[THEINCREDIBLEdork]

Originally Posted by Ironic Mustache

I've never really mentioned this before, but I have a small problem with people who "know" they have Hypochondriasis without having first been diagnosed by a professional. More often than not, if you "know" you have it, then you don't really believe you have a serious disease that is a result of the symptoms. A serious fear of the perceived disease is the sufficient condition of Hypochondriasis. If you don't really believe it, it's not the same thing. What you actually know yet don't want to admit, is that there's nothing wrong with you. You obsess about symptoms, that deep down you know aren't really a serious problem.

What you actually have looks a lot more like mild Munchausen with a splash of Narcissism. More likely though, it's probably just moderate anxiety (still the narcissism too though). IMO self-diagnosed Hypochondriasis is a defense mechanism against perceived self-weakness. Low self-esteem and narcissism have extremely high rates of comorbidity. You didn't explicitly use the term "somatoform," though, I think it's clear that you understand the implications of the term. Chances are, you've either legitimately given in to the disorder (and need to talk to a psychiatrist or psychologist, which I don't think is the case), or you are simply seeking validation. In either case, you're living with something you don't need to be living with.

I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest.

That's a lot of psychology from someone who doesn't know anything about neuroplasticity.