Help! My girlfriend thinks she has a fake illness!

[StNowhere]

Hello,

I have been together with my girlfriend for about five years now, and I have learned that she is somewhat of a hypochondriac, and always seems to believe that there is something wrong with her. She deals with a lot of stress in her life and suffers from horrible migraines. While I have insisted that she receives medical treatment for them, she believes that no doctor can help her, because she suffers from "hyper-cerebral electrosis" or HCE, which she believes she contracted at birth.

I have done my research over the internet, and have come to the conclusion that HCE is an urban legend, and as such does not exist. I would be content with her believing that she has a fake disease, but she believes that, because of the "disease", she will be unable to live past her forties.

How can I tell her that this disease is not real? She is currently attending school in another state, so I cannot simply take her to the doctor. I need a way for her to believe that the disease is fake so that she can seek medical treatment. What do I do?

[kirsty702]

This seems to be a very difficult situation to be in.  My advice would be to talk to her about the illness and explain you are really worried about her and do not let her know about the research you have done as this may make her feel like you have been checking up on her and may be that you dont belive her.  Explain that you would like to go with her to the doctors (when you are together as i know she is in another state) to learn more about the illness she belives she has and see if there is anything the doctors can do hopefully she will agree to this and then the doctors can be the people to tell her that it is not the illness she belives it to be !! and the doctors can start to do the tests required to find out what the real problem is !!

[olsho]

It seems familiar to me. My grandma on my mom's side died when she was a little over 40 (brain cancer), so my mom had this fear/phobia/idea that she will also have a brain tumor at about 40 and will not live past her 40th Bday. It developed into a serious mental condition, she was constantly crying/would not leave the house, etc. I think you really need to try to take your gf to a psychiatrist, it is not just fear, it is much more and needs to be addressed. Good luck!

[StNowhere]

Im not sure how I can tell her that it her illness isnt real. She believes that she has had the disease for years, and saying that is fake may come across as serious disrespect. Im not sure how I can be open minded about it. I cant let the girl I love believe that her life is already more than half over, when she is barely into her twenties.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Why don't you present her with the evidence you have accumulated, and ask her to please start seeing a doctor, if only to please you, and be open minded.