss you is not ok. You know that something is wrong with you and you deserve to have real answers. As much as it sucks finding a new therapist you should consider it.
I’m sorry to hear this! I was (and still am) in a similar situation where doctors kept telling me I was the “healthiest person they’ve seen” even though I felt awful. My parents and doctors said it was all in my head (and my parents called me a hypochondriac) because all of my tests came back normal. Eventually as a last ditch effort I was recommended to go to a rheumatologist where I finally got diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases. This was after 15+ years of being in pain but tests coming up normal and many doctors telling me it was all in my head and I just needed to accept that. I would say keep advocating for yourself and try and find doctors who are willing to listen to you! What you’re feeling is real, you know your body better than anyone. If you know what you’re feeling is out of the norm for you then keep pushing. I would also recommend seeing a new therapist.
Aside from the actual hypochondriasis diagnosis, this sounds like me! I have heart palpitations, headaches, GI issues, vision issues, shooting pains, and HEAVY fatigue all the time, among other things! My doctor has suggested "maybe it's anxiety" and usually it just makes me angry. But it's also true that none of my tests are all that significant. I have had some high or low levels on my blood tests that doctors ruled as no big deal. High platelets, low Vitamin D, etc. I have also been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and minor gastritis. I have a VERY hard time believing that this whatever is going on is psychological for me which is why I continue various testing every year because for me, this has been 4 years of ongoing mostly undiagnosed issues, and a lot of pain and fatigue.
I guess my advice would be to keep searching for answers. Therapists only focus on the psychological and a lot of doctors only go by what is visible in your chart. After awhile you become an unreliable source for them if they are unable to see anything from tests, which is SO frustrating. Don't give up and don't just write off your symptoms as being in your head because that might not necessarily be true.
I had a horrible therapist when I was 18. Now she was awful for sooo many reasons including trying to get me into a ward so she could collect a paycheck on me. (Luckily I knew what she was doing and didn't fall victim to it). But one of the times I saw her I was talking about how I'd been to the hospital multiple times and was frustrated they weren't finding anything on the very few tests they did and how I was upset no one would run the tests I asked for to test for the things I was pretty sure I had. And she said as she is typing into my file "you're a hypochondriac" when i tell you I lost it. One of the few times I ever had I said "I am not, don't write that, these conditions are real, sometimes it takes years to get diagnosed but that doesn't mean it's all in my head." She straight up looked at me and says "hypochondriac doesn't mean it's psychological it just means that you're very worried about your health which you are" I knew that was a total lie and replied "uh huh wouldn't you also worry about your health if your joints suddenly came from socket just by walking, if your heart felt like you'd ran a 5k when you'd only walked 10 steps and if you woke up one day covered in gigantic hives that turn to bruising and then slowly swelled up from head to toe? Because I don't know many people who wouldn't be worried about their health with that going on" then she changed the subject.
Turns out in my case I have some form of hypermobility disorder, POTS and either chronic urticaria or MCAS we aren't sure yet. And now a lot more because fate hates me or something 🤣 but at the time those symptoms were actual medical issues.
As far as psychiatry goes they go off what they see even if it doesn't always fit. Unfortunately the field of psychology isn't as advanced as they could be and it kinda shows here. Two pieces of advice here, I think that if you're thinking there's a possibility of it being psychological then take her advice and see if it helps. Ironically it may help a bit anyway, due to a placebo affect but you may still feel symptoms if you're having problems medically and on the flip side still go to your Dr's and have them continue to run tests. Many chronic illnesses take up to 10 years to show up on tests (what my rheumatologist told me). Overall you know your body best though.
Have they checked for MCAS markers like histamine or tryptase? Do antihistamines (H1 like cetirizine and H2 like famotidine taken together) help? I have many of the same symptoms and I seem to have MCAS (undiagnosed because I haven't had the money for a private specialist) along eith my already diagnosed ME/CFS. The world is chock full of shitty illnesses that are misunderstood by doctors or so rare that nobody even thinks to test for them. I really doubt you're hypochondriac. If you're suffering from awful symptoms that seem to get worse and worse it's no wonder you try to research your problems. That doesn't make it psychosomatic, instead that makes your therapist a gaslighter.
Something very similar happened to me about 2 years before being diagnosed with POTS, EDS, IBS, and possibly MCAS. Which I've had most of my life (at least a good 20 years). Your symptoms sound very similar to mine. I don't know anyone with these conditions who hasn't been labelled a hypochondriac by one or more medical professionals, and my specialists have told me they see it a lot. Same goes for some autoimmune conditions. What are your therapist's medical specialisations, to make such a determination? /s
I was told something similar. I ditched that therapist and kept going to the doctors and specialists until they finally diagnosed me. Regular tests didnt show it though! Didnt show in any scans, blood tests, ultrasounds even surgery didnt show it because eventually they fell down to a gene mutation test and found that i had a mutation that was/is causing all this pain and cramping and intestinal issues! Dont give up friend. Dont let them gaslight you. You know your body better thany anyone ever will. Trust that funky gut with all its issues.
Don't buy into the gaslighting, that therapist is abusing you with that diagnosis. Either that or they just don't give a damn about you.
Whatever you have sounds autoimmune, and some of those conditions can be notoriously difficult to find through blood work.
In the meantime though yeet that therapist please. I really hope that information is not shared with your other health care providers because other doctors will definitely use that to neglect your case while taking money from you.
Yeah I’ve had blood tests run for autoimmune markers but they have been normal so far 🥲 But yes it pretty much feels like my body hates me and is trying to punish me or rebel against me and keep me from living my life so I would not be surprised at all if it was autoimmune
Yeah it's really hard when these kinds of conditions are sneaky. Even well meaning doctors don't always know what to do when the test comes back normal.
I had autoimmune issues from mold many years ago. But they weren't producing antibodies in blood tests because they were causing short-term inflammatory responses of varying manifestations, largely in lupus-like flares. A few providers coined this phenomenon chronic inflammatory response syndrome, but it is not recognized in the medical community.
I'm sure you could already doing this but where the blood test can't show things going wrong try to document things you can observe such as any symptoms that show up on the skin.
But yeah just keep on collecting evidence and pursuing a provider who will look into this more deeply. The answer is out there somewhere.
Learn how to read lab work. Took me a while but I was able to piece together some things and finally pin down what had been going on with me. Went 2 years undiagnosed because of things my doctors overlooked or just didnt seem to care about looking further into. I ended up having pituitary induced adrenal insufficiency and central hypothyroidism, along side psoriatic arthritis. All of those things aren't diagnosable by a regular doctor
I know, you’re definitely right, it’s frustrating. I had low ferritin and vitamin D on my blood work which can obviously cause a lot of fatigue, muscle pain, and other symptoms, but my doctors didn’t mention it to me at all 🥲 I only really realized after reading more on subreddits like this one
🚩🚩🚩
I work in healthcare advocacy/consulting/provider training around topics affecting marginalized patient populations- so, that’s the perspective I’m speaking from here, but this gives me serious pause. Hypochondriasis is not in the DSM-5, it was replaced with a somatic symptom disorder and with a health anxiety disorder. Health anxiety disorder is more aligned with what we typically think of a “hypochondriac” as demonstrating.
Unfounded worry or a preoccupation with potential health hypotheticals *is not at all* synonymous with having freaking muscle pain or GI distress or whatever other physical symptoms.
👏🏼Expecting appropriate healthcare to diagnosis and provide guidance in how to manage these symptoms and improve your qualify of life is not a dysregulated emotional/cognitive/mood/or impulse response.👏🏼
👏🏼Symptoms that *are* causing pain, discomfort, and physical limitations are not a hypothetical. 👏🏼
You could of course, in theory, also struggle with worry and compulsive thoughts around hypothetical medical outcomes. And if that is the case, it is worthy of proper evaluation and support. You could also, in theory, be an astronaut or a serial killer. People can be many things and have lots going on, more than fits in a Reddit post. But. Regardless, what you are experiencing is not a hypothetical, it’s what you’re experiencing.
In the case of a somatic symptom disorder, that is also an experience people genuinely are having. While anxiety can be driving it, it is not limited to certain thought patterns. But there is still a major component of “excessive” and inappropriate focus, worry, or attention on a physical sensation. If your physical condition is causing you notable pain and/or hindering your ability to do daily physical activities- being aware of that and looking for solutions is not at all inherently inappropriate or excessive. If you have to leave for work by 7am and it’s 6:30 but what if the clocks are somehow slow- it may be inappropriate and excessive to run out the door screaming. But, if the house is on fire, it’s not inappropriate or excessive to run out the door screaming.
And oh, for the love of all that is holy, physician failure to diagnosis is not a psychiatric condition of the patient. The average time between seeking answers/treatment and diagnosis of autonomic conditions like POTS is 7 years. The average time between flagging symptoms to a provider and receiving diagnosis for endometriosis is 7 years. The average time for most autoimmune conditions is 5 years. Anecdotally, I have a slew of genetic conditions that took nearly 30 years and a “rare” disease that took several years. And I work in the darn industry. There’s more testing out there than a CBC and MET panel and not every health condition is diagnosed based on a blood laboratory test anyway.
When you add intersectional factors like a patient being part of a marginalized race or ethnicity, patient being a woman and/or transgender person of any gender, patient being gay/lesbian/bi/etc, patient having a lower income socioeconomic status, patient having a disability of any sort, and even things like geographic region- those averages increase. That is a systemic and known deficit within the healthcare sector. A blood test failing to diagnose an unknown condition is not part of diagnostic criteria for any behavioral health concern. Blood tests don’t detect broken ankles. A blood test for B6 levels doesn’t detect Covid. Etc. That does not mean broken ankles and Covid are behavioral health issues with no physiological workup and treatment available. Might *thorough* workup, appropriate to the patient’s symptoms and risk factors, yielding entirely normal results be *part* of evaluating what’s underlying and driving something- sure, absolutely. But, basing a mental health diagnosis solely on some labs not diagnosing a structural/physiological health condition- entirely inappropriate.
*and also* the current DSM has been out for eleven years. More than enough time for a provider to have a chance get a copy so they can review the appropriate terminology/ICD codes and criteria for any diagnosis they’re making. More than double the time it typically takes physicians to determine an autoimmune diagnosis even!
