It is not easy for any mother to cope with a hypochondriac child. And keep in mind that for him or her the situation is not being easy either. The Hypochondriac children overestimate what they feel. They show an abnormal preoccupation with suffering what, for others, would be a simple blow, a stomach ache or a cold. They live this situation with such anxiety that they begin to have the belief that something serious is happening to them.
In this article we will help you and your child, and show you some of the main symptoms of hypochondria. But remember, your child may be a hypochondriac, or it may be manipulative, and is pretending for other shortcomings. Sometimes hypochondria linked to affective disorders can be triggered.
Causes and symptoms of hypochondria
For sure we do not know the cause of hypochondria, it is believed that there is a genetic factor that causes it, it may also be because the child in question is hypersensitive, or that he has gone through the experience of a sick relative. It is also logical that if any of the parents, or relatives with whom he lives, is a hypochondriac, the child emulates that behavior.
This type of disorder manifests more after eight or nine years of age. Some of the symptoms that your hypochondriac child manifests, and that you can confirm is the exaggeration in pain, the frequent belief that they have a serious condition, suffer anxiety, fear.
To hypochondria it is given the value of pathology. We must give it the attention and importance it deserves, and offer our child the tools to help him handle the situation. We recommend you consult with a psychologist. In general, cognitive-behavioral therapy is applied, to offer guidelines and to work with the child and the family to overcome their fears, but there are others.
What does a hypochondriac child feel?
Note that a hypochondriac child is constantly in anxiety and hyperactivity aimed at detecting diseases that put your health at risk, or that of the people around you. Keep in mind that he lives with intense and recurring fear. In reality, your anxiety focuses on the danger or threat coming from your own body, which is perceived as fragile or sickly.
Since COVID-19 has been installed in our lives, fears of getting sick have increased. Children are no strangers to them, many boys and girls they live worried about their health and that of their relatives. The advantage is that safety and security protocols and that environments have become more controlled has helped hypochondriacal children to calm down.
It is important that you know that hypochondria it is treated, it can be reduced or cured, therefore, maintaining a passive attitude, and considering that it is part of the child's personality does not benefit him. The family, educational professionals and, if necessary, professional support are key and indispensable factors.
Tips to help you with your hypochondriac child
The first action we should take if you suspect that your child is a hypochondriac is give the importance that the child's health situations require. You must rule out, with the visit to the pediatrician, that there are really no symptoms associated with the disease or ailment that he claims to have.
Once confirmed that there is no disease, convince the child that nothing is wrong. Don't give him medicine, or placebo if he doesn't need it. If he falls tell him that he is fine, that nothing has happened to him, the same with the rain, if he gets a little wet he will not turn into pneumonia. As a mother we have to prepare her mind to be an independent and stable adult, without fear.
Work with him or her at the communication level each situation that arises. Exercise the ability to transform negative thoughts into reasonable judgments. Try to relativize what happens. For example, you can tell him that the last time he felt a pain was not important, that it passed quickly. And above all, do not fall into the trap of not taking him to school. If you don't want to go, find out why.