Being able to get a medical diagnosis off of the Internet has led to the creation of a new disease called cyberchondria.
Being able to get a medical diagnosis off of the Internet has led to the creation of a new disease called cyberchondria.
It’s like hypochondria, but comes with the technology-enabled aspect of being able to self-diagnose at blazing speeds and without having to take time out to actually see a doctor.
As convenient and helpful as the diagnosis websites can be, a recent study has shown that for those who are prone to obsessing about their health, they can lead to serious problems.
Among them are self-induced stress, which results from constantly feeding and growing what the scientists call an “intolerance for uncertainty”.
The more one searches, the more one finds, and often times not only are the discoveries dire, like say rare brain diseases, they spark even more health insecurities.
Those insecurities increasingly add layers of stress, which does have real health implications.
Another risk cyberchondriacs subject themselves to is that once they believe they’ve determined what the problem is, they again turn to the sites rather than a doctor to find a cure.
As their self-directed searches continue, their real medical condition could be worsening.