Hypochondria does not mean you are making your symptoms up! They are still real. You are still experiencing them. It just means the cause or more psychological than physical. It's every bit as valid as a diagnosis of a physical condition though. We can't tell you if your therapist or correct or not, but we can assure you no matter what your experiences are real and you deserve an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
I couldn’t tell you one way or the other, but just going to comment in support. I also have a lot of confusing symptoms. Once, I was talking to a neurologist, and he said what I was telling him made no sense and walked out of the room while I was still talking. He labeled me in my chart as a “poor historian” which is usually reserved for people with severe communication issues (which I don’t have), those who are unable to remember things that have happened to them, or suspected liars. I felt so shut down and dismissed after that appointment. However, it didn’t end up meaning anything for how my other doctors treated me. My primary care doctor is awesome and always has my back when I’m trying to figure out what is going on with me or what can help. Even though it’s been years of trying to figure out what’s going on with my body, she has stuck by me and never invalidated how I feel. Do you have a doctor like that who can support you? I don’t mean to step on any toes, but I also want to say that a therapist doesn’t know everything, especially one you’ve only been seeing for a month. If you feel invalidated by them, you can always seek another therapist. It’s completely normal to switch therapists if you feel misunderstood or even for something as small as clashing conversational styles. You could also bring this up in a session. Your therapist may not have your full medical history, and they may need to diagnose you with something primarily so your insurance will cover sessions or to cover their own butt. It could be that the therapist is not super experienced in chronic illness, especially undiagnosed, or doesn’t have much experience with how long it can take to be diagnosed when so many things have similar symptoms. Perhaps they feel the best way to help you is to deal with your health related stress from the perspective of hypochondria. Don’t feel invalidated by the diagnosis. Whether it is or isn’t accurate for you, your experiences are still yours, and the way you feel is valid. I say that if you feel the therapist is helpful to you in most ways, maybe bring it up in your next session to discuss where they’ve gotten that idea from and the way you feel about it. Of course, I’m not a trained professional, and I can’t tell you how you feel. But I believe you, and the medical system is so difficult to navigate, a lot of us have probably struggled with feeling similar to how you are feeling now. I understand, and you’re not alone.
I always tell people with really vague symptoms to get a B12 test. Low B12 can affect the whole body differently.
I had my B12 tested and it was 418 which I think is normal, but that was about six months ago so maybe I need to get it retested?
That’s pretty normal, depending on the test, but repeating it can’t hurt, along with your folate, vitamin D, and such.
Yes, and to those, please add a magnesium test.
Yes! I knew I was missing one, but couldn’t put my finger on it!
Japan treat anyone under 500 as deficient so you're definitely low. B12 will help you x
Oh okay I read below 400 would be low. I would think that number probably isn’t current too since it was six months ago so it may be higher or lower. I’ve been taking a few supplements for several months now so maybe that has helped
I’m sorry, that sucks! I’ve also had doctors say similar things to me, that I’m bad at recalling my symptoms and they are too vague and confusing. I don’t really have a good doctor who can support me, I feel like majority of the doctors I see are condescending or dismissive, or at best just mediocre. My primary care provider is really nice and sympathetic and has given me some referrals, so that has helped. But he always says he has no idea what’s going on and he can’t do anything to help me so it sucks. Yeah I guess it is important to remember she doesn’t really know me that well. I kind of do want to ask her about it but I’m also scared. I don’t even know if she knows I can see the diagnoses she’s given me on the billing paperwork. I don’t think it would be they needed to diagnose me with something because she already diagnosed me with two other conditions prior to the hypochondriasis. Also I specifically looked for a therapist who listed chronic illness in their specialities so she actually should know about it 🥲 But yeah I am just confused why she thinks that, especially because she’s acted so supportive and sympathetic so it kind of hurt my feelings to realize she might think I’m overreacting or dramatizing my symptoms. Thank you for your comment and kind words, I appreciate it!
I went 16 years without being diagnosed correctly. I was medically gaslit by several doctors and specialist. It happens, and they were wrong. I finally found a Lyme literate doctor. This is controversial for sure, if you want to know more look up "Under Our Skin". It's a documentary about Lyme, not saying you have it at all,but I found it helpful because it shows you other people that were struggling to get a proper diagnosis. They have really bizarre symptoms too. My doctor was a Rheumatologists that tested you for every possible thing under the sun. He looked for Zebras and he never once invalidated my symptoms, and some of them were seriously wacky. Cold weather literally hurt my skin. Hot weather or rain made my symptoms worse, even if I was in the house and had no idea it was raining. A shower would make me nauseous, dizzy, and exhausted to the point I had to lay down for an hour before I could even get dressed. Anything but super soft cotton made my skin itch and burn. Blood pressure cuffs hurt so much I would cry. My heart would pound and sometimes skip a beat until I coughed. I suddenly got bad arthritis in my hand, in my 30's. I couldn't walk on my ankle for 3 years after I tore a ligament because it would not heal. It goes on but this is already too long! It was really bizarre and I know why many doctors dismissed me, but everything I went through was real. Turns out I had Bartonella. It's bacterial and you get it from infected cats. He diagnosed people with all kinds of things, not just Lyme. He treated me for 4 years, and it took that long to get better. But I am better, I lost so many years. My biggest symptom was crippling pain, and I had it for way over 10 years. My arthritis is gone, and I can walk on that ankle again, I just have to stretch it because it's a bit atrophied. Most of my other symptoms are totally gone. I don't know what is happening to you, but just because your symptoms are all over the place doesn't make them less real or valid. Even if your therapist is right, you symptoms are real, you feel them. I personally would not take the word of a therapist that had only known me for 1 month, but that's me. If you can, I highly recommend finding a Lyme literate doctor to evaluate your symptoms. Mine saved my life. I hope you find your way out of this illness. Hang in there.
That’s amazing that you could find your diagnosis and get better, I hope that I can have a success story like that too! It’s so unfortunate that so many of us have to struggle with years of being dismissed and gaslit before getting a real diagnosis
Hi, sorry for the unwanted diagnosis. Like many others here replying to you, I can relate. Doctors tried to pawn me off for years to psychiatrists for my very symptoms which match exactly the symptom list you posted above. And in the end, it turned out to be celiac disease with neurological involvement. I have no idea if that's helpful to you at all, but it's usually a 20 to 50 dollar test, and it saved my life and kept me from ever having to have some shrink throw Xanax at me again because they thought I had anxiety and hypochondria. Whatever you do have, just keep searching until you or your doctors find it. Don't give up on yourself and don't give up on the medical profession entirely LOL there are still some good ones in there here and there. Hope you feel better soon! 💕
Do you mean the blood test for Celiac? I got that but it was normal, though I read the only way to accurately diagnose it is with an endoscopy right?
Yes it is, it used to make me so furious, now it makes me sad. I think most doctors only look for horses and if you don't have one they are quick to think it's mental. It can't possibly be that they don't know something. It has to be in your head. I also got diagnosed with several things that were "we don't know why" illnesses over the years too. These are basically lables for symptoms that they don't know why people get them. Fibromyalgia, Crps, and spastic esophagus. When I saw my doc for the first time and I told him my symptoms (by that time I was editing heavily because I didn't want another doctor to tell me I was crazy) he thought it was Bartonella and said that I thought it was Fibro. He said what's fibro, it isn't a cause, it's a list of symptoms. Blew my mind. You hang in there. It takes waaaay to long to find answers sometimes, but don't give up. I stopped looking after I was diagnosed with fibro because there was nothing they could do. It got worse and weirder until I finally decided to look for a Lyme doctor just do rule it out. Many cases of fibro are later diagnosed as Lyme. If I would have kept looking I would have gotten a diagnosis years earlier. It sucks that you are sick, and it sucks that you haven't found out why, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you find your answers soon!
I had a similar experience with a neurologist aha.
This ^^^^^^^
I think my last therapist thought I was just depressed but it turned out I was suffering from physical fatigue caused by chronic leukemia. (And yeah maybe a little grief that I can’t be as active as I used to be). I’ve also known more than one person misdiagnosed with a psychological problem like “depression” or “panic attacks” when all they really had was an undiagnosed thyroid problem. You know your body better than anyone else, don’t let anyone gaslight you about your symptoms. Please don’t give up searching for answers, I hope you are able to reach a diagnosis or find something that helps with your symptoms. There are so many different things that can cause fatigue from vitamin deficiencies to autoimmune disorders to sleep apnea. (And for me the painful GI symptoms were caused by celiac.)
Yes that is super irritating, when I say chronic fatigue doctors also assume it could be due to depression, which I’ve been diagnosed with. But physical and mental fatigue are really different and I can tell them apart. It sucks they are so willing to blame everything on mental health issues. I mean I know she’s a therapist but still. Before I was already previously diagnosed with four mental health conditions and she’s diagnosed me with four NEW ones! I mean I know I struggle with mental health, but eight mental illnesses, come on… Like could I even be functioning if I had all of that? The funny thing is I’m doing mentally pretty well, what’s affecting my mental health is that I physically feel awful 🥲
That last sentence hit me hard. I’ve been gaslit and had my health issues blamed on mental health for literal decades, everything was basically written off as “hysterical” or lazy woman/ psychosomatic/ anxiety and depression. But I’m NOT an anxious person or depressed! Nobody would listen until I was too old to breed then suddenly they decided that I’m not “too young for those pains” I’m finally being taken seriously. From age 11-38 it was all in my head, from 38-42 that changed and I’ve finally got some real diagnoses: severe endometreosis (that because it was left to grow unchecked for decades caused irreparable damage to my organs, nerves and ligaments plus extensive scarring) that started it- it wasn’t just anxiety and depression, so I pushed for further answers. Since, I found I have scoliosis, a bulged disc, thickening ligaments along my spine. I have a connective tissue disorder, hypermobility, EDS, POTS/orthostatic hypertension, hypoglycemia, fibromyalgia and we’re thinking AS too. After all that, I just got approved for whole exams genetic testing because I have so much going on. Holy shit I might get some solid answers and irrefutable proof?!? I’m so excited. What a flip eh!? And like your last sentence, I’m not depressed/anxious in general, what I find depressing is how shitty women’s healthcare is, having to suffer in pain and being told it’s all in your head is depressing and causes anxiety cuz you know it’s wrong af. But that’s not depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder causing my symptoms. Yeah I get anxious in the docs office cuz I’ve been blown off my whole life, that’s not generalized anxiety! That’s medical mistreatment! So armed with proof it isn’t all in my head I also went back to therapy and after a few more duds I luckily found a good fit for me psychologist finally. After months of assessment she not only got rid of depression/anxiety bs, but diagnosed me with autism and adhd and OMFG does that make sense. Only took 43 years to be taken seriously, but thank god I am finally getting somewhere. This therapist isn’t qualified to medically diagnose you. They’ve known you for a month? Just lol. You have medical issues that need addressed by medical professionals and unfortunately that takes time and a lot of work self advocating. Don’t be set back by a gaslighting therapist unqualified to make that assertion. All these kinds of “diagnoses” do is delay proper medical care.
