Hypochondriac

About the blog

   There's been a legal phrase on my mind for some time now.  I'm moderately sure it wasn't planted for me to discover using something subliminal, or by suggestion, or through hypnosis.  It showed up when the time was right.

   That phrase is "class-action lawsuit".

   When it first turned up the scope was relatively small.  There were issues with harassment, privacy, and psychological harm at a few addresses.  Those causing the harm hid their identities by suggesting they were law enforcement, co-workers, friends, or family.  Brain-washing techniques helped make short work of anyone trying to resist these bullies.

   Since then quite a few puzzle pieces have gone from missing to finding their place in a large, still growing puzzle.

   You might be wondering which piece found it's place today.

   That would be this post's title... 

   The most important, significant, and pertinent details leading up to a person becoming a hypochondriac have been knowingly, willfully, and without regard for those affected... BEEN HIDDEN FROM AWARENESS AND REPLACED WITH NOTHING - not even replaced with lies.

   Because even a single lie would eventually stand out like a beacon for unwanted attention.

   You might be wondering what could possibly justify a class action lawsuit - or any lawsuit - in this.  Also, where is the extraordinary proof given the extraordinary claim.

   The justification and proof probably don't exist right this moment.  If it did exist in a form admissible in court you'd expect someone to have shredded it by now.  Whether it rests in some warehouse or gets used like an invisible hand from God next door it won't enable a lawsuit.  It's out of reach for now.

   That won't be a problem forever, though.  The information needed to form a justification and build a mountain range of proof is only waiting for awareness to find it.  There's no shortage of backup copies either.  Every individual directly affected or indirectly affected (collateral damage) has a copy safely stored in memory.

   So let's look at the characteristics hypochondriacs have by putting our faith in the Mayo Clinic's online information.

• Illness anxiety disorder - Symptoms and causes on MayoClinic.org

   You probably already knew the term hypochondriac has been replaced by Illness anxiety disorder.

The Overview contains the following:

• You may worry excessively that you are or may become seriously ill
• You may have no physical symptoms
• You may believe that normal body sensations or minor symptoms are signs of severe illness
• even though a thorough medical exam doesn't reveal a serious medical condition.
• You may experience extreme anxiety that body sensations, such as muscle twitching or fatigue, are associated with a specific, serious illness
• This excessive anxiety - rather than the physical symptom itself - results in severe distress that can disrupt your life.

The Symptoms consist of:

• Being preoccupied with having or getting a serious disease or health condition
• Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
• Being easily alarmed about your health status
• Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
• Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
• Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it's hard for you to function
• Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
• Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance - or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
• Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
• Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
• Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses

   If you think some of those characteristics sound familiar...  here's a few other puzzle pieces for future reference:

• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective disorder
• Manic depressive disorder
• Autism
• Major depression
• Panic disorder
• Obsessive compulsive disorder

   And if you had to guess... what's the likelihood so many different disorders can be frame-switched to a single shared frame that explains their underlying cause and how to treat them?

   Btw, COVID might be turning us all into hypochondriacs.