Word of the Day – Cyberchondria

Word of the Day… not actually daily, but whenever I encounter one I think worth sharing and there are not too many on my landing page.  Words have always fascinated me, and I am a fan of all types of word play, especially puns.  I have a hard time not looking up a word that I am unfamiliar with or not sure of the definition. I like those authors that stretch me by throwing in unexpected terms.   

  • Noun: Cyberchondria
    1. unfounded anxiety concerning the state of one’s health brought on by visiting health and medical websites
  • Synonyms:
    1. hypochondriac
    2. valetudinarian
    3. valetudinary
    4. hypochondriast
    5. hypochrondriast
    6. melancholico
    7. neurotic
    8. malade imaginaire
    9. obsessive person
    10. morbid person
  • Usage:
    1. “Working with our mortality in a meaningful way can be challenging. For one, we live in a death-averse culture in which comforting and life-affirming ways of thinking and talking about illness and death are rare. Further, the unprecedented nature of Covid-19, as well as an increase in self-diagnosis via the internet (“cyberchondria”), has been associated with an overall rise in health anxiety..”
  • Encountered:
    1.  While reading the Guardian piece: Illness and death are facts of life – Buddhism teaches us to be mindful but not fearful of it

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