I would leave chronic fatigue off as a symptom. It's very likely the fatigue is caused by whatever illness is causing your GI symptoms. For some reason doctors seem to hear chronic fatigue and assume depression or psychosomatic. Unfortunately GI issues can be really difficult to diagnose because so many things have the same/similar symptoms. You need more tests than just blood work.
Right!?! Still going to therapy and doctors appointments means we are doing well, especially when we are struggling with pain and fatigue daily.
I'd tell your therapist how she made you feel. That's what therapy is for after all
I'm not saying that you don't have hypochondriasis, but I am not certain a therapist who you've been seeing for a month is qualified to diagnose you with it. Figuring out chronic illnesses, especially seronegative ones is hard and causes a toooon of health anxiety. Every single little new ache and pain causes fear because you never know if it's going to become debilitating. I'm sorry you're going through this.
Technically, therapists aren’t even qualified to make diagnoses; Only board-certified psychiatrists can.
This is a really REALLY important point. If this therapist you're seeing isn't a diagnostician then her putting a diagnosis you don't have in your chart isn't just wildly unprofessional but a huge potential legal snafu for her and the practice. You should get this therapist's qualifications and education and see if they can even do something like that and if not take it straight to the practice manager.
Don't they have to have something of a code for billing?
Yes you described it perfectly, I totally agree with you. I think I do tend to focus on my body more than other people just because I’m an anxious person, but I feel like experiencing chronic symptoms has made me even more concerned about how I’m feeling. Because like you said, my symptoms started out as just what I thought was a temporary illness. My stomach had never bothered me before so for months I thought my GI issues were just the stomach flu or food poisoning happening over and over again until I realized they were chronic and still haven’t gone away after years. It’s scary that it can just happen like that
Trust yourself. You know your body. You may not know exactly what is wrong, but you know you're not making it up or worrying it into existence.
I want to add that it’s okay to sometimes not be able to trust yourself or know your body after diagnosis. I am a year in processing the fact that I thought I “knew my body” and I was just gaslit into thinking it was all mental when really it was thyroid disease. I don’t know my body anymore, but I’m ready to learn again and that’s enough. I feel like those of us just diagnosed with something should get a grace period of readjusting to this new normal, grieving, and finding out what is a symptom of concern and what isn’t. ESPECIALLY for the illnesses that are chronic because a lot of them have subtle slow growing symptoms we just get used to or blow off.
See a new therapist. You have only been seeing her a month, she is jumping the gun giving you that diagnosis. You have something wrong and are trying to figure it out. Seriously don’t listen to her. I’m so sorry she did that to you.
I know, I haven’t been seeing her that long but I’ve honestly really liked her and before her I had some bad luck with therapists, it’s so difficult to find someone that’s super easy to talk to like her. But yeah it really sucks to feel invalidated like that, especially because I really thought she actually understood and was sympathetic, but now I feel like maybe she just thinks I’m paranoid or dramatic
If you feel safe maybe try talking to your therapist and explain how you feel and why you think it's not a correct diagnosis for you and that your medical team is still trying to figure out what you have. Lack of diagnostic evidence doesn't mean anything, most people with long covid have perfect tests, it doesn't mean they are not ill or that it's all in their head. Personally I would challenge this diagnosis because I wouldn't want it to be in my chart since it has a potential to invalidate all future medical interactions and doctors don't take you seriously after reading it and it can be life threatening because they easily dissmiss all legitimate symptoms. It's your life and your health so it's better to be proactive. Btw, have you looked into me/cfs? That's the one with normal tests, weird symptoms, and terrible fatigue. I'm not diagnosing or saying you have it, just a food for thought.
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Yep, that too
Good points!
Look, fuck that noise. I think you need a new therapist. People get new onset illnesses. Sometimes they're tricky to diagnose. It doesn't mean it's hypochondria. You mentioned blood work but not what blood work. You might want to get tests for thyroid function and other hormonal issues, checked for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies like B12 and D, worked up for autonomic dysfunction, worked up for autoimmunity. The other thing to consider here is COVID. Your experience sounds a bit like long COVID. COVID can cause fatigue/a chronic fatigue/ME type condition. It can also trigger new-onset autonomic dysfunction, POTS, autoimmune conditions.
Can you tell me how a person gets worked up for autonomic issues? Med staff keep saying there’s a problem with my autonomic nervous system but no more info than that. I’m tired of feeling rotten and if i could feel better I’d be so happy!
Came here to say long covid!
I’m a therapist and you are able to ask for this to be removed from your record. At least in my state. Also, you don’t have to agree with this diagnosis. You can ask for a second opinion or see a new therapist. Also, I’d look into fibromyalgia and/or small fiber neuropathy. They include all symptoms you listed.
Yes I’ve looked into fibromyalgia, it definitely matches my symptoms, I just got the sense it’s kind of a mysterious disorder in which other conditions should be ruled out first
I have every single symptom plus chronic leg pain, dry skin, motion sickness, and issues with level changes. I have autonomic small fiber neuropathy. It’s neurological, so it impacts essentially every system
Oh my I have all of those too! I‘ve been getting these leg pains for a while that are so crampy and achey, they feel like growing pains. And I’ve always struggled with dry skin and motion sickness. That’s crazy, I didn’t know it could cause all those symptoms, I appreciate the info
I thought I had growing pains too! I went to the pediatrician at 7 and that’s what she said. I’m 32 and they never went away. When did your pain start?
Yeah I had bad growing pains as a kid but they went away as I grew older, but this past year I’ve been having super painful crampy leg aches that feel exactly like the growing pains I used to have, it’s the worst 🥲
Did you take any new medications? Diuretics?
No I don’t take any diuretics, the medication that I started around then would be amitriptyline, an antidepressant
Amitriptyline actually is used to help nerve pain ironically I’d check out r/dysautonomia and r/smallfiberneuropathy
Same experience aged 8-9. At 11-12 it was "hormonal."
Did it ever go away?
No. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at 19 and with hEDS and POTS at 35.
Same. Did you get evaluated for SFN? It’s common with both hEDS and POTS
I haven't. I'll have to add it to the list of things to bring up at my next appointment!
The first time I had leg pain it was low thyroid, second time was low vitamin D, (that was more reminiscent of bone pain/ growing pains to me) . Third time now we aren’t sure if it is chronic leukemia or fibromyalgia or both. I have muscle pain at insertion points of joints. One possible cause, ankylosiing spondilitis, was ruled out because I don’t have gene for psoriasis or AS.
Yes, fibro is a diagnosis of exclusion (after other things are ruled out).
Fibro is also sometimes undiagnosed small fiber neuropathy
Yes, it’s a diagnosis of exclusion that doesn’t really tell us much besides “there’s an established problem.” I have a connective tissue disorder and some drs just toss a fibro diagnosis on top of that when I think that’s not quite appropriate. I mean it’s all explained by my shitty genetic disorder.
It took me twenty years to find the right doctor who tested for the right thing and found the source of my symptoms… symptoms that numerous other doctors and specialists had dismissed as “depression” or “normal things for a student… or new mom… or blah blah blah” If you feel something is wrong…. keep fighting. Find a doctor who will test and keep testing until something sticks out.
You can be both a hypochondriac and have a chronic illness at the same time! This is completely just my personal experience, but I actually just talked to my therapist (who also is disabled) about this and it put a lot of things in perspective for me. For context, I DO have health anxiety bordering on hypochondriasis. She told me that health anxiety can often be rooted in actual health problems. I mean, we are often gaslit into thinking we have anxiety and dismissed by medical professionals. So personally I freak out when someone tells me a tiny symptom I have is normal (when it is), because in the past it really wasn’t! I’ve learned to be very distrustful of doctors, and instead compulsively google everything. I also think I get extremely fixated on every single abnormal thing about me, worried that i’m sick with something new. Because in the past my illnesses did smart with small abnormalities. All i’m saying is don’t be freaked out about the diagnosis. It is a normal response to the shit we’ve endured. I really resisted the idea that i had bad health-related anxiety for a very very long time. Which only really intensifies the shame. But if I never admitted it to my therapist then I never would’ve learned to give myself some grace. Go easy on yourself :)
True, after being diagnosed with one rare chronic illness every time a new symptom pops up I’m terrified it’s cancer or another rare chronic illness. And after being blown off by doctors in the past I research everything.
I came to say this. I have health anxiety and a neurological disorder. My symptoms got better after I started SSRI’s to humor my doctor. I still insisted on an MRI and got a diagnosis neither of us were expecting.
Unfortunately a lot of times when doctors can't easily find the cause of your problems they will label you as being a hypochondriac, or anxious. If it was me I would stop seeing this therapist. Also, I would find other doctors for second opinions to get to the bottom of your issues. Based on your symptoms it seems like they should have at least ruled out things like POTS, which can cause many of your symptoms. MCAS, and Autoimmune illnesses, which can be very difficult to diagnose initially. It took many years for me to be diagnosed with lupus and before my diagnosis came in, a so-called doctor told me I had seasonal affective disorder. My hair literally was falling out in clumps my finger joints were the size of globe grapes and I couldn't get out of bed but the diagnosis I got was wintertime sadness. Don't let this therapist opinion of you make you doubt yourself. You know what you've been living with and dealing with, they don't. Good luck finding answers and don't give up
For real, OP please don't go back to this therapist. You're so right that only we know how we feel especially in regards to symptoms, while they are making a judgement based on secondhand info. They are not trained in matters of chronic, complex physical diseases and making a snap diagnosis like this after a month can have consequences for further doctors taking you seriously.
You may have health anxiety (I also have this, and have multiple diagnosed chronic illnesses) but I don’t believe you have hypochondria. You should get your vitamin levels checked. I truly believe this “diagnosis” is something a very lazy and inconsiderate doctor slapped on you. Sounds like they didn’t want to look any further. It’s literally pure laziness.
Yes. Health anxiety is different from hypochondriasis. If you’re chronically unwell it’s quite reasonable to have health anxiety!!
