makes them fear they have an illness. But when presented
with conclusive proof that they don't, their anxiety
subsides, at least until they think they have something else.
"But in the case of a somatic delusion the patient
will not accept reassurance that they're fine. Their sense of
reality vis-a-vis their symptomatology is entirely skewed.
They may become paranoid, as well and their behaviour
increasingly bizarre as their obsession grows. This delusion
may be part of a larger mental disease, such as
schizophrenia. But I don't believe that's what Alex is
suffering from.
"Tell me, has Alex been under a lot of stress lately?
At work? Or at home?"
"Well, his job, as you know, is quite demanding. As
a corporate lawyer he's sometimes forced to work long
hours. And he just got a promotion before all this started.
But--he seemed really pleased about that. Alex passed his
fortieth birthday a few months ago. Do you think that
might have something to do with it? A mid-life crisis,
maybe?"
"Perhaps," the doctor replied. "Stress, even when
its source is positive, can overwhelm people and cause
their normal coping mechanisms to fail. In Alex's case the
stress may have culminated in some very bizarre thinking."
"That's just the thing," Eleanor said in a worried
tone. "Sometimes the things he says sound so...," she
struggled for the right word. "Crazy, " she finished with an
apologetic shrug. "I don't know whether to humour him
or ignore him. If I try to downplay it he gets angry and
accuses me of not caring. Or worse." She glanced away
briefly then continued in a hesitant manner. "Once… he
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