Feature on local TV station about all the people who are on the internet all the time, diagnosing conditions, and treating themselves for things they don't have.

Guess CyberChondriac is a take-off of Hypochondriac. Think there's some truth to this?

James,
I try to not judge people, because look at me.... There were no signs for the doctor to pick up on saying I was sick.. None of the blood work said that... That's what mine mostly looked at was the blood work. Well guess I'm a CyberChondriac now... a doctor didn't diagnosis me and I'm looking to the internet to heal myself..

Bann

I would tend to agree with Bann more or less.

Hypochondriacs need attention, seeking ways to help yourself when doctors have failed doesn't really fall into that category. Anyone who relies soley on a doctor or the medical establishment for their health and well being should probably have their head examined in the process anyway.

maybe it's really just an idea that's being put out there by neglomaniacs.

That's a take-off on negligence and meglomania, a combo of lack of ethical principal and personality profile of many in the medical establishment. Think there's some truth to this?

Hi Everybody... ((( Smiles )))

I'm a CyberChondriac if thats what they want to call me and
proud of it.. If it wasen't for the internet and the information
on it and networking I wouldn't be like cured of my hyperacusis
right now or over the reactive tinnitus episode...

I spent my days running to doctors and getting worse until
any tolerances I had left in my ears totally collapsed...
Into nill...
I am proud to say I use to need my head examined..
Hi So Sick..
Until I found fellow suffers on the internet and thanks to them..
I got a second chance in life...
So I don't want to be reformed..

So here I am to tell my story as everybody else here tells
there stories too..

Cyber Chondriac and mighty proud of it..
And you should be too....
If thats what they want to call us..
Maybe we could think up a better word to call ourselves..
Lets see.. Cyber Smart..
I like that.. That works for me...

Take Care
Lynn

Who is saying these people are treating themselves for things they don't have anyway? How do they know this? Neglomania? Lack of diagnosis? Hi Lynn. oh wait we've all been there.. or... or.. the condition no longer exists!

oh yeah. now I get it.

For starters, nobody knows if they're on ALL the time, or they're treating themselves for something they don't have. How do you know they don't have this or that? Even doctors are at a loss as to diagnose sometimes, which is why many of us reverted to the net in the first place.

That does not make a person a "cyberchondriac" (or hypochondriac). Just makes them human and hating feeling like cr*p everyday.

Some people are on the internet all the time because they are so ill, there's not much more they can do. Either that, or they sit or lie in bed. better than doing nothing and vegetating, or going to doctors that don't help.

If someone is a "cybercondriac", then with or without a computer, they'd be a "hypochondriac", because hypochondria is an illness in and of itself and who knows what causes it.

But people searching for answers for health problems and wanting to get well so they can get on with their life, can hardly be labelled under the same catagory. The internet is also a vast source of information and contacts with others around the world and can be most helpful. Becuase of the internet, my mercury toxic improved markedly as that's where I got the best information believe it or not and where I ordered some wonderful books and got on with detoxing and improving and i made some friends along the way, whom I still keep in touch with. Emailing is also great. What the heck is wrong about that? Better than sitting on my as* spending money to sit in a doctor's office, watching them fill out pointless prescription for antidepressants, because they can't figure out what else to do.

Been down that road, no thanks, never again. waste of money, waste of time. Internet has been a godsend!

Hi So Sick,

I totally agree....
Give them a heavy dose of hyperacusis or a real terrible case
of mercury poisoning..
And see if they don't go running to the internet and become
a CyberChondriac too....
Their probably closet chondriacs they just don't let on that they are..
What are they doing reading the internet anyway and reporting on all of us..
They must be real busy at it..
To know...
And I like that.. I just noticed that...
Lost on a mountain USA..
What a place to live huh???
Hope there's some clean air up there too...
It's pretty polluted out here it seems..

Take Care
Lynn

The air is a little bit better up here than in the valley. The smog settles downward, heavy metals etc, all settle downward..

you can look it up on the net if you need more info. I use mapquest when i am really really lost.

I even get recipes on the net! what does that make me?

cyber momma!

hey you know what I just thought of? Statistically, huge numbers of people die every year being misdiagnosed or over-prescribed by doctors... that's a well known fact (look it up!)

so, in order for us to know when the internet is as useful as doctors, we should start keeping a list of how many people are killed by the internet.