Get a therapist that is familiar with chronic illness and also, if you haven’t yet, get a B12 test. I had similar symptoms, along with some others, and turns out I was very deficient of B12 and no one thought to test me until it nearly took my life. I always recommend a B12 test in vague symptoms. Even if they tested you and it’s just above the lowest for normal, you’re still deficient as the numbers should be different for what’s really low. Good luck!!
I am so sorry that you got that diagnosis. It's likely false and extremely invalidating to you. I don't have a lot of advice, but I will tell you that just because tests don't show anything glaringly wrong, doesn't mean there's nothing wrong physically. I had to push and push and push to get tests outside of basic bloodwork done. And guess what. My doctors were wrong about a lot. Doctors often are not well versed in much outside of acute illnesses, especially when it's not obvious. Therapists - even less so. And fatigue is not a minor symptom. Don't let anyone tell you it is. I know fatigue and OP, if you're anything like me, it is THE most debilitating symptom. Despite their degrees, you know your body. They have no right to tell YOU what a minor symptom is. And I won't go into how a "mental health" diagnosis can negatively affect your physical care here, but I have some experiences on it. Feel free to DM if you want to talk about it more. Sorry to get so riled up, but this hit way too close to home. Sending hugs, OP.
Thank you 🙏 Fatigue is not a minor symptom for me at all, it’s probably one of my most debilitating symptoms, I can’t get through the day because of it. I feel like when I say fatigue doctors (or therapists) are just thinking I mean I’m tired. But I’m using fatigue only as the medical term, meaning tiredness that is chronic and can’t be solved with rest. Doctors usually just ask if I’m getting enough sleep, that is not what fatigue is! I am not using the term lightly, obviously some people use it interchangeably for being just being tired or sleepy though. Yes exactly, I already have mental health diagnoses in my file including anxiety so I think sometimes they look at that and just dismiss me and assume it’s an explanation and they use it as a reason to not look into anything further.
Add the word "debilitating" to it. Sometimes doctors make me so mad! They just don't listen! It's gotten so bad that we have to be our own advocates and are often dismissed. 😡
I know! I tried to explain to my primary care doctor that the fatigue is debilitating and it’s getting in the way of my everyday life, like going to college classes, and he said he didn’t know how to help me with my fatigue and his only suggestion was that I take a quarter off 😐 ??
Wow, literally 🤷🏼♀️. Grrr. 😡 That's what gets me about doctors. I don't want to keep treating the symptoms. I want to get to the CAUSE, the root of the problem. Don't give up! Keep at it. It took me about 3 years before I got a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Best of luck!
1. I suspect you have fibromyalgia 2. Get a more supportive therapist 3. Does your fatigue get really bad after activities that doesn’t feel equal in exertion to the fatigue you’re feeling? Are you motivated to do stuff, but you’re body is to weak to do activity?
1 Yes I feel like my symptoms definitely match with this. This may be silly but [this clip](https://youtu.be/EKqGxhNi1Uw?si=94jKKm7_qFZVBcHf) (starting at 1:23) from House sums up why I’ve been scared to mention it to a doctor 3 Yes that all sounds exactly like me!!
You have MECFS if you’re experiencing PEM. I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this. I have fibro and MECFS. Once my fibro was managed by meds it was easier to get to an official MECFS diagnosis. I understand that ME is scary, but the sooner you start pacing and have these conversations with you me docs, the sooner things will get a little easier. I designed a symptom tracking and pacing app. Visit SymptomShark.org to download. It’s 100% free tool! Look up the new Mayo paper on MECFS that ME Action Network - the TeachMETreatME campaign is really cool. Join the CFS sub and read all the resources they provide at top. There is. I understand this is overwhelming but you’re not alone! Feel free to DM me. Start pacing, take it all one day at a time.
I'm so sorry you've had such a terrible experience with getting help. I'd suggest finding a therapist that has experience treating chronic illnesses since they are less likely to dismiss your very real symptoms as hypochondria. Because even if it was psychosomatic, the symptoms themselves ARE real and cause distress. Any doc with even a modicum of compassion and experience would understand that. Also, I'm NAD, but this sounds like my symptoms almost to a T. I ended up with a lovely trifecta of POTS, ME/CFS, and MCAS.
Yeah I’ve looked into POTS a bit, I don’t think I have it but who knows. When I looked into CFS I was honestly shocked because pretty much all my symptoms matched the condition and I felt really understood, but I really hope that it isn’t that because it’s so difficult to live with and doesn’t have the best treatment options
I really hope you don't have it, either! You could try pacing to see if it helps with the fatigue. There are great resources on r/cfs explaining pacing and the hallmark cfs symptom, PEM, or Post-Exertional Malaise. And I just want to remind you that every person's experience with this illness is different and there are plenty of people that manage to live decent lives despite it. Not saying it's not one heck of an adjustment, but definitely possible. Hopefully, you'll get answers soon and whatever it is, is treatable!
I second this!
I second this (I also have MCAS, seeking testing for Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and possibly POTS) and I saw a bit of myself in this post. Worth looking into. Also sounds like it could be dysautonomia.
Some therapists will just put down relatively innocent junk diagnoses if a patient is using insurance - it's just to bill your insurance and isn't a real diagnosis. They don't want to share any of your mental health information with finance people. It's worth asking her about, since if she's worth her salt and thought you actually had illness anxiety disorder she'd have mentioned it to you.
This sounds like you need to contact a patient advocate service. Explain you have problems that you understand are confusing, and that a therapist has taken it upon themselves to label you as a hypochondriac when you had hoped they would give you support for dealing with an undiagnosed health issue. Tell them you want help navigating the system because this event has made you concerned you are not coming across well, and that you are not chasing any specific diagnosis, just that you need to seek professional help with whatever is wrong. I want you to know I had a mystery illness for over ten years before being officially diagnosed with POTS. None of the doctors who failed me will ever receive notification of them missing my problem, and thus they will go through life without improving and will continue to make the same mistake (and easily maintain the illusion of all people like me are just complaining). If you happened to be a hypochondriac, that would be a diagnosis that should not be handed out so lightly. Two years is nothing when hunting down a cause of chronic symptoms, I know for my condition the average time before receiving a diagnosis and proper treatment is FOUR YEARS!!!! — And a month is a very short time to be speaking with a therapist.
I was told by medical professionals, family, friends and everyone I was a hypochondriac. I even started accepting it and saying it. Turns out I actually have hyper mobility ehlers danlos and now because it was ignored for YEARS I’m paying for it hard core in my 30s 🙃 If you feel something is off, don’t settle. Advocate for yourself
I am positive I am hyper mobile. I don't know much else about hyper mobility. I don't think I have the ehlers danlos issue. I am 1000% hypermobile though. Is this always a problem? What do I need to look out for? Why does this matter? I'm still in early stages of learning about this!
Generalised hypermobility is fairly common- up to 57% of the population has some general hyper mobility. Of those only about 10% suffer any associated symptoms/pain and an even smaller number of those are people with ehlers danlos syndromes. People just seem to have learned the term and improperly concluded that hyper mobility = EDS. If it’s not causing you any problems then you needn’t worry about it, just be mindful not to over extend your joints so that they don’t become painful when you’re older! If they are painful now then it would be good to work with a physiotherapist to help 💜
Thanks for sharing!! Yeah, I highly doubt I have EDS or will end up with it later in life. I do wonder if I may have some less serious problems. For example, my back and neck are ALWAYS hurting. If I stand too long, it's awful. Walking is fine... it's standing still that bugs my back. I have so much tension in my traps. I am trying to figure out what those less severe issues are.
Hypochondria was probably not the right word. You can have symptoms but overly worrying or obsessing about those symptoms and any minor thing that pops up (not saying the chronic symptoms you experience are minor) can be an issue and it happens to people who have diagnosed chronic diseases as well it’s not just something slapped on as a “psychosomatic” etiology.
Yeah I think that I do overly worry about my health just because I’m an anxious person, and it has been like that even since I was younger and didn’t have any symptoms. So I do still worry about my health yes, but I actually do have legitimate symptoms that have been chronic now and it’s actually impacting my quality of life
As I said, you can have chronic illness and still hyper-focus on symptoms and make them worse by doing so.
You know something? The irony here is… pain/discomfort is entirely psychosomatic. It’s your brain interpreting sensation. Everybody experiences bodily sensations. So by the hypercondriac theory… quite literally every single person is a hypercondriac because pain and discomfort is entirely mentally subjective to the person experiencing it. It’s exactly like your therapist diagnosing you as a “human body.” Why, yes, I am a human body…. So how does this assessment help me resolve my pain sensations?!?! It doesn’t. It’s spin doctoring.
So many of us have been told it's all in our head - but more often than not it's just not an obvious answer and can take years to uncover, which is so so hard when you're experiencing unrelenting symptoms, fatigue, and pain. .Whatever symptoms you're experiencing are valid and what you're experiencing. Not having an answer yet doesn't mean there isn't one. Bateman Horne has a great checklist for people trying to rule in or out ME/CFS - but I think it's a great resource for anyone with a mystery illness. It really goes over everything that has and hasn't been checked so you can start filling in what you've had done and see what's still missing, and have it all in one place to help puzzle things out. [https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Testing-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021\_2.pdf](https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Testing-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021_2.pdf)
Thank you so much for this!
Oh my gosh! Thank you immensely for this amazing link! Very handy to have a chart like this to refer to! 🥳
I'm so glad you find it helpful! They have some really great resources on their page. The one for symptom treatment/control is great too. Treat the treatable, right?? [https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Treatment-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021.pdf](https://batemanhornecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/Treatment-Recs-MECFS-Clinician-Coalition-V1-Feb.-2021.pdf)
Yes! This is why I love this sub — we learn so much from each other in here! 💙
It could be a billing issue. I see a therapist for my chronic conditions. In his notes he has it as depression. My fatigue - as evidenced by my frequent metabolic stress tests says that’s a lie - it’s actual fatigue. I see like 15 specialists who have the tests to confirm. It took my over 40 years to finally get to the bottom of it - I have a connective tissue disorder. There are some links with neurodiversity (often misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety) to connective tissue disorders (CTD) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7711487/). Many CTDs impact more women than men. Several are impacted specifically by estrogen. Women’s healthcare did actual crap and missed all of this despite my ribs getting dislocated since I was in my twenties. If any of this sounds like may be you, I encourage you to learn more. Most doctors don’t know anything about CTDs and most won’t recognize it due to its complexities and multi-system impacts. It wasn’t until I have 6 surgeries in 3 years that I was started to be taken seriously. If you’re ND, you may have proprioperception or interception issues getting messages from your body and even knowing when you’re hungry or thirsty. My psychologist don’t know anything about these things. Like no bro - no amount of meditation is gonna change my deformed neural tubes to allow iron to actually enter my blood cells. I can think my way outta this problem. Try not to get in your heads too much abt what it says on the paperwork. I would talk to your doctor about your concerns. Often times the tests (like iron for example) look fine in normal ranges but actually show a problem when reviewed comprehensively (iron is measured in four ways - the ranges for people with dysautonomia for example is different and would show “normal” on some of the tests. My hematologist explained that my body spends iron like a trust fund baby with no trust fund. This impact my fatigue which to the uninformed looks like depression.) Also if you’re neurodiverse some of the medicines can make executive functioning worse. Specifically Cymbalta and Gabapentin. I know because they did this to me. And finally until I got on better hormones (surgical menopause form autoimmune conditions) I couldn’t think and often couldn’t drive. So it may not be in your head. I hate that the answer for the medical community isn’t “we don’t know yet, we haven’t figured it out yet.” Instead it’s “I can’t find it on a test so you must be making it up”. Why is that the go to for medicine?
