Somatization Disorder [Bodily Distress Disorder] Briquet’s syndrome [Somatoform Disorders] Hysteria [medically unexplained syndrome] somatic symptom and related disorders

Somatic symptom disorder also called as somatization disorder

Somatization Disorder means in which the physical pain and symptoms a person feels are related to psychological factors. These symptoms can’t be traced to a specific physical cause. In people who have a somatic symptom and related disorders, medical test results are either normal or don’t explain the person’s symptoms.

Symptoms of somatic symptom disorder may be:

- Specific sensations, such as pain or shortness of breath, or more general symptoms, such as fatigue or weakness

- Unrelated to any medical cause that can be identified, or related to a medical condition such as cancer or heart disease, but more significant than what's usually expected

- A single symptom, multiple symptoms or varying symptoms
Mild, moderate or severe

- Pain is the most common symptom, but whatever your symptoms, you have excessive thoughts, feelings or behaviors related to those symptoms, which cause significant problems, make it difficult to function and sometimes can be disabling.

Patients report of thoughts, feelings and behaviors can include:

Constant worry about potential illness

Viewing normal physical sensations as a sign of severe physical illness

Fearing that symptoms are serious, even when there is no evidence

Thinking that physical sensations are threatening or harmful

Feeling that medical evaluation and treatment have not been adequate

Fearing that physical activity may cause damage to your body

Repeatedly checking your body for abnormalities

Frequent health care visits that don't relieve your concerns or that make them worse

Being unresponsive to medical treatment or unusually sensitive to medication side effects

Having a more severe impairment than is usually expected from a medical condition


The exact cause of somatic symptom disorder isn't clear, but any of these factors may play a role:

Genetic and biological factors, such as an increased sensitivity to pain

Family influence, which may be genetic or environmental, or both

Personality trait of negativity, which can impact how you identify and perceive illness and bodily symptoms

Decreased awareness of or problems processing emotions, causing physical symptoms to become the focus rather than the emotional issues

Learned behavior — for example, the attention or other benefits gained from having an illness; or "pain behaviors" in response to symptoms, such as excessive avoidance of activity, which can increase your level of disability

Treatment

People who have this disorder may have several medical evaluations and tests to be sure that they don’t have another illness. They often become very worried about their health because they don’t know what’s causing their health problems. Their symptoms are similar to the symptoms of other illnesses and may last for several years. People who have a somatoform disorder are not faking their symptoms. The pain that they feel is real

Treatment seeks to enhance a person’s daily functioning by reducing stress, mitigating physical symptoms and improving overall functioning. Somatoform disorder treatment options include various forms of psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions when co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety are present.

Pharmacological Interventions
Pharmacological interventions alone are not effective in treating. However, medication for a somatoform disorder may be helpful if concurrent depression or anxiety disorders are present. Pharmacological interventions are most helpful when paired with therapy.

Several types of antidepressants are generally prescribed to people with somatoform disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions that can exacerbate symptoms. Antidepressant medications work indirectly on somatoform disorder by easing symptoms of anxiety and depression that can increase concern and worry about physical symptoms.


Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to effective in some cases, though additional research is needed to confirm these claims. CBT helps individuals reduce fixation on their health, pain and physical symptoms. This treatment method also teaches stress reduction techniques and coping skills to manage physical symptoms and emotional reactions

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