Chapter 8: Disorders Featuring Somatic Symptoms Flashcards
Somatic Illness
Bodily Illness
Factitious Disorder
Disorder in which an individual feigns or induces physical symptoms, typically for the purpose of assuming the role of a sick person,
Physician cannot find a medical cause for the somatic symptom
Malingering
Intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain, such as financial compensation or deferment from military service
Other Name For Factitious Disorder
Munchausen Syndrome
Is Factitious Disorder More Common in Men or Women?
Women
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
Parents/caretakers make up or produce physical illness in their own children to get the satisfaction of being a ‘good parent’ for taking care of their sick child
Conversion Disorder
Bodily symptoms affect voluntary motor and sensory functions, but the symptoms are inconsistent with known medical diseases,
Do not want or purposely produce their symptoms,
Almost always believe symptoms are genuinely medical
What Gender Is More Likely to Have Conversion Disorder?
2 times as likely in women than men
Somatic Symptom Disorder
Persons become excessively distressed, concerned, and anxious about bodily symptoms that they are experiencing, and their lives are greatly and disproportionately disrupted by the symptoms,
Longer lasting symptoms but less dramatic than conversion disorder
Somatization Patterns for Somatic Symptom Disorder (5 main)
Long lasting physical ailments,
Pain, Gastrointestinal, Sexual, Neurological symptoms,
Feel anxious/depressed,
Go from doctor to doctor in search of relief,
Lasts for many years
What Gender is Somatic Symptom Disorder Most Common In?
Women
Predominant Pain Pattern for Somatic Symptom Disorder
Primary feature of SSD is pain,
Women more likely than men,
Develops after an accident or during an illness that caused a genuine pain
Psychodynamic View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
Freud centered his explanation of the disorders on the needs of girls during their phallic stage,
Some girls convert their sexual feelings into physical symptoms and concerns unconsciously
Primary Gain of Psychodynamic Theory for Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
Gain achieved when somatic symptoms keep internal conflicts out of awareness
Secondary Gain of Psychodynamic Theory for Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
Gain achieved when somatic symptoms elicit kindness from others or provide an excuse to avoid unpleasant activities
Behavior View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
Physical symptoms bring rewards to sufferers,
Learn to display the bodily symptoms more and more prominently,
Pain and upset usually outweigh the rewards
Cognitive View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
These disorders are forms of communication,
Emotions are being converted into physical symptoms
Multicultural View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders
Very high rates of stress-caused bodily symptoms in non-western medical settings throughout the world,
Symptoms are often influenced by one’s culture
How Do Psychodynamic Theorists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?
They try to help individuals become conscious of and resolve their underlying fears (eliminating the need to convert anxiety into physical symptoms)
How Do Behavioral Therapists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?
Use exposure treatments,
Expose clients to features of the horrific events that first triggered their physical symptoms,
Less anxiety is predicted
How Do Biological Therapists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?
Use anti anxiety drugs and certain antidepressant drugs to help reduce the anxiety of clients