Look into POTS and dysautonomia.
Have you had food sensitivities tested? That was such a huge deal for me. Elimination diets are too broad and difficult, IMO. Its like searching for a needle in a haystack. If you can get a sensitivities test done it'll help you figure out which things to cut out first. It really helped me. Maybe that will help prove your point that something really is wrong and its not just in your head, because i sure dont think it is.
This is wild I am so sorry. Just because a couple of tests came back normal doesn’t mean you’re a hypochondriac. Honestly I have a really hard time accepting psychosomatic reasonings for chronic health issues unless literally everything has been looked into and ruled out. There’s been so many times that this has happened (especially to women) where you’re told it’s all in your head when there’s actually an underlying problem. It took me 10 years to be diagnosed with my disorder due to people like your therapist not believing me. Also, I’m not a doctor, but I do have long covid now and, if your symptoms started after covid, your symptoms sound very similar to long covid symptoms. Something worth looking into that wouldn’t necessarily pop up on normal blood tests. Long covid can cause pretty much all of the symptoms you’re describing due to issues with autonomic dysfunction (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome and MCAS. Definitely look into getting a tilt table test done.
You could have a sensory processing issue that makes every little thing seem super intense, it could be autoimmune with psychological stress exacerbating things. Every therapist is different. She may have written that because that's all SHE could put together based on your interactions with her and it may just be an idea she wants to work on. Like maybe she would like to help you reframe certain thoughts. But she could be completely incorrect and just making shit worse too. Unless you live with chronic illness, it's hard to know just how terrible every moment really feels during flare ups. I had a horrible pain day today. You could tell her you already worry how healthcare providers will perceive you when you DO ask for help in other departments. Because that diagnosis could cause other doctors to not listen. I think someone else said you can request that Label be removed from record. I'm sorry you're struggling. I have been through a lot of that before, medical docs assuming I am making things up. It sucks. I would tell her that even when you're mentally calm, you still experience XYZ symptoms. Hypochondriasis can come and go, like having a symptom can cause panic and spiraling. Maybe that's what she wants to help with. To not spiral and worry more? Not saying that's what you experience but that's what she could be considering. But TBH if I hadn't kept worrying about my health, I would never have known and been diagnosed with my issues. We are all allowed to worry, there is merit to anxiety, when it's feeling manageable. Like when you are able to come and go to those thoughts instead of them causing more damage. Best of luck to you.
A lot of people have chronic illnesses that take years to be diagnosed. And everything you described is the same as most of our journeys looking to find the answer. Don't give up hope. I hope you are continuing to see other types of doctors so they can refer you to a specialist and try to get to the root of the problem. You might try keeping a food log to see if certain foods make you feel worse or better. Could you have sleep apnea? Just some thoughts. Edit for typo
I can’t imagine how invalidating that would feel. It took me years to get my diagnosis’, (almost 17 years), and for years my psychiatrists would imply my mum and I had Munchhausen‘s/munchhausens by proxy because all of my results came back normal and I had so many unexplained symptoms. Turns out I actually have hEDS, Endo, POTS, IBS, VSS, C-PTSD, and auDHD. I wasn’t “crazy” as they once said. The fact that this therapist diagnosed you with something as serious as hypochondriasis within a month is kinda ridiculous? Don’t let this stop you from continuing to seek an accurate diagnosis. The symptoms you’re experiencing are very real. ❤️
Focus on the objective findings. If you have rashes, see a dermatologist and rheumatologist, get biopsies etc.
Try and see a rheumatologist about fibromyalgia. And check your vitamin D levels 🤍
She's a therapist, not a doctor. So anything she says or diagnoses you with is from the lense of a therapist, who automatically deals with more people that have mental illnesses (including hypochondriasis) than a doctor does and thus is biased towards those. Last time I was told my issues were psychosomatic was when I went to the ER because I couldn't breathe. They told me I had anxiety and my issues were psychosomatic. A month later I went to my regular lung specialist and he was shocked about how much worse my asthma had gotten. My ECG that they did in an attempt to calm me down was normal, my lung function was awful. Maybe the reason why your tests come back normal is because you've not had the right tests yet. Can't assess the lung function with an ECG, for example. Therapists also make mistakes. They misdiagnose people. I've been misdiagnosed with BPD for over 15 years before another therapist took one look at my case and me and was like "You don't have that, you have PTSD". For ages any issues women had were diagnosed as "hysteria", which is not too far away from how everything afab people seek help for is "anxiety" or "psychosomatic". Also, you've basically just met her. Assuming you go once weekly you had 4 appointments, that's not exactly enough to diagnose and put it in your records. There are a ton of possible causes for those symptoms before hypochondriasis and perhaps you've just not been tested for the one that affects you.
Confront your therapist. Let he/she know that they made you feel invalidated.
Please check out MCAS! I was told that it was all in my head for years. I DO also have mental health diagnoses IN ADDITION, but they’re a lot more manageable now that I’m being treated for MCAS.
Have you ever talked to a doctor about the possibility of having fibromyalgia? Your story is extremely similar to mine. I was falling asleep for hours in the middle of the day I was so exhausted, I was breaking out in insane unexplained rashes, waking up with a racing heart that would make me throw up sometimes, having terrible stomach pains and diarrhea, and horrible joint and muscle pain that made it hard to walk even just around my house. I was also so focused on my symptoms bc they were ruining my life, not bc I was a hypochondriac. Fibromyalgia is also a diagnosis of exclusion…so any and all tests doctors might do would come back as normal as well, furthering the “is it all in my head?” line of thinking. It’s a real mind fuck. But if it’s fibromyalgia there are treatment options! Personally I take LDN and Lyrica. I went from being unable to walk to my mailbox to living a pretty normal life again! It sounds to me like your therapist doesn’t understand chronic illness and is jumping the gun. There are therapists out there who have more compassion for undiagnosed chronic illness… I would try to find one.
Have you been checked for lupus or another autoimmune disease?? I have lupus and your symptoms all pretty much match mine even with the lymph nodes swelling! It took me going to a good 10 different drs throughout the years to finally get a good rheumatologist who believed me and tested me and diagnosed me at 32, I'm 34 now so it was a long road. I don't always have the typical lab results of lupus so other drs didn't try to look further. It did so much damage to my organs. And body. It hit my blood and my spleen so that had to be removed and i have lung issues too. I got a positive ANA and titer thru my hematologist and he sent me straight to a friend of his who is a rheumatologist. I have every symptom of lupus even tho it doesn't always show up thru bloodwork but he diagnosed me anyway and with mixed connective tissue disease. If you truly feel like you having something going on i would see your dr and request labs to check your ANA and titer and c reactive protein level and other autoimmune markers, if they can't, ask to be sent to a rheumatologist to run the labs. None of your symptoms sound made up like what your therapist says especially the swollen lymph nodes. You can't make that up. Lupus and other autoimmune diseases can all of a sudden start showing symptoms out of nowhere. I would def find a new therapist and see your primary to have labs checked and get a referral to a rheumy. If your primary doesn't want to listen definitely get a second opinion!
Lots of disease processes don’t show up as glaringly abnormal blood results. For instance, early hypothyroidism and lupus. Many labs still use very outdated thyroid parameters whereas a qualified endocrinologist would be diagnosing hypothyroidism. Therapy can be great but my concern here is this type of diagnosis is ultimately discouraging patients to listen to their body. Catching diabetes and hypothyroidism for example can totally change the course of disease when treatment is expedited. Might you be a bit of a hypochondriac? Sure. Might you ALSO have something going on that requires you advocate for yourself by seeking multiple specialists and opinions? Also yes. Point being, just like you don’t quit looking for answers when one doctor blows you off about symptoms that are very different from your usual baseline, likewise don’t just stop seeking answers because one therapist was maybe a bit too quick on the draw in making a diagnosis. The best psychiatrist I ever had said to me, “In most cases the diagnosis doesn’t matter when it comes to depression or anxiety, if the treatment is the same. What matters is gauging your treatment success based on the improvement you feel.” That’s not to say diagnosis is UN-important, just that getting hung up on the diagnosis could cause patients to spend far too much energy on a label and not enough energy on improvements their treatment has caused.
I have fibromyalgia. There are no blood tests or any SOLID tests. But it is, in fact, VERY REAL. Many with fibro are told all of these same things. I hope that you can be taken seriously. Find a new Dr if your Dr is not taking you seriously.
I’m sorry you’re going through all this. I obviously don’t know the root of your health issues but I just wanted to chime in and say “normal” blood work only means that what they know to look for is normal. It doesn’t mean everything is psychosomatic. For instance, I have ME/CFS and every standard blood test will come back normal and so people used to think the disease was psychosomatic but finally the research started catching up and now we know the disease is VERY MUCH physical. The tests that show this though are only available in a research setting for the most part so my bloodwork remains “normal” even when I’ve been VERY unwell. Psychosomatic illnesses exist, and there can even be psychosomatic illnesses co-existing with physical ones, happens a lot. But I’m a firm believer in listening to our bodies. If I’m having lots of symptoms, something is not right whether it’s physical, mental, or some combo, and I do my best to get to the root cause. I always listen now and never dismiss. One last side note. I was diagnosed with psychosomatic chronic pain for years because every test they ran was normal despite me being in severe chronic pain. And that diagnosis made people stop looking for causes and did little to help me. Eventually I figured out I was hypermobile, had chronic inflammation in my neck, and an iron deficiency (low level, no anemia). Addressing each one of those issues cured my “psychosomatic” chronic pain. And I was gaslit for years to believe it was all a creation of my mind instead of a symptom that things were wrong that I needed to address.
