MPCE-11, BLOCK-02, UNIT-04, Somatoform Disorder and Dissociative Disorder Flashcards
Key Differences between Somatoform Disorder and Hypochondriasis?
○ Somatization involves multiple vague symptoms.
○ Hypochondriasis focuses on the fear of a specific severe illness.
○ Hypochondriasis patients would have a conviction of particularly severe illnesses this is not the same with Somatization Disorder.
○ Somatization disorder requires a minimum four pain symptoms Hypochondriasis patients have at max two.
Definition of Somatoform Disorders
■ Somatoform disorders refer to a group of disorders where the person reports physical complaints characteristic of bodily dysfunction.
■ But investigation usually fails to elicit any actual physical defect, no underlying biological causes.
■The disorders are expressing themselves in the form of some bodily disorder but the underlying cause is psychological.
Somatoform Disorders: Symptoms and Clinical Features.
●When you have been under considerable stress, bodily symptoms like
-headache
-gastric may appear.
■The psychological pain takes form physical disorder.
■People also faint due to stress, be it children in school, adults.
Multiple Types of Disorders
Types of Somatoform Disorders
1.Somatization Disorder
2. Pain Disorder
3. Hypochondriasis
4. Conversion Disorder
5. Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Somatization Disorder
● There must be at least 4 pain symptoms in different sites of the body
~ At least 2 gastrointestinal symptoms (like diarrhea, nausea etc.)
~ 1 sexual symptom other than pain (for example erectile dysfunction, lack of desire)
~ 1 pseudoneurological symptom (for example fainting).
● Majorly before the age of 30 but it could happen after 30 as well.
● Adequate medical investigation must have been made to exclude all known organic origin of the symptoms.
● Long history with Doctor Shopping and Frequent hospitalization
Sometimes due to unnecessary treatment by previous doctors who couldn’t diagnose the root problem the issues get more complicated.
DSM-IV Criteria for Pain Disorder
- Pain exists in one or more anatomical sites of sufficient intensity to warrant clinical attention.
- The pain causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- Psychological factors are judged to have an important role in the onset, severity, exacerbation, or maintenance of the pain.
- The pain and deficits related to it are not intentionally produced or feigned.
Types of Pain Disorder?
1.Pain disorder can be acute or chronic
2. A chronic pain disorder is defined as having a duration of 6 months or longer.
Treatment of Acute Pain Disorder
● The treatment of an acute pain disorder, one that is relatively recent and related to a specific event (such as surgery).
● It is generally aimed at reducing the patient’s anxiety through a trusting doctor-patient relationship, and perhaps also through the use of medication for anxiety or depression.
Definition of Chronic Pain Disorder
In a chronic pain disorder, the experience of pain becomes an enduring, central aspect of a person’s life, and may result in a diagnosable psychiatric disorder.
Questions Asked in Clinical Interviews to Assess the Presence and Intensity of a Pain Disorder.
- When does the patient experience the pain?
- What are the conditions that lead to the onset of pain?
- How intense is the pain?
- Where in the body is the pain felt?
- What factors are associated with the pain’s exacerbation or relief from the pain?
- How impaired is the individual in daily living, social relationships, and work?
- Does the patient have a history of other types of maladaptive behavior (such as drug addiction or depression)
Treatment of Chronic Pain Disorder
○ Chronic pain disorder can be treated with medication.
○ It is most effectively treated using a psychological approach
- Operant conditioning
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Biofeedback,
- Supportive psychotherapy
Hypochondriasis
~ Fear of physical disease.
~ Magnifying harmless sickness as severe illnesses.
~ Chest pain could panic them as severe disorders
~ Preoccupation with these kind of thoughts
~ Doctor Shopping
~ Continuously searching for information to affirm their self diagnosis, have more knowledge about symptoms of severe disorders.
~ Trial of Semi scientific or Magical treatments done previously.
~ They insist that doctors prescribe a strong dose.
Conversion Disorder
- Conversion disorder is a condition where a mental health issue disrupts how your brain works.
- This causes physical symptoms that a person can’t control that feels real.
- Symptoms can include:
○ seizures
○ Weakness
○ Paralysis
○ Reduced input from one or more senses (sight, sound, etc.).
Characteristics of Conversion Disorder
- Pseudoneurological symptoms
- Mostly females suffering through conversion disorder.
- Mostly from Low socio-economic status, unaware that psychological factors could trigger certain symptoms of Somatisation.
- Sensory motor function or voluntary motor functions loss.
- If there is severe psychological conflict or stressor
- The neurological disorder, damage, symptoms in conversion disorder are different from actual disorder.
7.When they are sleeping unconsciously they move hands or legs which are supposed to be paralyzed or disordered.
la belle indifference
La belle indifference is a French term that means “beautiful ignorance”. It refers to a patient’s apparent lack of concern for their symptoms or serious medical condition, even though they may be experiencing distress.
