If you suffer from somatization disorder and severe depression or anxiety, your doctor may prescribe antidepressant-like fluoxetine (Prozac). This is in order to ease the symptoms of those conditions. This doesn’t treat the somatization itself; however, antidepressants are often helpful for treating co-morbidities such as these.
Full Answer
What is somatization and how is it diagnosed?
Somatization is a symptom, not a diagnosis in itself. It is often part of somatic symptom disorder and conversion disorder, though it can appear with other conditions. People experiencing somatization can get treatment from a mental health professional. Most people experience somatization at some point in their lives.
How can a therapist help with somatization disorder?
A therapist can help the person address the feelings and memories that cause somatization. Numerous studies have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective at treating somatization. CBT focuses on helping people identify automatic negative thoughts.
How does somatization disorder affect the body?
People with somatization disorder often have a history of trauma, such as sexual or physical abuse during childhood. This can leave them feeling helpless and out of control, which may lead to chronic stress and anxiety.
What are the treatment options for somatic symptoms?
Someone who develops somatic symptoms because of trauma might need a trauma-informed approach such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. When somatization is due to family or relationship stress, family or couples counseling may help.
What is the most effective treatment for somatization disorder?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best-studied and most effective treatment for somatoform disorders.
What are treatments for somatic symptom disorder?
Cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based therapy are effective for the treatment of somatic symptom disorder. Amitriptyline, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and St. John's wort are effective pharmacologic treatments for somatic symptom disorder.
What medication is used for somatization disorder?
Drugs used to treat Somatoform Pain DisorderDrug nameRatingGeneric name: amitriptyline systemic Drug class: tricyclic antidepressants For consumers: dosage, interactions, side effects For professionals: AHFS DI Monograph, Prescribing Information Off-label: YesView information about venlafaxine venlafaxine Off-label4.034 more rows
Can somatization disorder be cured?
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 can family members support and help someone with a somatic symptoms disorder?
Family can also assist the person suffering to track and record symptom information for later discussion with his/her provider. Family members can also play a valuable role in reassurance and communication with the person's healthcare team.
What are the risk factors associated with somatoform disorders?
Some of the factors that increase the risk of developing a somatoform disorder include:Presence of underlying anxiety or depression.Ongoing medical illness or convalescence.Presence of strong family history of a disease.Undergoing stressful life events, violence or trauma.History of childhood sexual abuse.More items...•
How are psychosomatic disorders treated?
How are psychosomatic pain and other somatic symptoms treated?Cognitive behavioral therapy.Medications, such as antidepressants.Mindfulness-based therapy.Referral to a specialist in mental health (for example, a psychiatrist or psychologist).Regular contact with your primary care provider.
What is the ultimate goal of therapy for a client with did?
The goals of treatment for dissociative disorders are to help the patient safely recall and process painful memories, develop coping skills, and, in the case of dissociative identity disorder, to integrate the different identities into one functional person.
What is somatization therapy?
Somatization occurs when a person's emotional distress is converted into physical symptoms. Often, a person first goes to a physician, believing their symptoms have a bodily cause. Once the physician confirms that the person is somaticizing, they will likely refer the person to a licensed therapist.
How are psychosomatic disorders treated?
How are psychosomatic pain and other somatic symptoms treated?Cognitive behavioral therapy.Medications, such as antidepressants.Mindfulness-based therapy.Referral to a specialist in mental health (for example, a psychiatrist or psychologist).Regular contact with your primary care provider.
How long do somatic symptoms last?
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.
What are the 5 somatic disorders?
They include somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, hypochondriasis, conversion disorder, pain disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and somatoform disorder not otherwise specified.
What Are Somatizations?
Somatizations are one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions. People with somatizations often complain about medical problems, but all their tests come back normal or without a cause for concern. They may take an inordinate amount of time off work.
Signs of Somatizations
There are many signs of somatizations, including some physical signs. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Causes of Somatizations
People with somatization disorder can have the condition by their genetics. It’s also more common in people who have experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse (neither of which is “caused” by stress).
Diagnosis of Somatizations
Diagnosis of somatization can be difficult because the symptoms are so varied and can mimic other conditions. Often, people who suffer from it have gone to see many different doctors before finally getting a diagnosis. There is no one test that can definitively say someone has somatization disorder.