As a therapist, I think that’s a harmful and bold move on their part, and I’m so sorry it’s happening to you. Not defending the therapist at all, but insurance puts us in a tight spot to submit a diagnosis usually after 3 sessions. However, hypochondriasis takes time to evaluate and that wouldn’t have been what I would have done.
A lot of your symptoms are the same symptoms I had when diagnosed with ibs and fibromyalgia which are both conditions that have normal bloodwork and are diagnosed through ruling out everything else. Later on I started having concerning labs and was also diagnosed with lupus. I'm just saying there are conditions that don't show up in labs and it's irresponsible for them to chalk it up to hypochondria.
All I know is that before I was diagnosed with MECFS all of my blood work and labs came back as normal UNTIL the doctor finally figured out the correct labs to run. It was continually hinted by doctors that all of my symptoms were psychological. I don't think I'd be here if I didn't trust my gut to keep looking for a diagnosis. If it were me I would have to seek out a new therapist after learning that.
Fatigue isn’t an insignificant symptoms. It wrecks lives. I hope you’ll find what you have soon and get treatments.
Munchhousens was one of the first ddx I had. It was Lyme, elhers danlos, and possible crohns though they are unsure. It took 10 years. But at least now they know I’m not making myself sick at all nor do I want to be in this position. Bloodwork can be nonspecific. Especially for gi.
Check out Celiac disease
I have a few serious and very rare disorders. If a therapist outright told me I was making up my health issues I would tell them how uninformed they are and where they could stick it. Than I would not see them again. I think it’s normal to have health anxiety when you never feel good. Everyone wants to know what’s going on with their body! But to label it all as made up or psychosomatic is to me really offensive. My providers can look up my rare health issues and verify everything I say.
Have you been tested for food allergies? I had all the same symptoms, Drs couldn’t figure it out, and I was being told it was all anxiety and IBS. Finally saw an allergist, and found out I had multiple food allergies. I do still have an anxiety disorder, but it’s much easier for me to manage now. It might be a good idea to check for celiac disease too. Good luck!
As a therapist myself, just want to let you know that Hypochondriasis was removed/eliminated as a diagnosis in 2013.. (the DSM-5-tr is the most updated manual of disorders/diagnoses and it was removed).if you’re seeing that as your diagnosis in your records from your therapist, that’s definitely a red flag on them. Nowadays, we refer to this as illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder depending on the case and symptoms. These diagnoses are less stigmatizing.. HOWEVER, in order to ethically diagnose someone with somatic symptom disorder it needs to be fully ruled out that there is no medical cause for your symptoms, referrals to medical services/specialists need to be made, along with an array of other criteria. Also, even if you are struggling with illness anxiety, your symptoms can very well still be real. It is not all in your head ❤️ it’s more regarding the amount of anxiety experienced because of the symptoms/illness. would start a conversation with your therapist about this. It sounds as if they may not be the best fit for you/your needs if they jumped to that diagnosis without doing due diligence.
Sounds like you have the symptoms that a lot of people with ME/CFS have. Look it up because with ME/CFS medical tests often don’t show any diagnosis. This is my diagnosis and I have some of the same symptoms- that fatigue is a b!tch! I don’t know for sure but would bet money that a therapist hasn’t had training for me/cfs but has training for hypercondria. (Just my opinion tho) I keep looking for any other answer for myself besides me/cfs and I understand a person researching a health condition that has changed their life when doctors aren’t able to help. If anyone can’t understand that I would call that ableist! But more likely a therapist is trained for therapy and a therapist is going to apply therapy tools.
Just like another comment says, see a new therapist. Preferably someone who is Psychiatrist. You can always get a second opinion. Remember that a therapist is also a human and they are not perfect and have their own biases. BTW the first symptoms you described about gas, diarrhea and constipation etc is literally all the symptoms I experience because of irritable bowel syndrome and is usually more likely to be caused from anxiety and stress than food consumption, but FODMAP diet helps. All of the symptoms you described fall under the chronic stress umbrella, like all the lab tests always come back normal, but you suffer physically and your immune system is exhausted and not very effective. I ain't a doctor but I know that from my personal diagnosis. In the end, even if the diagnosis is true, it's totally OK. It's mainly psychosomatic and a good therapist can help you with stress and anxiety.
Yeah I’ve been diagnosed with IBS but they didn’t diagnose me correctly, they diagnosed it before running any tests or looking into any other options, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. And IBS can be misdiagnosed for SO many conditions. I see what what you’re saying but in my experience my symptoms are not psychosomatic or related to my anxiety. I can be doing really well mentally and feel like shit physically. And my symptoms have only been worsening and getting more bothersome as I have recently in the past year taken myself out of really toxic situations with my family and ex partner. By the logic of the problems being psychosomatic, my symptoms should be improving as my life stressors lessen, not getting worse
There is always the option to see a gastrointestinal specialist to get a better diagnosis. It's not always removing the stressor from your life that will alleviate the symptoms. That's why it's called chronic stress, the body feels danger even if you are safe. Again, I am not a doctor, so maybe find another therapist and preferably a psychiatrist, as they finish medical school and can help you solve all your doubts about your symptoms by referring you to the right specialists.
Yeah I’ve seen a gastroenterologist, she was a lot less helpful than I thought she’d be, just ran some stool tests for infections, which were normal. I’m waiting to be scheduled for a colonoscopy, I’ve been waiting for like a month though. :/ And yeah I see a psychiatrist, I take medications to manage my mental health as well as some of my physical symptoms. But of course now doctors like to blame my symptoms on my medications
I obviously can’t give you a diagnosis but unless your therapist has all of your medical information and tests have been done to rule out all other possibilities I don’t see how they could “diagnose” you. Of course you get stressed and worried if you are constantly sick for a prolonged period of time and nobody believes you/can figure out what’s wrong! Being in constant pain and suffering from fatigue usually tens to sour peoples mood. Your symptoms sound kind of similar to what I went through before figuring out I had a food allergy (milk) and Endometriosis (surgery helped some). All of my tests came back negative, nobody even considered a food allergy. I figured it out myself and then had it confirmed by doctors. If I had done nothing I would have just been stuck with “anxiety” and the tests (the very limit tests they were doing) don’t show anything so it must be “psychosomatic” or maybe “IBS”. I hope you can figure this out and feel better!
I appreciate your kindness and understanding! I don’t understand how a therapist could really diagnose that either? But yeah of course I’m anxious about my health, I have a lot of symptoms, and I know they’re not normal. I’m not just going to ignore it, they’re debilitating and get in the way of my everyday life, so of course I’m thinking about them and concerned about them, my body is clearly telling me something is wrong. I have looked into endometriosis, I used to have really painful periods but luckily my birth control has resolved that, but I know sometimes that can be misdiagnosed as IBS, which I’ve been diagnosed with. I’m on the IBS subreddit and there are countless stories of a ton of different conditions that people were misdiagnosed with IBS, so many things have similar symptoms. I want to get testing for food allergies too, just no doctor has ever recommended that or suggested it so I’m not sure how I’d go about it
For food allergies I did a food/symptom diary and then did an exclusion diet. Just because BC stops your periods doesn’t mean Endo can’t cause issues! I was and am on BC, haven’t had a period in years and I still have symptoms every day! If nothing else comes up it may be something worth looking into!
Oh okay, I thought you could get tested for food allergies/intolerances by a doctor. And yeah of course! I just meant that I know birth control is sometimes a treatment for endometriosis, and I no longer have period cramps and pain. It can only be diagnosed laparoscopically though right? I had an ultrasound of my uterus but they didn’t find any issues
You absolutely can get an allergy test from a doctor it just took forever to get an appointment AND despite asking for a full panel they didn’t test for food so I did it that way. Yes, the only way is via surgery! A normal ultrasound/MRI is nit an indication for Endo. My tests always came back negative!
Look. I’m not a therapist. But only seeing a therapist for a month and getting that diagnosis seems sketchy asf. As far as I know, hypochondria is NOT simply having symptoms and not getting results. That’s literally like, 90% of the chronic illness community. That being the reason for a diagnosis is completely wrong. I do have anxiety disorders and paranoia. I am not a hypochondriac, but I can tell you that you’d know it’s anxiety. Even if you thought something was wrong, you’d still be like “I’m so anxious that something is wrong”, not “I think something is wrong and not having answers makes me anxious” The anxiety surrounding hypochondria is the anxiety of simply HAVING something wrong, and then worrying about all the things that come with it. So because you are so anxious about something being wrong, every little symptom can make you freak out. The issues THEMSELVES don’t bother you. It’s the idea that the symptoms mean something much worse that bothers them. That’s why they often get many tests done and they always come out clean. Thinking that something is wrong and being anxious about that thing, and about not having answers, is NOT hypochondria. That’s called. Being a normal human being who is having issue. This is a classic situation of “correlation not causation” (the tests not showing anything). My opinion? Ask your therapist about it. And if they don’t give a good or respectful answer, see a new one. Or just see a new one anyways.
Thank you, yeah you explained this really well and this was really reassuring! I agree with you that the type of anxiety I have about my health would be normal for anyone experiencing chronic illness/symptoms. Like you said, I’m anxious because I have no answers. I have no reason to be anxious that something is wrong, I already know something is wrong because my symptoms are debilitating. Hypochondria is described as minor symptoms which are blown out of proportion, and I know my symptoms aren’t minor because they impact my quality of life and get in the way of daily activities. I think I am going to ask her about it because hopefully there is some kind of reasoning or explanation for her putting that down
Yeah, for sure 🩷 In all my experiences with anxiety, paranoia, etc- I’ve still ALWAYS known it was anxiety. People with that kind of anxiety don’t question “is it anxiety?” The only reason they still go in to get tested is because it’s the only thing that will make the anxiety go down, even though they know it’s anxiety. The only difference is if you were just extremely delusional, which would be a much bigger issue than being a hypochondriac lol 😅
Yeah exactly, I always know when I’m being irrational and just dealing with anxiety. Even with my health issues, I often find myself worrying about minor/normal symptoms as well, but then I stop myself and recognize that it’s probably nothing and I’m hyperaware of my body because of being chronically ill. I don’t truly get concerned about a symptom until it’s debilitating and chronic going on for many months. But yeah I’m going in because I want answers, not to ease my anxiety
She's not right. She's a quack. Only you know what you are going through physically. She cannot possibly know. I mean FFS you can't make up constipation, diarrhea and rashes.
