What is the prevalence of somatic symptom disorder?
The prevalence of somatic symptom disorder is unknown, but it is estimated that 5 to 7 percent of the general population may have this condition. Females tend to report more physical symptoms than males, and it is therefore likely that the prevalence of somatic symptom disorder is higher in females. It is related to hypochondriasis.
What are the symptoms of somatic symptoms?
These symptoms can be specific (pain in a specific area) or more general (fatigue), and they may be normal bodily sensations or be the result of a medical condition. Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by the way people feel and behave in response to their physical sensations, not the sensations alone.
Are somatic disorders more common in people who abuse drugs?
Somatoform disorders are more common in people who abuse alcohol and drugs. However, drugs and alcohol may be factors in both cause and effect. For example, some people may turn to alcohol or other drugs to ease the distress of their somatic symptoms. On the other hand, excess alcohol or illicit drugs may make the symptoms worse.
What are the challenges faced by people with somatisation disorder?
They may become angry with their doctors who cannot find the cause for their symptoms. Another difficulty is that people with somatisation disorder, like everyone else, will develop physical diseases at some point. So, every new symptom is a challenge to a doctor to know how far to investigate.
Is somatic disorder rare?
Somatization disorder is a relatively rare phenomenon with recent community studies citing prevalence rates between 0.4% and 0.7% (cf.
How common is somatoform disorder?
Information from reference 1. Somatization disorder appears to be more common in women than men, with a lifetime prevalence of 0.2 to 2 percent in women compared with less than 0.2 percent in men. Subthreshold somatization disorder may have a prevalence up to 100 times greater.
Who has somatic symptom disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder is diagnosed when a person has a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, to a level that results in major distress and/or problems functioning. The individual has excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors relating to the physical symptoms.
What is the most common complaint in somatic symptom disorder?
These thoughts, feelings and behaviors can include: Constant worry about potential illness. Viewing normal physical sensations as a sign of severe physical illness. Fearing that symptoms are serious, even when there is no evidence.
Is somatic symptom disorder a disability?
A Somatic disorder can become a disability if it prevents you from working a full-time job. Somatic Disorders are physical symptoms that are not explained by a general medical condition. Also, the physical symptoms are not explained by another mental disorder or the direct effects of a substance.
Can you imagine pain?
This phenomenon is called psychogenic pain, and it occurs when your pain is related to underlying psychological, emotional, or behavioral factors. What Causes Psychogenic Pain? It's not entirely clear why your brain sometimes causes pain when there seems to be no physical source.
Is somatic pain real?
Somatic symptom disorder (SSD formerly known as "somatization disorder" or "somatoform disorder") is a form of mental illness that causes one or more bodily symptoms, including pain.
Is somatic disorder curable?
Somatic symptom and related disorder treatment Although there is no known cure for somatoform disorders, they can be managed. Treatment focuses on helping the person who has the disorder to live as much of a normal life as possible. Even with treatment, he or she may still have some pain or other symptoms.
What is the main cause of somatic pain?
Somatic pain occurs when pain receptors in tissues (including the skin, muscles, skeleton, joints, and connective tissues) are activated. Typically, stimuli such as force, temperature, vibration, or swelling activate these receptors.
How long does somatic symptoms last?
Symptoms may be due to a medical condition but they also may have no clear cause. How people feel and behave in response to these physical sensations are the main symptoms of SSD. These reactions must persist for 6 months or more.
How do I stop being Somatized?
Numerous studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective at treating somatization. CBT focuses on helping people identify automatic negative thoughts. It then teaches people how to combat these thoughts with less self-defeating messages.
Are somatoform disorders real?
Somatoform disorder, also known as somatic symptom disorder (SSD) or psychosomatic disorder, is a mental health condition that causes an individual to experience physical bodily symptoms in response to psychological distress.
Is somatoform disorder curable?
Although there is no known cure for somatoform disorders, they can be managed. Treatment focuses on helping the person who has the disorder to live as much of a normal life as possible. Even with treatment, he or she may still have some pain or other symptoms.
How many somatoform disorders are there?
There are seven types of somatoform disorders where individuals present with a multitude of clinically significant symptoms that cannot be explained, including: Somatization disorder. Conversion disorder. Pain disorder.
How do I stop being Somatized?
Numerous studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective at treating somatization. CBT focuses on helping people identify automatic negative thoughts. It then teaches people how to combat these thoughts with less self-defeating messages.
What is somatic symptom disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder (SSD), formerly known as somatization disorder, is a mental disorder where physical symptoms cannot be explained fully by a general medical condition or by the direct effect of a substance, and are not attributable to another mental disorder.
What are the symptoms of somatic symptoms?