Hi Bex, ((( Smiles )))

What you said is so true..
That makes alot of sense how would they really know anyway..
Theses days I think they just guess...
Guessing makes big news and headlines...
Whatever sells true or not..
They can say anything and thats their truth..
And we have ours..
We know how it feels to be sick..
We just want to get better again..
And lots of people can if they only knew what could help them..
And I believe that doctors don't allways tell you either as
not every treatment is covered..
Under ones insurance policy..
Hyperacusis standard treatment was not....
Medication was....
But I had to eventually treat myself and I'm much better now because of it..
Because I read information off of the web and then I new
what I had to try to do...
Because of it...
Wish I did it sooner back then..
But who knew not I...

Take Care Bex
Lynn

Hi So Sick, ((( Smiles )))

I like that Cyber Momma!
They would be running to their mommys too if they came down with a case of Stills disease..
I was reading about that last night.
But I don't know..
Hyperacusis is pretty bad too at it's worse..
I think that might send them packing..
To Cyber Space...
And then who would be CyberChondriac then???
I've seen smog before below..
I look downward too...
But the air up here is probably not much cleaner.
But I like that...
Statistics of thoses killed by the internet thats good..
Directly probably none..
Indirectly by not useing one..
Good point..
Computers that kill indirectly..
That will be tommorrows headlines..
I'm sure as it sounds too good not to be..
Thats kind of of how they tell it..
Whatever sounds catchy...

Thats a good one...
I like that...
Your on to something there...

Stay Well..
Lynn

Oh plus.. Just to add real quick..
I just watched the video on Morgellons..
And it reminds me...
You know how supposidly they picked their skin and put
those fibers in there...
It's just like spending an evening while sick with Freud..
To hear someone say something like that...
It's just like that...
I don't believe thats true!
Do you???
I don't think so...
Now comeing down with a case of that condition...
Would make a person come down with a case of CyberChondriac..
Pretty quick.. much better then seeing that doctor..
Still waiting for thoses statistics...
I really liked that....

Hi Lynn,

Thanks. Yeah exactly!

Before I ever even had the internet, i was still not going anywhere anyway and was at home all the time because I was always sick, though an alterntaive doctor did help me with the diet, which was life saving at the time. However, once I got my amalgam out and the dumping stage of mercury started, I was LOST. My own doctor couldn't do much to help either. I was not going far either because I was ignorant of what was happening. It was amazing how much I learned when I got on the net and just started reading and finding out many other people out there were like myself, searching for answers, but not finding any (with their own doctors) and finding more help on the net.

Cutler's protocol was on here and that was a great help in ridding me of mercury at that time. I was 28 when we got the internet and was in the midst of the mercury dump and had no way of alleviating my symptoms and my idea of 'detox" was painful and slow. Cutler's sped it up and made it MUCH easier. I was getting well by age 30. Yes I got sick again later from a virus, which was out of my control and has affected me profoundly ever since, but before that, I was well on my way to being what I felt almost completely well.

So I hope the same for others and it happens differently for everybody. I see people who've been on this forum and gone again and gotten improvements and are now working. Others are more long term sick and remain and tend to share what they might not be able to share in their own lives. I think personally that it may well have saved some from suicide, or at least worse depression and sense of total isolation.

I know there is bad to the internet, but there is also much good and so much support. It depends on what one does with this tool.

I've used the net to figure things out and then go verify... Definitely learned things I wouldn't of otherwise. We have to be proactive in our own healthcare. Doctors aren't really like the guy on House. On that note I use to love that show but its gotten weird. Tries to be too sexy now when it already was in the first place but not so in your face..

i wouldnt be here today if it wasnt for the internet and freedom of information. doctors told me to go to bed for 15 yrs because that how long it takes to get rid of M.E, which is just another word for Hypothyroidism which i have, they didnt put 2 and 2 together. Doctors lied to me also when i asked if there was an alternative to thyroxin, they said there was no such thing.
If you are happy and healthy you wouldnt even think of looking online for symptoms, normally hypocondriacts have health issues and they dont feel right so why not try and help yourself if you can.

Count me in. If I didn't have the comp and internet I would still be struggling big time. So yeah I am a cyberchondriac and proud of it. I have learned so much I would not take for my internet. Being sick has hindered me somewhat and going to the library is hard to do sometimes and not as much info. Doctors don't know their butt from a hole in the ground anyways!!!