Hypochondria
Etymology
From Greek hypochondria, the soft area "under the cartilage" of the breastbone — hypo, "under," plus chondros, "cartilage." Ancient medicine believed this region, home to the liver and spleen, was the seat of melancholy and gloom. Over time the word shifted from that bodily place to the state of mind associated with it: chronic, fearful preoccupation with one’s health.
noun · /hy-poh-KON-dree-uh/
Persistent, excessive anxiety about having a serious illness, often despite reassurance and normal test results.
What it names
The exhausting loop of self-diagnosis and dread — a recognizable pattern that a search engine can make far worse.
Example
A single odd symptom sent his hypochondria into overdrive and three midnight searches deep.
Related idea
A psychosomatic symptom is a real physical effect of stress; hypochondria is anxious belief in illness that may not be there.
See also