People with somatization disorders usually have a number of somatic (bodily) symptoms that cause discomfort or can cause significant problems in daily life, however sometimes they may have a single severe symptom, not several symptoms, in these cases the most characteristic is pain.
Symptoms may be specific (e. g. localized pain) or relatively nonspecific (e. g. fatigue). Symptoms sometimes indicate normal bodily sensations or discomfort that usually don’t mean a serious illness.
- The person who has a somatization disorder actually has it.
- His discomfort is true.
- Medicine explains the cause or not.
- So symptoms may or may not be associated with another medical condition.
- In fact these people usually have medical conditions associated with a somatization disorder.
- For example.
- A person may be severely disabled by symptoms of a somatization disorder after a uncomplicated myocardial infarction.
- Even when the myocardial infarction itself has not caused any disability.
If there is another medical condition or an increased risk of medical condition, the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with the disease would be excessive in these people; on the other hand, people with somatization disorders tend to be very concerned about the disease. , misjuddly judge their bodily symptoms and consider them threatening, harmful or uncomfortable. They often think the worst of their health.
Even when it is shown that everything is fine for their health, some patients still fear that their symptoms are severe.
In somatization disorder, health problems can play a central role in a person’s life. These problems can eventually become a feature of your identity and eventually dominate interpersonal relationships.
People with somatization disorder often experience an discomfort that focuses primarily on somatic symptoms and their meaning; when asked directly about their discomfort, some people also describe it in relation to other aspects of their lives, while others deny any source of discomfort other than somatic symptoms.
Health-related quality of life is often affected, both physically and mentally. In somatization disorder, deterioration is characteristic and, when it persists, can lead to disability. In such cases, the patient usually attends medical appointments and even several specialists. However, this rarely alleviates your concerns.
These people often seem unresponsive to medical interventions and new interventions can worsen the presentation of symptoms, creating a vicious cycle. Some of these people appear to be abnormally sensitive to the side effects of medications. In addition, some feel that their clinical situation evaluation and treatment were not sufficient.
Characteristics of people with somatization disorders are usually
Cognitive characteristics include attention focused on somatic symptoms and attribution of normal bodily sensations to a physical illness (possibly with catastrophic interpretations).
In addition, they also include concerns about the disease and the fear that any physical activity could harm the body.
Relevant associated behavioral characteristics can be repeated body checks of abnormalities, repeated seeking medical and safety care, and avoiding physical activity. These behavioral characteristics are most important in severe and persistent somatization disorders, as can be assumed.
These features are usually associated with constant medical advice for various somatic or bodily symptoms, which can lead to medical appointments where people are so focused on their concerns about somatic symptoms that the conversation cannot be redirected to other topics.
The level of use of health care is often high; however, this rarely alleviates the person’s concerns, so the person can receive medical assistance from several specialists for the same symptoms.
Any attempt by the doctor to assure the patient that symptoms are not a sign of a serious physical illness is usually short-lived. People feel that the doctor doesn’t take their symptoms seriously.
Because focusing on bodily symptoms is an important feature of the disease, people with somatization disorders often seek medical services rather than mental health services.
For people with somatization disorders, the recommendation to refer a mental health specialist may be received with surprise or even clear rejection.
Because somatization disorder is associated with depressive disorders, there is an increased risk of suicide. It is not known whether somatization disorder is associated with the risk of suicide, regardless of its association with depressive disorders.
The incidence of somatization disorder is unknown, although it is estimated that in the adult population it can be between 5 and 7%; on the other hand, it is thought to be less than that of the undifferentiated somatomorphic disorder. they are more likely to report more somatic symptoms than men, and therefore the incidence of somatization disorders is likely to be higher in women than in men.
The criteria that mental health specialists should consider when diagnosing somatization disorder are:
A. One or more somatic symptoms that cause discomfort or cause significant problems in daily life.
Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to somatic symptoms or associated with health problems, as demonstrated by one or more of the following characteristics:
C. Although some somatic symptoms may not be present continuously, the symptomatic condition is persistent (usually for more than six months).
Somatic symptoms and simultaneous medical conditions are common in the elderly, so it is essential to pay attention to the B-criteria mentioned above to make a diagnosis.
Somatization disorder may be underdiagnosed in the elderly, either because some symptoms (peg, pain, fatigue) are considered part of normal aging, or because concerns about the disease are considered?and they need more medicine than young people. Depression is also common in older adults who have several symptoms.
In children, the most common symptoms are recurrent abdominal pain, headache, fatigue and nausea. The prevalence of a single symptom is more common in children than in adults. Although children may have somatic complaints, it’s rare for them to worry about the disease. In itself before adolescence.
Parents’ response to symptoms is important because it can determine the level of distress associated with them. Parents can be instrumental in interpreting symptoms, from the moment they miss school and seek medical help.
As we have already seen, somatization disorder is associated with a significant deterioration of the state of health and other disorders such as depression or anxiety, in this sense the search for psychological help is essential to improve the quality of life of these patients.