WebMD, MedWeb, google after google...you name it, I've gotten cozy with it. I've never diagnosed myself with anything real because my symptoms are almost always psychosomatic. They don't actually exist, so there's nothing to relate them back to. Usually if I *am sick, it turns out to be a cold or something. My hypochondria was MUCH much worse when I was working towards my Doctorate. Even though it's not clinical (it's Holistic), I still had to learn how to spot potential warning signs of illness. It drove me nuts. One of the reasons why I'm not a practicing therapist right now. I'm too looney to allow myself to serve patients.

I'd be curious to know how many hypochondriacs actually *have* accurately diagnosed themselves with a major illness. I'd bet not many...

Yeah i was studying psychology, switched to nursing...that only made it worse because now i'm convinced i have actual medical things instead of wondering how i would know a hallucination is actually one (turns out you just have to take someone else's word for it!). Although I used to tell my mom i was standing crooked all the time, she ignored me for years. Then i got diagnosed with scoliosis...maybe that has something to do this?

I think it would be pretty easy for people to diagnose themselves with lesser issues - we know our own bodies well, but when it gets into thinking every ache is cancer or a disease that's equally as terrifying and often hard to find without a number of tests, it becomes irrational fear driving us to those conclusions.

It's possible a large portion of it comes from personal experience. A lot of the hypochondriacs I know have either already had a potentially life-threatening disease, wached a friend or family member suffer, or are in the medical field, many are in the funeral industry.

I try to steer clear of webmd and the like, because I used to have a severe obsession of reading webmd and self diagnosing myself with everything under the sun. I wont lie, I sometimes relapse and continue to search and browse.

I defo stear well clear of it! just adds fuel to the fire i think.

Yea, just hearing "WebMD" can start getting me anxious. I've had a few weird experiences over the years, where I was pouring over that site, trying desperately to "save my own life" when, really, it was just driving me crazy. And you know, the only good I got out of that site was the message boards, where people would be like: Wow, I have the SAME symptoms. And that's why I joined this site.... to stay away from scary WebMD.

I'm like mysticdawnie I try hard not to go there, but sometimes I can't help it. But its gotten better over the years.

In my experience I have never diagnose myself with anything real. I have never had a disease (other than the common flu or a stomach virus etc). But, I have accurately diagnosed other people's condition even before they go to the doctor I have been able to tell what they have.

I am addicted! I use it ALL the time. I have weird symptoms (made by me, of course) and I start looking stuff up and freaking myself out. It's the best way to get yourself worked up for sure!

I'll stay away from WebMD, haven't even been there in years...

Although it is a good source of information. When I start to seriously worry and obsess about my health I can't seem to stay away. I want to know what is wrong but I always look at the worst possible thing that comes up and I assume that is what I have. I have to resist going their because it just makes it worse and it never seems to make anything better.

I use it all the time especially when my anxiety is out of control it usually makes it worse for me when I am done looking but I just have to look lol.

i confess, i use it. every time i feel a little off, i go to the symptom checker. but when i do that, i always think i am going to be dying from something and i pick the most terrible possibility from the list. lol.

one time i did diagnose myself correctly. i had a cyst, and i put in my symptoms. turned out i was right. but also, my background in medical sciences helped me.

Well, I usually use Wikipedia.. but same idea.

i don't really like web md but i just google everything.