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Hypochondriac Relative

What Am I Supposed To Do With A Hypochondriac Step Daughter

My husband and I have been married for ten years. We are in our early sixties and my step-daughter is in her mid thirties. Every 3-4 months she comes up with another illness, always with elaborate consequences, such as she can't lift more than ten pounds, can't drive, sleeps all day, etc. She's on methodone for chronic fatigue. The complaints never end, yet, I have seen her running, and driving. I think she is making it up all for her father's attention. Her father believes her. Herein lies the problem, and in the end I'm the one with no sympathy for her or him. This has caused a few problems in our marriage and I've had enough. Is it okay for me to ask my husband not to talk to me about all her latest illnesses, or what do you suggest?
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Relative Hypochondriac

If it affects you mentally, I don't think there is anything wrong with asking your husband not to tell you about her latest sickness. Is she getting professional help? It seems like she needs it. There are a lot of people out there with a need for a mental health evaluator.

Hypochondriac Relative Health & Special Psychology

It very well could be that she is a hypochondriac but when I was in highschool I developed a sinus infection that lasted so long that I forgot what it was like to breathe normally, the consequences for this resulted in depression that lasted for years. My anxiety amplified week after week and it seemed like all these problems were stacking up at once, I was fatigued, could not concentrate, could not sleep, scared to go in public. I felt as if I was dying and even became suicidal for a breif time when I noticed that every medication my doctor was throwing at me was not helping. After all of this it turned out to be a silly sinus infection and due to my inability to breathe clearly it effected my quality of life and lead me to self diagnose myself to the point I was scared I was going to die. So do not neglect her cries for help as there may be a simple underlying problem, but on the flip side she may just be doing it for attention as you stated.