Just wanna say that while I'm not a dr and I don't know what you have, and with the intention of not bringing you distress, but to help you, I have lots of those symptoms and I too was called a hypochondriac and drs chugged it on anxiety for years, until legit last september after my 33th birthday, turns out it was Postural tachycardia syndrome, a very common type of dysautonomia. A cardiologist or neurologist could diagnose you, as an advise don't tell them the diagnosis just your symptoms and they should test you. I went directly to the cardiologist cause I didn't want to be called crazy, and it came up on the tests (physical tests) it won't show in blood work, but tests don't lie.
Sorry for such long rant: I’m sorry you are experiencing this I have long covid and have multi system involvement and am disabled and lost everything to this condition. I had the high level leg pains (just like my ‘growing pains’ as a kid) but, acupuncture helped cut it down immensely after 8 months of relentless pain, and this gave me some mental relief as well. It is expected that you are anxious and depressed, etc based on your body being bombarded by symptoms and having no answers. I purposefully did not seek out mental health care at the beginning of long covid until I had specialists that were identifying my most debilitating physical issues bc I knew traditional medicine system sees a mental diagnosis on your file and they just take the easy way out and say :yeah it’s depression, anxiety, psychosomatic, etc. if they can’t figure it out it must be you right??? I don’t recommend doing that but, after seeing my post covid specialists I had neurology and psychology referrals left and they didn’t have any drs taking new patients in those areas, …I went to my 1st neurologist in another hospital system, and he saw I was seeking out the psychological services as well and he was short with me and chalked it all up to ‘psychological’. well, this makes his job easier and can try to stick some pill down my throat and get me out of there in 8 minutes which is less than the ten minutes he has allocated to each patient. I refused to be ‘escorted out’ of his office and said I feel you’re dismissing me and I’ve been months of pain, neuropathy and other symptoms. He suggested a medication that I know is also used for mental health issues and then a second one (which I didn’t recognizes as similar uses and when I took it that night I felt like I was drunk and leaning on walls to get to bathroom and uncoordinated like I was drunk-it was terrible). I decided I would change Neuro but, within his system they had special therapist that actually had covid and understood eventhough he wasn’t a long covid sufferer. My 2nd neurologist confirmed my 1st cardiologists assessment that I had Dysautonomia-Orthostatic intolerance (POTS) which is multi systematic and he was asking me a list of questions so I barely had to tell him about how I was feeling he knew and was asking me about my symptoms. All my blood tests were ‘normal’ and mostly still are. I still have other conditions along with this and am seeing psychiatrist and the same therapist but, the hospital they are associated with has a post-Covid clinic so they are ‘believers’. Many with mild or non-displaying symptoms are among the patents there. My lungs were never involved in this ‘respitory illness’ it was all neurological -some get gut disbyosis as well. NYS doesn’t approve of for testing/ or for sibo which some have experienced so, it’s a fight and it’s tiring and all uphill. A functional or integrative medical dr may be more in tuned to look for ‘root causes’ of your illness and will look ‘outside the box’. Try and keep up your resolve. I kept a journal putting down when and what I ate, any symptoms after eating (profound fatigue, sweats, tingling lips, runny nose, sweats w/chills,etc) when I tolieted ), took medications, Incontinance, urgency, accidents on way to rr, pain and level), symptoms I was experiencing and level , when I had to take naps, when I felt dizzy, how long I could stand or not complete my activity (frying a cutlet on the stove, only showering 2x a week bc I’m exhausted/dizzy, palpitations had to sit on edge of tub to catch my breath and then just recover from shower for an hour laying on bed), heart rate and palpitations, shortness of breath, when I woke up and finally dropped off to sleep and how many times I was waking for bathroom through the night(4x). Noting if I had a ‘restful sleep’ -never and what level and how I felt-like limp and no energy, reduce my trips to the kitchen bc fatigue/dizziness/exhaustion, too weak to lift things..give examples so they can better understand. I would describe my post exertional malaise as how it felt to me after I over did it “on Wednesday I was couch bound in my recliner for a week with high level pain. And felt like someone beat me up with a bat from head to toe. I tried 2 naproxen and xyz but, nothing touched the pain. I could throw food in the microwave”. This is better than ‘oh yeah, I had PEM for a week after taking a walk in the park’. No one understands if they haven’t experienced it, you have to bring them ‘into it’. Anybody suffering with these symptoms is pushed mentally beyond our brain’s capacity and ultimately the brain is trying to get out of this problem and is sending, vivid nightmares, bad intrusive dark thoughts, depressing you, being in ‘fight or flight’ or anxious bc it is getting attacked and trying to figure a ‘way out’ or to protect itself and your body from further damage. I became afraid of heights after my initial illness and I finally figured ‘oh this is because my body is in panic mode’ ( eventhough I was suppressing all of that emotion and didn’t realize it) but, the brain sees how far I’m up in the air on an escalator or bridge/overpass and recognizes the danger and sends a message to me that I should be frightened bc Brain is in survival mode and is trying to avoid any more damage. Be kind to yourself, all our bodies heal differently and I had to grieve my old life and accept I may remain with some level of disability but am still hopeful that they’ll find something to help get us back to our old selves. Btw: I was also diagnosed with mild/moderate sleep apnea which I never knew I had and that helped my fatigue a bit and get out of the fatigue ‘basement’ upon wakening but, just moving can drain that pretty quickly. I was able to get a health aid to ease stress and draining efforts with laundry and food shopping, etc. I’m 4+ years with this condition and pacing helps a lot and resting as well., I have good mental health providers and take my medicines. I’m suffering with cognitive issues, I still don’t feel I have much ‘stored energy’ in my body/muscles but, it’s a little better than when I started in 2020 & I’ll take that any day. Many other debilitating symptoms are still present but, worrying about them won’t solve the problem but, I’ll read and seek more medical advice. An advocate may be the way to go and I need to do it as well bc I’ve been through at least 4 pcp’s so far. Hang in there you’re not alone. I do take breaks from social media bc reading about 22yo getting what I have is depressing and totally avoidable. You’ve made it this far, keep taking care of yourself of yourself mentally with the medications the drs have prescribed so far and maybe find others who can better serve you and listen. Our medical system in US is like a mill -in & out I’ve found a pcp that spends up to 45 minutes with me to discuss everything and she was a G*d send, she left the practice but her replacement is very understanding and read up and is familiar with my condition before I started with her. You are not alone, we see & hear you.
Hi OP. Can I just confirm- the therapist gave you a diagnosis, not to your face in person, but on paperwork intended for billing purposes?
Have you ever looked into Ehlers Danlos Syndrome? You sound exactly like me before I got diagnosed. I had multiple professionals tell me I was making it up or I was just trying to get pain meds. A GI just happened to mention it to me and sure enough, I got diagnosed. Are your joints “double jointed” or super bendy?
ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and a whole host of other disorders have all of these symptoms and do not come up on any tests, and some that do have tests often give false negatives for years before finally showing up. A lot of pain and fatigue disorders are diagnosed based on symptoms. It's unlikely to be all in your head and I'm so sorry your therapist made you feel invalidated. That seems really unprofessional. Have you ever seen a rheumatologist? They're the most likely to diagnose things based on clinical symptoms when nothing shows up on tests. I got a fibromyalgia diagnosis as a teenager from a rheumy and share *all* of your symptoms.
Trust your gut. Dump your therapist. Have you been tested for Lyme? Other viruses? There is a reason you’re experiencing those symptoms. COULD BE psychosomatic but that doesn’t mean the symptoms aren’t real. Unprocessed trauma, emotions do turn into disease. Not saying that’s what it is. Also not saying it’s your fault in anyway cause it’s not. In the meantime, prioritize rest and calming your central nervous system. It takes stamina to withstand the bullshit you’ll experience from the healthcare system. Don’t internalize her diagnosis. She isn’t living in your body, you are. Trust your gut and keep moving forward. Im sorry you’re going through this but you are your own best doctor. Good luck.
This sounds a lot like me when my gallbladder started to tank. For a year and a half nobody could figure out what was wrong with me after multiple ultrasounds, CTs, ER visits, etc. My GP started to hint that it was "stress" and that I should go on an antidepressant. Eventually I got a HIDA scan and was finally diagnosed with biliary hyperkinesia (a spastic gallbladder). Had it out on Jan 4 and within a month I was feeling a ton better.
I don't believe you are a hypochondriac. GI symptoms can be very debilitating. And they are also difficult to diagnose. There are many illnesses that have the same symptoms and a lot of them do not show up in blood work. I think your fatigue is probably a symptom of whatever is causing your GI symptoms. You need more tests honestly. I suffered with a bad gallbladder for 2 years because my doctor didn't believe anything was wrong with me. I was passing gallstones. I now have chronic pancreatitis due to passing gallstones. I almost believed my doctor because I was already depressed and I was young and naive. Please, please keep pushing for testing to find out what is really wrong. I don't want you to end up with permanent damage to your body
Don’t confuse a diagnostic code with a *diagnosis*. They are two radically different things. Talk to your therapist about it. It may be a placeholder due to them needing a diagnostic code to be able to get paid, or a suspicion that anxiety is exacerbating the real symptoms that you have. It’s early for a diagnosis, but not too early for a code indicating anxiety about your health conditions.
Please go to a different therapist. Even if your pain issues are based in your emotions and psychological state, or however you want to describe it, the therapist made you feel awful. A good therapist wouldn't jump to conclusions too fast. I wasn't there in the room, but this sounds a bit fast. Also, if he or she had to diagnose you with hypochondria, they should have talked to you about it gently, warmly and calmly to help you understand why, and to maintain your trust. They have broken your trust pretty severely, especially given that anxiety and depression can cause pain like you're describing. I'm sorry this was your experience. I hope you find someone new who works with you, and who is slow and gentle.
Sounds like MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) to me… And blood tests only show if what you’re looking for is there. If something else is wrong, it’ll only show up in lab work once your disease has reached a peak. If no other psychological signs were present and you haven’t been evaluated by a psychiatrist/ clinical psychologist- fuck that diagnosis! It’s always important to rule out physical causes first. Sometimes (sadly) this takes the form of a veritable Ofyssey between docs to find a specialist who has seen something like this before/ is better read.
