Can you wish yourself to be sick? (allergies, back pain, cold)

[budlight]

I have wondered about this. I work with a lady who is constantly complaining about ailments, aches, and pains. She is not happy unless she is going to the doctor or taking medication. I sometimes wonder if she will herself to be sick. She is constantly sick with the flu, ear ache, stuffy nose, back pain, you name it. Is she bringing this on herself? She is not the only person I have witnessed that this happens to.

[NARFALICIOUS]

You can make yourself sick. Walk into a 3rd grade classroom in the middle of Fall and shake hands with every kid. Go to a hospital and kiss every patient. Go out without your jacket in the middle of winter to lower your immune system, then walk into a crowded bar and stand 4 inches away from everyone's face.

[dizzybint]

Dont think budlight meant it in that way... he meant bringing on an illness in your head..... I think..

[budlight]

Originally Posted by dizzybint

Dont think budlight meant it in that way... he meant bringing on an illness in your head..... I think..

You are correct.

[psurangers11]

I can see this as being somewhat plausable. I have a friend of mine who seemed to always think he would have or get some sort of ailment/illness and it almost always happened... it's like someone who lies so much about something that they end up actually thinking and making you believe it's the truth!

[Hedgehog_Mom]

If she has allergies, that will make her more likely to get sick often. Also, if you're working too many hours or under a lot of stress, that can make you more likely to get sick. It doesn't necessarily mean she's thinking herself sick or making herself sick...some people do really get sick a lot more often or just feel bad all the time. Maybe she has a chronic condition that you're not aware of.

[Pikantari]

Well, I have a whole list of ailments, diseases, symptoms, etc. They are ones that require treatment and they are also ones that are considered 'silent.'

This means that just by looking at me, you would not know that I have them. I most always have the symptoms of these diseases, but I will say that if I am in a more positive frame of mind, I also feel better physically.

There is nothing I can do about these illnesses, they are never going to go away, and I will always have to be treated for them.

If you are down and depressed emotionally, I do believe that you will feel the same physically, or your symptoms will be enhanced.

[EvilCookie]

No, you can't 'think' yourself into having the flu or back pain

Some people's health is worse than others'. Some people are also generally weaker and a lot less tolerant to being sick than others - worse physical shape, strength, immune system, etc. Some are more prone to complaining while others don't like to share.
It can become a bad cycle. I've been getting various mild but chronic annoying health issues over the past few years - stomach problems, dizzy/fainting spells, weakness, extreme fatigue. getting very frequent colds. Doctors can't find anything. Of course, once it started up it's extremely sucky to deal with so I end up being extra careful and always having it in the back of my mind - when I didn't get sick often I didn't care much about washing my hands or being in crowded places for instance, but when I seem to catch every cold that's going around of course I become more paranoid and now I'm never without sanitizer, try to avoid crowds in flu season, etc etc. So it seems that I'm always trying to avoid getting sick but then it often happens anyways, while others don't think about it and never get sick. But the sickness came first, not the worry; it's just hard to ignore it and not think about it when you're constantly not feeling well. It really takes a toll on you, physically and mentally.

[SandyLuvsToTravel]

@ the OP: You may be interesting in checking out some websites and reading about "Conversion Illness Syndrome".... a condition in which you show psychological stress in physical ways. It is often described as a psychological condition in which a person has real symptoms, but medical tests can find no evidence of a "real" disease.

Your co-worker may have this disorder which, according to the medical profession, is not hypochondria.