SOMATOFORM DISORDERS
Somatic symptom disorder (SSD formerly known as "somatization disorder" or "somatoform disorder") is a form of mental illness that causes one or more bodily symptoms, including pain. The symptoms may or may not be traceable to a physical cause including general medical conditions, other mental illnesses, or substance abuse. But regardless, they cause excessive and disproportionate levels of distress. The symptoms can involve one or more different organs and body systems, such as:
-
Pain
-
Neurologic problems
-
Gastrointestinal complaints
-
Sexual symptoms
Many people who have SSD will also have an anxiety disorder.
People with SSD are not faking their symptoms. The distress they experience from pain and other problems they experience are real, regardless of whether or not a physical explanation can be found. And the distress from symptoms significantly affects daily functioning.
Doctors need to perform many tests to rule out other possible causes before diagnosing SSD.
The diagnosis of SSD can create a lot of stress and frustration for patients. They may feel unsatisfied if there's no better physical explanation for their symptoms or if they are told their level of distress about a physical illness is excessive. Stress often leads patients to become more worried about their health, and this creates a vicious cycle that can persist for years.
​
The different types of somatization disorder are:
HYPOCHONDRIASIS
Illness anxiety disorder, sometimes called hypochondriasis or health anxiety, is worrying excessively that you are or may become seriously ill. You may have no physical symptoms. Or you may believe that normal body sensations or minor symptoms are signs of severe illness, even though a thorough medical exam doesn't reveal a serious medical condition.
You may experience extreme anxiety that body sensations, such as muscle twitching or fatigue, are associated with a specific, serious illness. This excessive anxiety — rather than the physical symptom itself — results in severe distress that can disrupt your life.
Symptoms:
​
Symptoms of illness anxiety disorder involve preoccupation with the idea that you're seriously ill, based on normal body sensations (such as a noisy stomach) or minor signs (such as a minor rash). Signs and symptoms may include:
​
-
Being preoccupied with having or getting a serious disease or health condition
-
Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
-
Being easily alarmed about your health status
-
Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
-
Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
-
Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it's hard for you to function
-
Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
-
Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance — or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
-
Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
-
Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
-
Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses
CONVERSION DISORDER
Functional neurological disorders a newer and broader term that includes what some people call conversion disorder feature nervous system (neurological) symptoms that can't be explained by a neurological disease or other medical condition. However, the symptoms are real and cause significant distress or problems functioning.
Signs and symptoms vary, depending on the type of functional neurologic disorder, and may include specific patterns. Typically these disorders affect your movement or your senses, such as the ability to walk, swallow, see or hear. Symptoms can vary in severity and may come and go or be persistent. However, you can't intentionally produce or control your symptoms.
​
​
​
Symptoms:
​
Symptoms of functional neurological disorders may vary, depending on the type of functional neurological disorder, and they're significant enough to cause impairment and warrant medical evaluation. Symptoms can affect body movement and function and the senses.
Signs and symptoms that affect body movement and function may include:
-
Weakness or paralysis
-
Abnormal movement, such as tremors or difficulty walking
-
Loss of balance
-
Difficulty swallowing or feeling "a lump in the throat"
-
Seizures or episodes of shaking and apparent loss of consciousness (non-epileptic seizures)
-
Episodes of unresponsiveness
Signs and symptoms that affect the senses may include:
-
Numbness or loss of the touch sensation
-
Speech problems, such as inability to speak or slurred speech
-
Vision problems, such as double vision or blindness
-
Hearing problems or deafness
DISORDERS
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
SEEK HELP
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Mental health has been an increasingly popular topic of conversation recently, and rightfully so. With this website we aim to familiarise the general audience with the basics of mental health. This includes basic disorders, recovery and how one should go about the nooks and crooks of mental health, all under one URL.