Somatic System Disorder
Estella Munroe
WWCC
Introduction
Somatic system disorder also known as Hypochondria is a disorder where people worry excessively and unrealistically about their health. I always used to wonder as a kid, what my dad was talking about when I said something was bothering me. He would say are you a hypochondriac? I would just look at him confused. I find it interesting how people can worry so much about minor health problems and normal bodily functions and believe that they actually have serious health problems. What is wrong with people? They seriously have something going on in their mind to think this way. This can cause major distress in someone’s life, worrying every moment that something
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During childhood, the person may have experienced a serious illness. A parent or relative that has also had this disorder can influence a child making them believe that they have something wrong with them. If I experienced this as a parent, I definitely wouldn’t want my child to deal with this sort of issue in life. What kind of example is this going to the doctor all the time?
Treatment
With support from a healthcare provider, a person get the guidance they need. Medications are sometimes used such as anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs. Psychotherapy know as cognitive therapy can be helpful in changing the thinking and behavior that contributes to symptoms. Most people that have this disorder deny there are any mental or emotional problems, so they are resistant to psychotherapy. I would want help, but if you don’t think there are any problems mentally then I would be resistant also.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Somatic System Disorder can be chronic condition that can last for years. Some people seek help, but some do not and will continue to shop around for a doctor till they find one. It is a disorder that I just shake my head at and only a very small percentage will only recover completely.
References
Goldberg, J., MD. (2014, July 8). What is Somatic Symptom Disorder? Retrieved November 15,
Although NPD can’t be ‘cured’, one-on-one or group psychiatric therapy can aid to assist the individual. There are no specific medications for the disorder either, however, antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers may also be
In conclusion, somatoform disorders must be treated with caution. Upsetting a patient or even digging too far to find information or a cause of a disease could potentially make the patient even worse. Those professionals using the DSM-V on a regular basis must be aware the changes and the progression the DSM will continue to make. Different symptoms may include pain, gastrointestinal complaints, sexual symptoms and neurological problems. Different disorders include somatization, hypochondriasis, conversion, body dysmorphic disorder, pseudocyesis, and both pain and undifferentiated somatization in conjunction with PTSD.
 Despite the long-term nature of this type of depression, psychotherapy is effective in reducing the symptoms of depression, and assisting the person in managing his/her life better.
As humans when we are faced with any psychological or emotional problems, our initial thought is to turn to a therapist, doctor or any other health practitioners. Our initial thought when we are faced with problems regarding our health is to turn to a health professional because for ages that’s how it has been. When it comes to our health, health professionals nowadays do more harm than help. Many might disagree, but often patients are misdiagnosed with mental illnesses they do not have. Misdiagnosis occurs when a therapist or other health practitioners decide that a patient is suffering from a condition that he or she may not be suffering with. When misdiagnosed, patients are given unnecessary treatment, which could potentially
Schildkrout, Barbara. “Unmasking Psychological Symptoms: How Therapists Can Learn To Recognize The Psychological Presentation Of Medical Disorders”. n.p.: Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, c2011., 2011. USMAI Catalog. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
In most cases, however, FD is a long-term condition that can be very difficult to treat (Feldman, Hamilton &, Janata, 2009). Additionally, many people with FD deny they are faking symptoms and will not seek or follow treatment (Feldman et al.). Oscar’s condition may worsen, even with offered treatment, mainly due to his intellectual ability and his failure to fully cooperate with the medical staff. Over the years, Oscar has convinced himself that something is wrong with him to maintain his stay at a hospital, so to eradicate his way of thinking, for over a decade, will be tedious work, however, manageable. If Oscar agrees to cooperate with the treatment, he can be placed in the hospital with limited attention from medical staff. This will help reduce any reinforcing consequences from his FD symptoms. Furthermore, his mother might not participate in family therapy for Oscar’s recovery, so if Oscar does show signs of progression, interactions with his mother may act as a catalyst for Oscar’s FD to resurface. Overall, Oscar will most likely be impaired by his FD for the rest of his
...under the radar of detection. It can ruin someone’s credibility of one day really being sick, such as the fairytale story of The Boy That Cried Wolf. I hope that more instances will be researched and documented for the future of society. Factitious Disorders waste time and money that are needed for those that are sick, not those that become aroused from the sympathetic gestures that they receive.
