Why would I say this? Hypochondria is described as an abnormal anxiety about one's health, especially with an unwarranted fear that one has a serious disease.
"Doctors" came up with the "diagnosis" hypochondria. Quite a few doctors (meaning nearly all) have an over-inflated opinion of themselves, view themselves as smarter than anyone else, and assume that if "they" can't find something wrong with you, its "obvious" you are faking it, or making it up, or have a mental health issue because there is no way, they, in their egotistical opinion, would ever get something wrong or misdiagnose something.
The human body is complex, and there are in existence rare diseases. Most of them none of us heard of, which is understandable, but what's distressing, is that most doctors haven't either. There seems to be a serious lack of medical, intellectual and scientific curiosity with most doctors in learning about them....meaning its easier for them to just "phone it in". And by "phone it in" I mean a 3 minute exam, and if you're not exsanguinating from some orifice or a bullet hole or a spear wound, they chalk it up as hypochondria and tell you to see a shrink.
As an example of this hubris, we have what is/was known as "Female Hysteria". Female hysteria was/is a diagnosis attributed to women...for about 4000 years, Yes, you read that correctly. For roughly 4000 years doctors (in that era nearly 100% male) basically decided that the majority of women's medical problems were related to our vaginas, ovaries, mons pubis, uterus, woo-hoos and other assorted lady parts.
This is Jennifer Brea.
Jennifer was a PhD student at Harvard University when she became suddenly ill with a high fever and became bedridden. She was initially misdiagnosed with conversion disorder, but eventually was identified as having myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Jennifer spent about a decade arguing with doctors who told her she was a drama queen, faking it, making it up, and had a mental health disorder. Eventually, someone using common sense, realized she was legitimately sick, and they tried to figure out how to help her get better. You know, helping patients get better, also known as...doing their fucking jobs.
Jennifer runs various organizations like Millions Missing and does TED talks about of...millions of missing Americans sitting at home, wasting away, not being productive members of their families or society after being misdiagnosed by golf playing doctors wearing overpriced pretentious "threads" and cruising around in their most unpatriotic German made sports cars.
There is a major spike in "new" diseases related to our changing world, pollution, climate change, and our food and medical industry polluting what we eat, drink, breath, ingest, and put on our skin. Things like allergies, things like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. If one cares to Google MCAS for example, or go to YouTube, you'll find people from all over the world posting videos, studies, webinars, where (in some cases) the vast majority of doctors know less about, than the person posting said video, and I am not exaggerating about this. Seriously, you can learn more from some 20 year old chick who suffers from this on YouTube, then you will from the majority of doctors.
My point is....advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Do not be afraid to question doctors, to challenge them, to demand a second opinion, to insist on tests, more tests, to fight the insurance industry to pay for them, don't back down to the greedy, profit motivated fuckers, do not assume anyone is paying attention, or keeping accurate information on your charts, or recording results accurately. By doing so you will bruise some doctors egos, you will offend a few, you will piss a few off and some will get pissy and huffy....so what? I've had to threaten a few by promising to throw their own cotton balls at them, and challenge a few to tongue depressors sword fights....just to get them to listen. They'll get over it...or not...but its your life and health, don't let anyone sell you short or do a half-ass exam or brush you off and never, ever, ever, let any doctor tell you its "all in your head", because I can pretty much 100% guarantee you the problem is not in your head...its in theirs.
The majority of doctors in the USA are just fine, as long as you have a cold, a skinned knee or something simple. Its only when its something rare, and usually more serious, that most doctors suddenly don't seem so bright or motivated. Doctors are just human beings...with a "Honorable Mention" degree certificate hanging on their wall. Some are brilliant, some barely made it through med school based on good rote memorization skills and the ability to pass tests. That does not mean they are all that swift with critical thinking skills, or common sense, or ethics. Keep in mind that Conrad Murray (the guy that killed Micheal Jackson) was a doctor, and Josef Mengele (the sick fuck that did all the disgusting experiments on kids in Nazi Germany) was also a...doctor.
Note to "Candy Striper":
You know I'm not talking about you, so calm down and pop a few Ativan. :)
Note to readers:
I have a regular reader, a doctor who I call "Candy Striper"...just to harass him.
At least he says he's a doctor, but maybe he just likes playing "doctor" with his wife. :)
Okay, speaking of health, I'm off to make some homemade Butterscotch Pudding.
Actually, I'll hold off on the butter.
And I'll hold off on the pudding.
I'll just drink the Scotch and see if I can find...my pants. :)
