You’re ready to escape addiction. Call 888-480-1703 Who Answers?

Somatoform Disorders

Somatoform Disorders are mental health disorders in which a patient has physical or mental symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical disorder or substance use. Patients who suffer from this type of disorder perceive their symptoms to be real and strongly believe they have symptoms similar to other illnesses.

Sufferers believe they are ill; they are not feigning their symptoms and are truly suffering. In the past, it has been called Hysteria and thought to come from extreme mental suffering manifested by a physical disorder. The root of these disorders is believed to be caused from problems with nerve impulses that send signals of pain, pressure and other unpleasant sensations to the brain. An individual’s life will not be at risk or shortened because of one these disorders.

Common Somatoform Disorders

Somatoform disorders are not curable but symptoms can be managed with proper treatment. Psychotherapy and stress management are recommended to help with the possible psychological factors that may be inducing the physical effects on the body. Somatoform disorders are a group of disorders that cover a wide range of different unexplainable symptoms.

Conversion Disorder

Symptoms of numbness, seizures, hearing loss, inability to speak, blindness or paralysis without a neurological reason are indicative of Conversion Disorder. It is thought that extreme anxiety is converted into physical symptoms and that the stress causes the brain to disable or impair bodily function.

Pain Disorder

When suffering from Pain Disorder, patients experience chronic pain in one or many areas of the body. In some cases, the pain can be so severe that it is debilitating. Pain disorder is thought to come from psychological stress from an illness or accident that the patient has recovered from.

[ADUNIT]

Somatization Disorder

Somatization Disorder is characterized by a patient who complains of various symptoms that are unexplainable. These symptoms include chronic pain in parts of the body, gastrointestinal problems, sexual symptoms and pseudo-neurological symptoms such as fainting or blindness. It is thought to come from a disconnection between the mind and body.

Hypochondriasis

Hypochondriasis is a disorder in which sufferers constantly worry about perceived symptoms and are convinced they have a serious illness The affected person may have a headache or another minor symptom and think they have a brain tumor or another serious illness. Their symptoms are usually minor but the hypochondriac will continue to self-diagnosis and self-examine even though doctors tell them they do not have a serious illness.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Is when the affected person is excessively concerned over a perceived defect in their physical features and obsess over it. The sufferer may complain of several specific features or a single feature, or general appearance, causing psychological distress that impairs occupational and social functioning, sometimes causing severe depression and anxiety and the development of other anxiety disorders, social withdrawal or complete social isolation.

You may like