In “Should Doctors Tell the Truth?” Joseph Collins argues for paternalistic deception, declaring that it is permissible for physicians to deceive their patients when it is in their best interests. Collins considers his argument from a “pragmatic” standpoint, rather than a moral one, and uses his experience with the sick to justify paternalistic deception. Collins argues that in his years of practicing, he has encountered four types of patients who want to know the truth: those that want to know so they know how much time they have left, those who do not want to know and may suffer if told the truth, those who are incapable of hearing the truth, and those who do not have a serious diagnosis (605). Collins follows with the assertion that the more serious the condition is, the less likely the patient is to seek information about their health (606).
Watson, S.L. (2008). Something you have to do – Why do parents of children with
Mental disorders come in many forms and fashions. A mental disorder can be very minuet or life threatening in some cases. There are many people in the world that suffer from all different kinds of mental disorders. Most mental disorders can be treated from using therapy and medication for most cases. A mental disorder can be caused from many different things including, social hang outs, repeated actions, and most of the time genetics. Genetics is the number one reason for mental disorders. If it is hereditary and sometimes there is nothing a person can do, then they would receive treatment for the illness. There are lots of mental disorders out there. In the stories, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Fall of the
Those with the disorder usually know that their anxiety, thoughts, and fears are irrational and unfounded. They realize that it is angst and terror that they are experiencing. They know that people around them are not really critically judging them or evaluating them constantly. They understand that everyone is not out to degrade or embarrass them. But despite this logical knowledge and sense, they still continue to feel and believe differently, thus, thoughts and symptoms of anxiety usually persist with no indication of going away.
Treatment for depression includes medicine, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy. If someone is thinking about suicide or is very depressed and cannot function, they need to be admitted into a hospital. Antidepressants are medicines used to treat depression. They help bring the chemicals in the brain to the normal level and relieve syndromes. If the patient feels as though the medication isn’t working, their doctor should be called. However, if you feel so, you shouldn’t change them on your own without the permission of the doctor. Psychotherapy is to help you understand why you’re feeling the way you are.
Cognitive behavioral therapy - This involves multiple sessions with a specially trained therapist that may last for several weeks or months. It works by changing your mindset about certain things that usually triggers the disorder.
Some believe that involuntary treatment for those with mental illnesses is sometimes necessary and in the best interest of the patients. Due to their specific illness, some individuals are unable to make proper judgment about their need for treatment. People with schizophrenia, for example, may have anosognosia, a lack of awareness of their mental illness, or have delusional beliefs and suspicions towards medication. Those with depression or bipolar disorder might also have impaired insight of the severity of their mental illness. Studies have shown a strong association between lack of awareness and medical nonadherence (Nose, Barbui, & Tansella, 2003). Furthermore, disorders that are ego-syntonic, or those in which the patient believes the disorder is part of their identity, impair insight into the extent of the disorder. Individuals with anorexia nervosa might resist receiving treatment because they are proud of their slight physiques and fear the weight gain involved in treatment.
As a student who is interested in psychology and the way the brain works/functions, learning about the somatic symptom disorder intrigues me. I have never actually heard of this disorder before, but hypochondria is about the closest to a somatic disorder that I have learned about. Now, the first thing that really caught my attention about this disorder was the definition about it, “People with somatic symptom disorder become excessively distressed, concerned, and anxious about bodily symptoms that they are experiencing, and their lives are greatly disrupted by the symptoms” (Comer, 2014). This blew my mind. I had always know about people thinking they have had every sickness or believe they are suffering from something they are not, I am also aware of the placebo effect, but the fact that people can create such strong distress in their lives from bodily symptoms they experience is something that brought out my curious nature of why and how. Another thing that is very interesting to me is that there are two patterns of somatic symptom disorder, called somatization pattern (the individual experiences a large and even varied number of bodily symptoms) and predominant pain pattern (which is the individual’s primary bodily problem being the experience of pain) (Comer, 2014).