Today, a lot of health information is available online. This easy availability of information makes it a new habit for people to seek information on diseases or about media via the internet.
But no one thought that this habit also brought a bad side, namely the emergence of fear or anxiety . To be precise, those who too often find out about diseases via the internet will create fear because they believe that they have serious and even deadly health conditions.
The condition is called cyberchondria, referring to the anxiety that a person feels about their health that is caused or is exacerbated by using the internet to seek medical information.
1. Symptoms
Cyberchondria is not a formal diagnosis, so there are no official symptoms that indicate the diagnostic criteria for cyberchondria. Reported signs differ between sources. According to a 2016 study published in the journal Psychosomatics, symptoms of cyberchondria to look out for include:
Spend 1 to 3 hours researching disease symptoms online.
Searching online causes feelings of depression and anxiety, rather than a sense of relief or empowerment.
The need to seek health information online is compulsive and hard to resist.
Feeling of having several illnesses, not just one or two.
Feel the need to seek reassurance from a doctor.
Don’t trust the answers you get from a medical professional.
Feel the need to recheck symptoms online, even after doing a thorough search beforehand.
2. Cause
According to the GoodTherapy page, individuals with depression or anxiety are more likely to experience cyberchondria. This is also common among first-time mothers as it is very common for them to do online research about their baby.
This is exacerbated by the existence of sites that intentionally create fear in the audience so that later they will want to buy the goods or services offered. These factors can convince people that their generalized or vague symptoms are signs of a serious medical condition. Misinformation can increase anxiety, which in turn can effectively make symptoms appear worse.
3. How does cyberchondria affect a person?
According to GoodTherapy, an obsession with pain can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. Cyberchondria causes higher stress levels, which in turn can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, muscle tension, and a weakened immune system.
Cyberchondria can also cause non-medical problems, such as broken relationships with family and friends because they are tired of hearing about a person’s health problems or worries.
Cyberchondria can also ruin a person’s career because of their illness. Cyberchondria can also cause financial problems, whether as a result of losing your job, having online medical consultations, or having frequent medical tests.
4. Steps to be taken to overcome
PsychCentral advises stopping looking for health information on the internet if you think you have cyberchondria. Although health-related information is not inherently harmful, obsessions can be a significant source of anxiety.
If you’re looking for health information online, it’s a good idea to choose your source carefully. Sources of information that can be accounted for usually provide explanations based on scientific evidence and not opinions, also more empathize with the condition of the reader.
5. Handling for people with cyberchondria
Here are some things you can do if you have cyberchondria according to the Healthline page:
Don’t beat yourself up: Your obsession with searching for information online can cause you to blame yourself. The best way to get out of this feeling is to talk to a friend or someone who has empathy about your fears.
Question your beliefs: This involves questioning the beliefs that stress you out, reversing them, and providing evidence as to why they aren’t true.
Relax your body: Take deep breaths and release stress on various parts of your body. Sometimes guided meditation also helps with this problem.
Talk to your doctor or psychologist about your fears: Talking to your doctor or psychologist about your concerns will allow them to help you draw conclusions and reduce your fears.
It is not easy to get out of the obsession of searching for medical information on the internet. However, if these tendencies are taking a toll on your life, it may be helpful to seek help from a mental health professional. Later, they will help you find the best solution to get out of this habit.