Rare symptoms (only 2% or less of the population reports these) are “rectal pain, pain during intercourse, vomiting, discharge of fluids from anus, unpleasant sensations around the genitals, paralysis and muscle weakness, loss of voice, hallucinations, loss of touch sensations, double vision, blindness, seizures, fainting, or vomiting during whole pregnancy ” [11].
What is the most effective treatment for somatic symptom disorders?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for Somatic Symptom disorders (SSD) -convulsion disorder and pain disorder were not included in this study- followed by a consultation letter to the primary care physician [4], [12]. Antidepressants were effective as well, but this is not conclusive yet [4].
How many people with SSD have TPC?
Approximately 50% of the people with SSD reported having experienced childhood traumatization by primary caretaker (s) (TPC) [6]. In case of SSD + Borderline Personality Disorder 75% of the people reported childhood TPC [6].
How many people with SSD receive treatment?
At least 32.9% of the people with SSD received treatment for their disorder. For people with SSD had another mental disorder this was 47.7% [1].
What percentage of people with SSD have anxiety?
11.5% of the people with SSD had also a mood disorder and an anxiety disorder [9].
How many people in the Netherlands have SSD?
In the Netherlands, 16.1% of people has been diagnosed with a Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) [2]. This is similar to the 16.2% found in the German population [1].
What is somatic symptom disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder is a disorder in which individuals feel excessively distressed about their health and also have abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in response to their symptoms. There are different subtypes of the disorder based on the patient’s complaint.
What is the phone number for somatic symptom disorder?
Although a person with somatic symptom disorder reports symptoms, the symptoms may have no medical explanation. Appointments 866.588.2264. Appointments & Locations.
How to treat somatic symptoms?
The goal of treating somatic symptom disorder is to manage symptoms using both behavioral therapy and sometimes medications that treat the underlying anxiety and depression . Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps patients learn ways to change their patterns of thinking or behavior in order to change the way they feel. CBT helps patients better cope with anxiety and stress and respond to situations more effectively. If medication is prescribed, antidepressants are a common choice. Antidepressants in addition to helping mood, have been reported to help ease such symptoms as pain, fatigue, pain in joints, and sleep problems.
Why are women more likely to have somatic symptoms than men?
Women are ten times more likely to report somatic symptoms than men. This is explained by the fact that the disorder is often related to childhood abuse and trauma to which women are more often exposed then men. Somatic symptom disorder can appear in any age group.
What are the factors that affect the development of a person's social environment?
Researchers believe there are many factors including biological susceptibility (it’s more common in women), exposure to emotional stress in childhood, and psychological factors such as learned ways of thinking in the context of a person’s social environment. The main factors include:
Can somatic symptoms be explained?
Although a person with somatic symptom disorder reports symptoms, the symptoms may have no medical explanation. Even when there is a medical cause, the person’s worry is out of proportion to the symptom. The distress causes the patient to visit multiple healthcare providers and to have many medical tests and unnecessary procedures.
Can you have more than one symptom?
Neurological symptoms such as headaches, movement disorders, weakness, dizziness, fainting. Digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain or bowel problems, diarrhea, incontinence, and constipation. Usually, patients report experiencing more than one symptom. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
How much more likely are women to have somatoform disorders than men?
2. Women are 10x more likely to suffer from somatoform disorders when compared to men. The prevalence rate in women is up to 2%, while in men it is up to 0.2%. 3. It is estimated that 0.1-0.5% of the general population are affected with somatisation disorder throughout their lives. 4.
What is somatoform disorder?
Somatoform disorders, which are also known as Briquet’s Syndrome, appear when someone is complaining of symptoms that cannot be explained by the presence of a disease. There are five main types of somatoform disorder, including Hypochondriasis, Conversion disorders, Body dysmorphic disorders, Pain disorders, and Somatisation disorder.
What is the best treatment for somatoform disorder?
When those are ruled out, a somatoform disorder will be suspected. The best form of treatment for somatoform disorders is to avoid medical treatments as much as possible. Providing individuals with ongoing support, counseling, and even cognitive behavioral therapy may be more beneficial than medication treatment.
What age group is most commonly affected by pain disorders?
6. Pain disorders occur between the ages of 30 and 40 years and is more commonly found in women. 7. 10% of all medical patients will suffer from some form of hypochondriasis. 8. Up to 50% of primary care patients present with physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a general medical condition. 9.
Who is responsible for diagnosing somatoform disorder?
Watch on. This is why specialists, especially neurology specialists, are often responsible for the diagnosis. After the primary care physician rules out immediate concerns, the specialist will examine for more rare diseases or health problems. When those are ruled out, a somatoform disorder will be suspected.
Is somatoform disorder a real disease?
