Chapter 8: Disorders Featuring Somatic Symptoms

Question 1

Somatic Illness

Answer 1

Bodily Illness

Question 2

Factitious Disorder

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Malingering

Answer 3

Intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain, such as financial compensation or deferment from military service

Question 4

Other Name For Factitious Disorder

Answer 4

Munchausen Syndrome

Question 5

Is Factitious Disorder More Common in Men or Women?

Answer 5

Women

Question 6

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Conversion Disorder

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What Gender Is More Likely to Have Conversion Disorder?

Answer 8

2 times as likely in women than men

Question 9

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Somatization Patterns for Somatic Symptom Disorder (5 main)

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What Gender is Somatic Symptom Disorder Most Common In?

Answer 11

Women

Question 12

Predominant Pain Pattern for Somatic Symptom Disorder

Answer 12

Primary feature of SSD is pain,
Women more likely than men,
Develops after an accident or during an illness that caused a genuine pain

Question 13

Psychodynamic View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Primary Gain of Psychodynamic Theory for Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 14

Gain achieved when somatic symptoms keep internal conflicts out of awareness

Question 15

Secondary Gain of Psychodynamic Theory for Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 15

Gain achieved when somatic symptoms elicit kindness from others or provide an excuse to avoid unpleasant activities

Question 16

Behavior View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 16

Physical symptoms bring rewards to sufferers,
Learn to display the bodily symptoms more and more prominently,
Pain and upset usually outweigh the rewards

Question 17

Cognitive View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 17

These disorders are forms of communication,

Emotions are being converted into physical symptoms

Question 18

Multicultural View of What Causes Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders

Answer 18

Very high rates of stress-caused bodily symptoms in non-western medical settings throughout the world,
Symptoms are often influenced by one’s culture

Question 19

How Do Psychodynamic Theorists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?

Answer 19

They try to help individuals become conscious of and resolve their underlying fears (eliminating the need to convert anxiety into physical symptoms)

Question 20

How Do Behavioral Therapists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?

Answer 20

Use exposure treatments,
Expose clients to features of the horrific events that first triggered their physical symptoms,
Less anxiety is predicted

Question 21

How Do Biological Therapists Treat Conversion/Somatic Symptom Disorders?

Answer 21

Use anti anxiety drugs and certain antidepressant drugs to help reduce the anxiety of clients