“My mother seems to be obsessed with her health. Is this abnormal”
My mother believes something is totally wrong with her and I am unable to figure out what it is. Could it be a psychiatric problem?
13 Answers
Yes, it could be a psychiatric problem that can be treated. For instance, panic disorder frequently presents like this. I would recommend she see a general psychiatrist just for his or her opinion and recommendations.
Yes, it could be psychological in nature. But my rule has always been that you must rule out all physical causes before you can be sure it is psychological.
It could be. You would need to schedule an evaluation to be sure
Insisting on having an illness in spite of negative medical facts can be delusional. If she says she has a specific illness that her doctor has proven non existent, then we are dealing with a somatic delusion.
Victor M. Santiago-Noa, MD
Victor M. Santiago-Noa, MD
First, how old is mom? If she is elderly, maybe there truly is something wrong. I assume you have taken her to various doctors & had blood work done: thyroid, chem panel, cbc, etc.? If not, take her in & get those done first, ask her primary care doc if he/she thinks your mom has a psych problem, if the the labs are all normal, you also should prob. get an EKG. You need to be more specific, too. "Totally wrong" is quite vague. Try to pin down exactly what she means by that. If primary care thinks she has psych prob, make an appt or get a referral to psych ASAP. It is impossible to diagnose a patient without a proper evaluation, in person. By both primary care and by a psychiatrist. She might also need a psychologist, LMFT, or LCSW. Hard to tell.
Good luck.
Good luck.
If nothing found organically/medically, it could be potentially psychological, which is psychiatry is termed as somatic disorders. But before labeling with psychiatric disorder, we have to make sure we have ruled out possible medical conditions.
Not really! As we get old, we start to think about death, etc. Plus, television and magazines can make us think about certain things. But, if she is or becomes obsessed as of going to the doctors all the time, etc., then that can be a problem. If she is eating very healthy and things like that, then she is fine.
It depends on your mother's health. But if she is healthy and is obsessed with her health she might be suffering from hypochodriasis (a mental disorder) which is a condition in which a person is excessively worried abut having a serious illness. Psychotherapy might be helpful in identifying her irrational thoughts and help her cope with anxiety.
Hello,
Please do make sure that your mother has had a thorough medical examination to ensure that all of her symptoms have been addressed by her physician. In the course of that process, her medical doctor can be your ally in trying to figure out whether this is more of an emotional condition and can make referrals accordingly. You don't need to figure it out by yourself.
Please do make sure that your mother has had a thorough medical examination to ensure that all of her symptoms have been addressed by her physician. In the course of that process, her medical doctor can be your ally in trying to figure out whether this is more of an emotional condition and can make referrals accordingly. You don't need to figure it out by yourself.
Sometimes it can be a psychological disorder where people can do things for attention or sometimes people can have a connection deep within
Yes
It can possibly be a psychiatric problem when a person holds a fixed unshakable belief that there is something wrong with them. But the most important thing for a physician to rule out will be an actual physical illness. Such situations are best handled with a good collaboration between a psychiatrist and a primary care physician.
Take a look at this link:
https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/health-anxiety-what-it-and-how-beat-it
Also, consider her seeing a psychologist who deals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder issues.
https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/health-anxiety-what-it-and-how-beat-it
Also, consider her seeing a psychologist who deals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder issues.