Somatoform Disorder Isn’t a Fake Disease. Sometimes people may think that someone suffering from somatoform disorders are faking the issues they are experiencing, but this isn’t the case. Someone with these disorders believes they are sick because they are experiencing real physical symptoms.
What percentage of the population is affected by somatic symptom disorder?
The prevalence of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is estimated to be 5% to 7% of the general population, with higher female representation (female-to-male ratio 10:1), and can occur in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. [1][3]The prevalence increases to approximately 17% of the primary care patient population.[4] The prevalence is likely higher in certain patient populations with functional disorders, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. [5]
What is somatic symptom disorder?
It is the manifestation of one or more physical symptoms accompanied by excessive thoughts, emotion, and/or behavior related to the symptom, which causes significant distress and/or dysfunction.[1] These symptoms may or may not be explained by a medical condition. The two major changes to the DSM-IV criteria included eliminating the requirement that somatic symptoms be organically unexplained and adding the requirement that certain psychobehavioral features have to be present to justify the diagnosis. The new criteria also eliminated somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, hypochondriasis, and pain disorder from the previous definitions. These revisions were intended to increase the relevance of SSD and its use in the primary care setting.
What is a physical exam for somatic complaints?
In addition to a thorough history, a full review of systems (not only at the location of the symptom) and a comprehensive physical exam is required to evaluate physical causes of somatic complaints. Given frequent comorbid psychiatric disease, a mental status examination should be performed, noting appearance, mood, affect, attention, memory, concentration, orientation, the presence of hallucinations or delusions, and suicidal or homicidal ideation.[8] Ultimately, the physical examination may provide a baseline for monitoring over time, assure patients that their complaints are acknowledged, and help validate the primary care provider’s concern that the patient does not have a physical medical illness. If a disease is present, the exam may provide information on severity.
How long does somatic syndrome last?
Longitudinal studies show considerable chronicity, with up to 90% of somatic syndrome disorder (SSD) cases lasting longer than 5 years. [14][15]Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have revealed that therapeutic interventions only yield small-to-moderate effect sizes. [16][17]Chronic limitation of general function, significant psychological disability, and decreased quality of life are frequently observed. [15][18]
What tests are required to rule out somatization?
If it is necessary to rule out somatization due to medical conditions, specific studies may be ordered, including but not limited to thyroid function tests, urine drug screen, limited blood studies (i.e., alcohol level), and limited radiological testing.
Is SSD a genetic disorder?
The pathophysiology of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is unknown . Autonomic arousal from endogenous noradrenergic compounds may cause tachycardia, gastric hypermotility, heightened arousal, muscle tension, and pain associated with muscular hyperactivity in patients with SSD. There may also be a genetic component. A study of monozygotic and dizygotic twins revealed that the contribution of genetic factors to somatic symptoms was 7% to 21%, while the remaining was attributable to environmental factors.[6] Several single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with somatic symptoms in another study. [7]
What is somatic symptom disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms — such as pain or fatigue — that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. You may or may not have another diagnosed medical condition associated with these symptoms, but your reaction to the symptoms is not normal.
Why is somatic symptom disorder more important than physical symptoms?
For somatic symptom disorder, more important than the specific physical symptoms you experience is the way you interpret and react to the symptoms and how they impact your daily life.
What are the risk factors for somatic symptom disorder?
Risk factors for somatic symptom disorder include: Having anxiety or depression. Having a medical condition or recovering from one. Being at risk of developing a medical condition, such as having a strong family history of a disease. Experiencing stressful life events, trauma or violence.
What causes somatic symptoms?
The exact cause of somatic symptom disorder isn't clear, but any of these factors may play a role: Genetic and biological factors, such as an increased sensitivity to pain. Family influence, which may be genetic or environmental, or both. Personality trait of negativity, which can impact how you identify and perceive illness and bodily symptoms.
What are the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can be associated with physical illness?
These thoughts, feelings and behaviors can include: Constant worry about potential illness. Viewing normal physical sensations as a sign of severe physical illness. Fearing that symptoms are serious, even when there is no evidence. Thinking that physical sensations are threatening or harmful.
What is the most common symptom?
A single symptom, multiple symptoms or varying symptoms. Mild, moderate or severe. Pain is the most common symptom, but whatever your symptoms, you have excessive thoughts, feelings or behaviors related to those symptoms, which cause significant problems, make it difficult to function and sometimes can be disabling.
What are the symptoms of a symtom?
Specific sensations, such as pain or shortness of breath, or more general symptoms, such as fatigue or weakness. Unrelated to any medical cause that can be identified, or related to a medical condition such as cancer or heart disease, but more significant than what's usually expected.
What percentage of the population has somatic symptom disorder?
