As internet use becomes more widespread, we observe and experience its effects in a wide range. Internet use, which adds new positive and negative contributions to our lives, also creates new diseases. One of the most common disorders that has just started to appear in the literature is cyberchondria, the disease and treatment research disease on the internet.
“He looked in the mirror, there was a slight blistering redness on his face. He sat in front of the internet and typed into the search engine. He saw that skin redness was a symptom of many things, from allergies to cancer. She started researching this situation for hours. After doing hours of research in front of the computer, he decided that he had cancer. He began reviewing medical articles and journals. He concentrated on treatments. He continued to do the same research the following days. However, he had never been examined by a doctor. Nor was there a diagnosis.” It is possible to consider that people who experience these and similar situations frequently and more than once have cyberchondria disease.
What is cyberchondriac? What kind of disease is it?
Cyperchondriac disorder is a type of Hypochondriasis, one of the somotoform disorders. Hypochondriasis is a disease in which people constantly worry about illness without any physical discomfort and consult a doctor about physical illnesses. Cyberchondria, on the other hand, is the situation of trying to diagnose or treat oneself by searching for information, documents and treatment methods on the internet about the diseases that one thinks they have. The person experiencing this condition writes everything he or she is curious about into internet search engines and searches. Forums, question and answer conversations between doctor and patient, movies and examination information about diseases, other medical sites containing medical information, drug information, comments about drugs, alternative medicine, sites containing herbal solution suggestions are the main reference sources for these patients. They search again and again for days and weeks to see if there is a document or article that I missed. And with that, the health issues it investigates can change frequently. Anxiety begins to increase regarding the symptoms that are initially read. When patients read about their symptoms, they often think of the worst. Instead of bookmarks, they accept the information on the internet as correct. These people have the predominant idea that all the information on the internet is true, and in today's world where it is possible to enter any information on the internet without supervision, they have the mistake of assuming that every source is true. However, the internet contains a lot of misinformation as well as correct information.
In 2008, Microsoft researchers Ryen Beyaz and Eric Horvitz, who conducted a comprehensive study on search engines on cyberchondria, concluded that users without appropriate medical education and training had the potential to increase the anxiety of their internet searches regarding their illness. As a result of the same research, it was revealed that people tend to seek unnecessary medical help due to increased anxiety about the disease. It is also necessary to carefully evaluate the necessity of getting help and going for medical check-up. There are also accurate sources where a person can get healthy information about a disease in his body as a result of research done on the internet. In this case, correct internet use is useful for an early diagnosis with the right resources and information. In order to evaluate whether a situation is psychologically unhealthy, we first need to see whether it is unreal or not. For example, a short-term headache can have many causes. Assessing this as a brain tumor without any control. Not being able to stop yourself from doing research by constantly creating different symptoms. Repetition and continuity. Not trusting doctors who are true providers of information. The biggest problem is that the person takes precautions as if he is sick when he does not have the disease, focuses on wrong data that may neglect and ignore the symptoms when he has the disease, decides not to use the drugs he should use by looking at the forums, and uses drugs and supplements he should not use. And they do not trust doctors' guidance and treatment.
People who seek diagnosis on the internet are generally anxious, anxious, focused on the negative, afraid of losing their loved ones, have low self-confidence, are weak and pessimistic. There is a lack of love and attention or a need to be noticed in their inner world. This attention he needs and they cannot receive love through healthy communication. That's why people try to get attention with their illnesses and complaints through subconscious guidance. He can only meet his needs for love and attention through illness.
A person who cannot express the anger he feels towards someone or does not have the courage to do so suppresses his emotions in his inner world. The main reason for the anger felt is the losses experienced in the past, the illness of a relative, the rejection of an acquaintance, and separations for various reasons. People who are excessively clean, detail-oriented, emotional or perfectionists are more prone to this disease. Situations such as economic problems, harsh working conditions, and family conflicts are also important. After a while, these intense feelings turn into physical complaints. As with many mental illnesses, it is an important feature that a significant psychological stress has been experienced before the onset of this illness. Often their parents have similar characteristics.
These patients should first be thoroughly examined, relevant tests should be performed regarding a physical disease, and the doctor should not have any doubts about this. Because a hypochondriac person may also have a physical illness. It should be ensured that there is no physical illness. This is a primary and important stage. Psychotherapy methods are then applied for treatment. It should be accepted from the beginning that these patients will be followed for a long time and the treatment may last for months. People who harm themselves and their loved ones due to excessive health anxiety should receive professional psychiatric support. The treatment for cyberchondria is psychotherapy and, if necessary, medication. It is especially important for the person to understand the basis of this anxious attitude, to manage the process related to it, and to increase his awareness.
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