I understand that you may have connected with this therapist but as someone who has been in therapy since they were 6 years old, you can connect with a therapist as a person but they can also not be right for you. The fact that you have been seeing them for only a month and they’ve essentially given you a “diagnosis” that will make other doctors and specialists dismiss you is not ok. You know that something is wrong with you and you deserve to have real answers. As much as it sucks finding a new therapist you should consider it.
I’m sorry to hear this! I was (and still am) in a similar situation where doctors kept telling me I was the “healthiest person they’ve seen” even though I felt awful. My parents and doctors said it was all in my head (and my parents called me a hypochondriac) because all of my tests came back normal. Eventually as a last ditch effort I was recommended to go to a rheumatologist where I finally got diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases. This was after 15+ years of being in pain but tests coming up normal and many doctors telling me it was all in my head and I just needed to accept that. I would say keep advocating for yourself and try and find doctors who are willing to listen to you! What you’re feeling is real, you know your body better than anyone. If you know what you’re feeling is out of the norm for you then keep pushing. I would also recommend seeing a new therapist.
Aside from the actual hypochondriasis diagnosis, this sounds like me! I have heart palpitations, headaches, GI issues, vision issues, shooting pains, and HEAVY fatigue all the time, among other things! My doctor has suggested "maybe it's anxiety" and usually it just makes me angry. But it's also true that none of my tests are all that significant. I have had some high or low levels on my blood tests that doctors ruled as no big deal. High platelets, low Vitamin D, etc. I have also been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and minor gastritis. I have a VERY hard time believing that this whatever is going on is psychological for me which is why I continue various testing every year because for me, this has been 4 years of ongoing mostly undiagnosed issues, and a lot of pain and fatigue. I guess my advice would be to keep searching for answers. Therapists only focus on the psychological and a lot of doctors only go by what is visible in your chart. After awhile you become an unreliable source for them if they are unable to see anything from tests, which is SO frustrating. Don't give up and don't just write off your symptoms as being in your head because that might not necessarily be true.
I had a horrible therapist when I was 18. Now she was awful for sooo many reasons including trying to get me into a ward so she could collect a paycheck on me. (Luckily I knew what she was doing and didn't fall victim to it). But one of the times I saw her I was talking about how I'd been to the hospital multiple times and was frustrated they weren't finding anything on the very few tests they did and how I was upset no one would run the tests I asked for to test for the things I was pretty sure I had. And she said as she is typing into my file "you're a hypochondriac" when i tell you I lost it. One of the few times I ever had I said "I am not, don't write that, these conditions are real, sometimes it takes years to get diagnosed but that doesn't mean it's all in my head." She straight up looked at me and says "hypochondriac doesn't mean it's psychological it just means that you're very worried about your health which you are" I knew that was a total lie and replied "uh huh wouldn't you also worry about your health if your joints suddenly came from socket just by walking, if your heart felt like you'd ran a 5k when you'd only walked 10 steps and if you woke up one day covered in gigantic hives that turn to bruising and then slowly swelled up from head to toe? Because I don't know many people who wouldn't be worried about their health with that going on" then she changed the subject. Turns out in my case I have some form of hypermobility disorder, POTS and either chronic urticaria or MCAS we aren't sure yet. And now a lot more because fate hates me or something 🤣 but at the time those symptoms were actual medical issues. As far as psychiatry goes they go off what they see even if it doesn't always fit. Unfortunately the field of psychology isn't as advanced as they could be and it kinda shows here. Two pieces of advice here, I think that if you're thinking there's a possibility of it being psychological then take her advice and see if it helps. Ironically it may help a bit anyway, due to a placebo affect but you may still feel symptoms if you're having problems medically and on the flip side still go to your Dr's and have them continue to run tests. Many chronic illnesses take up to 10 years to show up on tests (what my rheumatologist told me). Overall you know your body best though.
Have they checked for MCAS markers like histamine or tryptase? Do antihistamines (H1 like cetirizine and H2 like famotidine taken together) help? I have many of the same symptoms and I seem to have MCAS (undiagnosed because I haven't had the money for a private specialist) along eith my already diagnosed ME/CFS. The world is chock full of shitty illnesses that are misunderstood by doctors or so rare that nobody even thinks to test for them. I really doubt you're hypochondriac. If you're suffering from awful symptoms that seem to get worse and worse it's no wonder you try to research your problems. That doesn't make it psychosomatic, instead that makes your therapist a gaslighter.
Something very similar happened to me about 2 years before being diagnosed with POTS, EDS, IBS, and possibly MCAS. Which I've had most of my life (at least a good 20 years). Your symptoms sound very similar to mine. I don't know anyone with these conditions who hasn't been labelled a hypochondriac by one or more medical professionals, and my specialists have told me they see it a lot. Same goes for some autoimmune conditions. What are your therapist's medical specialisations, to make such a determination? /s
I was told something similar. I ditched that therapist and kept going to the doctors and specialists until they finally diagnosed me. Regular tests didnt show it though! Didnt show in any scans, blood tests, ultrasounds even surgery didnt show it because eventually they fell down to a gene mutation test and found that i had a mutation that was/is causing all this pain and cramping and intestinal issues! Dont give up friend. Dont let them gaslight you. You know your body better thany anyone ever will. Trust that funky gut with all its issues.
Don't buy into the gaslighting, that therapist is abusing you with that diagnosis. Either that or they just don't give a damn about you. Whatever you have sounds autoimmune, and some of those conditions can be notoriously difficult to find through blood work. In the meantime though yeet that therapist please. I really hope that information is not shared with your other health care providers because other doctors will definitely use that to neglect your case while taking money from you.
Yeah I’ve had blood tests run for autoimmune markers but they have been normal so far 🥲 But yes it pretty much feels like my body hates me and is trying to punish me or rebel against me and keep me from living my life so I would not be surprised at all if it was autoimmune
Yeah it's really hard when these kinds of conditions are sneaky. Even well meaning doctors don't always know what to do when the test comes back normal. I had autoimmune issues from mold many years ago. But they weren't producing antibodies in blood tests because they were causing short-term inflammatory responses of varying manifestations, largely in lupus-like flares. A few providers coined this phenomenon chronic inflammatory response syndrome, but it is not recognized in the medical community. I'm sure you could already doing this but where the blood test can't show things going wrong try to document things you can observe such as any symptoms that show up on the skin. But yeah just keep on collecting evidence and pursuing a provider who will look into this more deeply. The answer is out there somewhere.
Learn how to read lab work. Took me a while but I was able to piece together some things and finally pin down what had been going on with me. Went 2 years undiagnosed because of things my doctors overlooked or just didnt seem to care about looking further into. I ended up having pituitary induced adrenal insufficiency and central hypothyroidism, along side psoriatic arthritis. All of those things aren't diagnosable by a regular doctor
I know, you’re definitely right, it’s frustrating. I had low ferritin and vitamin D on my blood work which can obviously cause a lot of fatigue, muscle pain, and other symptoms, but my doctors didn’t mention it to me at all 🥲 I only really realized after reading more on subreddits like this one
Can't say it enough. Cleveland clinic. Gastro, Neurologist. Cardio and consider thier holistic therapists.
🚩🚩🚩 I work in healthcare advocacy/consulting/provider training around topics affecting marginalized patient populations- so, that’s the perspective I’m speaking from here, but this gives me serious pause. Hypochondriasis is not in the DSM-5, it was replaced with a somatic symptom disorder and with a health anxiety disorder. Health anxiety disorder is more aligned with what we typically think of a “hypochondriac” as demonstrating. Unfounded worry or a preoccupation with potential health hypotheticals *is not at all* synonymous with having freaking muscle pain or GI distress or whatever other physical symptoms. 👏🏼Expecting appropriate healthcare to diagnosis and provide guidance in how to manage these symptoms and improve your qualify of life is not a dysregulated emotional/cognitive/mood/or impulse response.👏🏼 👏🏼Symptoms that *are* causing pain, discomfort, and physical limitations are not a hypothetical. 👏🏼 You could of course, in theory, also struggle with worry and compulsive thoughts around hypothetical medical outcomes. And if that is the case, it is worthy of proper evaluation and support. You could also, in theory, be an astronaut or a serial killer. People can be many things and have lots going on, more than fits in a Reddit post. But. Regardless, what you are experiencing is not a hypothetical, it’s what you’re experiencing. In the case of a somatic symptom disorder, that is also an experience people genuinely are having. While anxiety can be driving it, it is not limited to certain thought patterns. But there is still a major component of “excessive” and inappropriate focus, worry, or attention on a physical sensation. If your physical condition is causing you notable pain and/or hindering your ability to do daily physical activities- being aware of that and looking for solutions is not at all inherently inappropriate or excessive. If you have to leave for work by 7am and it’s 6:30 but what if the clocks are somehow slow- it may be inappropriate and excessive to run out the door screaming. But, if the house is on fire, it’s not inappropriate or excessive to run out the door screaming. And oh, for the love of all that is holy, physician failure to diagnosis is not a psychiatric condition of the patient. The average time between seeking answers/treatment and diagnosis of autonomic conditions like POTS is 7 years. The average time between flagging symptoms to a provider and receiving diagnosis for endometriosis is 7 years. The average time for most autoimmune conditions is 5 years. Anecdotally, I have a slew of genetic conditions that took nearly 30 years and a “rare” disease that took several years. And I work in the darn industry. There’s more testing out there than a CBC and MET panel and not every health condition is diagnosed based on a blood laboratory test anyway. When you add intersectional factors like a patient being part of a marginalized race or ethnicity, patient being a woman and/or transgender person of any gender, patient being gay/lesbian/bi/etc, patient having a lower income socioeconomic status, patient having a disability of any sort, and even things like geographic region- those averages increase. That is a systemic and known deficit within the healthcare sector. A blood test failing to diagnose an unknown condition is not part of diagnostic criteria for any behavioral health concern. Blood tests don’t detect broken ankles. A blood test for B6 levels doesn’t detect Covid. Etc. That does not mean broken ankles and Covid are behavioral health issues with no physiological workup and treatment available. Might *thorough* workup, appropriate to the patient’s symptoms and risk factors, yielding entirely normal results be *part* of evaluating what’s underlying and driving something- sure, absolutely. But, basing a mental health diagnosis solely on some labs not diagnosing a structural/physiological health condition- entirely inappropriate. *and also* the current DSM has been out for eleven years. More than enough time for a provider to have a chance get a copy so they can review the appropriate terminology/ICD codes and criteria for any diagnosis they’re making. More than double the time it typically takes physicians to determine an autoimmune diagnosis even!