The prevalence of somatic symptom disorder is unknown, but it is estimated that 5 to 7 percent of the general population may have this condition. Females tend to report more physical symptoms than males, and it is therefore likely that the prevalence of somatic symptom disorder is higher in females.
Why do somatic symptoms occur?
Causes. There are multiple factors that may contribute to the development of somatic symptom disorder. Major life stress might precede the development of symptoms in some cases. People who have a negative outlook or personality are more prone to developing the condition, as well as those who have a family history of somatic symptom disorder. ...
How to treat somatic symptom disorder?
Treatment strategies include medications such as antidepressants to address any underlying anxiety or depression. Effective treatment options also include cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapy. Somatic symptom disorder is generally a chronic condition, but research has shown that people can recover and learn strategies to minimize their distress.
How long does it take for a somatic symptom to go away?
Although any somatic symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic is persistent (typically more than 6 months).
How long is a somatic symptom persistent?
Although any somatic symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic is persistent (typically more than 6 months). article continues after advertisement.
What is excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health concerns?
Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health concerns as manifested by at least one of the following: Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one’s symptoms. Persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms.
Can somatic symptoms be physical?
People with somatic symptom disorder have multiple physical symptoms that cause significant distress. These symptoms can be specific (pain in a specific area) or more general (fatigue), and they may be normal bodily sensations or be the result of a medical condition.
What Is Somatic Symptom Disorder?
Somatic Symptom Disorder is characterized by persistent complaints of body-related pain, with no identifiable medical cause. Sufferers of the disorder often complain of pain in multiple parts of their body which can last for weeks or months without any relief.
Symptoms Of Somatic Symptom Disorder
People with Somatic Symptom Disorder often experience a great deal of pain, which can often be accompanied by other symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems. The pain can be anywhere in the body and is often described as “achy” or “burning”.
Causes Of Somatic Symptom Disorder
Somatic symptom disorders have been shown to be caused primarily by stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorders. Physical symptoms may also be related to a psychological condition such as somatization disorder where physical symptoms are used as a way to express emotional distress.
Risk Factors Of Somatic Symptom Disorder
There is evidence that symptom anxiety and poor health might be risk factors for somatic symptom disorder.
Diagnosis
Somatic Symptom Disorder is considered a “functional” disorder which means that it causes chronic pain but doesn’t show up on any tests. The reason for this is that people with the disorder have a heightened response to pain.
Ways To Cope With Symptoms Of Somatic Symptom Disorder
There are many ways to cope with the symptoms of somatic symptom disorder. Some people find talk therapy helpful, while others find biofeedback or relaxation techniques useful. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and physical therapy can also be beneficial for some people. It’s important to find what works best for you and stick to it.
Treatment Of Somatic Symptom Disorders
There are a number of treatments available for people with this disorder. The main treatment options are cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and self-help groups.
Why is it so difficult to diagnose somatisation disorder?
It is difficult for a doctor to diagnose somatisation disorder. This is because it is difficult to be sure that there is no physical cause for the symptoms. So, people with this disorder tend to be referred to various specialists, and have many tests and investigations.
Who gets somatoform disorders and what causes them?
Somatoform disorders can affect anyone of any age. The exact number of people affected is difficult to determine, as many cases are probably not diagnosed. Somatisation disorder is thought to be quite rare, perhaps affecting about 1 in 1,000 people. Hypochondriasis and body dysmorphic disorder are perhaps more common.
What is the treatment for somatoform disorders?
Treatment is often difficult, as people with somatisation disorders commonly do not accept that their symptoms are due to mental (psychological) factors. They may become angry with their doctors who cannot find the cause for their symptoms. Another difficulty is that people with somatisation disorder, like everyone else, will develop physical diseases at some point. So, every new symptom is a challenge to a doctor to know how far to investigate.
What is it called when you have a mental illness and you have physical symptoms?
When mental factors such as stress cause physical symptoms the condition is known as somatisation . Somatoform disorders are a severe form of somatisation where physical symptoms can cause great distress, often long-term. However, people with somato form disorders are usually convinced that their symptoms have a physical cause.
What is psychosomatic disorder?
The term psychosomatic disorder means something similar to somatisation but includes other things. See separate leaflet called Psychosomatic Disorders for more details.
What are the symptoms of conversion disorder?
Conversion disorder is a condition where a person has symptoms which suggest a serious disease of the brain or nerves (a neurological disease) - for example: 1 Total loss of vision (severe sight impairment). 2 Deafness. 3 Weakness, paralysis or numbness of the arms or legs.
What is body dysmorphic disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition where a person spends a lot of time worried and concerned about their appearance. See separate leaflet called Body Dysmorphic Disorder for more details.
