16: Psychological Disorders - Somatoform Disorders

Question 1

Somatoform Disorders

Answer 1

a disorder in which a person complains of bodily symptoms that cannot be accounted for in terms of actual physical damage or dysfunction

• Differ from psychophysiological disorders, which cause a real medical condition

Question 2

Hypochondriasis

Answer 2

people become unduly alarmed about any physical symptom they detect, and are convinced they are about to have a serious illness

Question 3

Pain disorder

Answer 3

people experience intense pain that either is out of proportion to whatever medical condition they might have or for which no physical basis can be found

Question 4

Conversion disorder

Answer 4

serious neurological symptoms, such as paralysis, loss of sensation, or blindness suddenly occur

• People often exhibit a lack of concern about their symptoms (la belle indifference)
• Glove anaesthesia, in which person loses sensation below wrist, is physiologically impossible, since nerves also serve area above the hand