A Cure For Hypochondria
You get a headache, you take a painkiller and you feel better. For a hypochondriac, that’s just the beginning. Doctors can treat headaches, but they’ve had less success with hypochondria - until now.
Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital recruited 187 hypochondriacs. One group got six counselling sessions to calm their reactions to their symptoms; the rest saw their doctors as usual. A year later, 57 per cent of those who got therapy had fewer symptoms and anxiety; just 32 per cent of others did.