Treatment of Somatizations
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for somatization disorder, as the condition can vary greatly from person to person. However, some common treatments include:
Conclusion
Somatization disorder is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and treat. It often results from chronic stress and anxiety and can cause many physical symptoms that are hard to pin down. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for somatization disorder, but some common treatments include therapy, medication, and self-care/lifestyle changes.
A Word From Mantra Care
Your mental health — your psychological, emotional, and social well-being — has an impact on every aspect of your life. Positive mental health essentially allows you to effectively deal with life’s everyday challenges.
What are the symptoms of somatization disorder?
The most common symptoms are pain in various parts of the body, dysphagia, nausea, bloating, constipation, palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath.113 In pediatric populations, the full diagnostic criteria for somatization disorder are rarely met; however, many children do experience multiple medically unexplained symptoms.
What personality traits predispose to somatization?
Cloninger (1986) suggested that persons with somatization disorder are characterized by distractibility, impulsivity, and failure to habituate to repetitive stimuli.
What is a briquet syndrome?
Briquet's syndrome is a polysymptomatic disorder that begins during early life. It usually affects girls and is characterized by recurrent multiple somatic complaints that are inexplicable in terms of current knowledge of pathological processes. Patients make repeated visits to physicians, are prescribed a large number of medications, and undergo frequent hospitalizations and operative procedures. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), 30 it is referred to as somatization disorder, the diagnostic features of which are shown in Table 30-6. In practice, such patients are not difficult to discern, and Briquet's syndrome is reported in 1 to 2 percent of consecutive female patients attending hospitals for investigations. First-degree female relatives have a 10-fold increase in the same syndrome, whereas male relatives show a preponderance of antisocial personalities and alcoholism. Monozygotic twins have a greater concordance rate than dizygous pairs. 31
What is conversion disorder?
The conversion disorder construct reflects that somatic symptoms are the result of psychogenic distress. In somatoform pain disorder, the patients perceive that physical pain causes significant distress or disability, or leads an individual to seek medical attention.
What is SzD medical?
SzD is characterized by a history of lifetime multiple unexplained medical problems or physical complaints beginning prior to the age of 30. Patients report symptoms affecting multiple organ systems or physical functions, including pain in at least four unexplained localizations, at least two nonpain gastrointestinal conditions, at least one sexual problem, and pseudoneurological symptoms. Although medical explanations for the symptoms cannot be identified, individuals with SzD experience genuine physical discomfort and distress, and they will usually visit a number of medical specialists.
How early can you get somatization disorder?
Somatization disorder is characterized by the onset at an early age, usually late teens to early 20s but by definition by age 30 of multiple physical complaints. Females are afflicted over males by a ration of 10 or 20: 1. The disorder by definition has been present greater than 6 months. This disorder has in the past been known as Briquet's syndrome or hysteria. The complexity of the criteria has diminished over the years but still requires the presence of multiple symptoms involving several organ systems. The typical patient has had many surgeries at an early age, preceded by multiple workups for a variety of physical complaints. These individuals seldom seek psychiatric or psychological treatment because from their point of view, their problems are physical not mental in nature. In addition, to multiple surgeries and procedures, these patients may also suffer from iatrogenic side effects from a multitude of medications. Direction to the family physician to schedule regular, not as needed appointments, which include focused physical exams, to minimize testing and treatments and to gradually shift the focus of attention from physical complaints to stressors in the patient's life may help decrease health care utilization and avoid complications of procedures and treatments. Group therapy aimed at coping with the stress of a chronic medical condition has also been recommended. In a group setting, these individuals are said to be capable of recognizing and confronting this pattern of somatizing to an extent not possible in individual therapy. In addition, they may benefit from the support of others with similar conditions.
Why do people with hypochondriasis have a fear of death?
Many people with hypochondriasis develop fears in response to the illness or death of a friend or family member or after reading about a condition or seeing a feature on television.
What is somatization in children?
Somatization in children consists of the persistent experience and complaints of somatic distress that cannot be fully explained by a medical diagnosis. Working at the Psychophysiological Department at the University Clinic we are dealing with more than 100 children per year manifesting this kind of disorders. The aim of this article is to summarize some specific characteristics of the somatoform disorder in a group of 243 children, mean age 10.31 (± 2.75) years for both genders, selected randomly. The used psychometric instruments are: CBCL, EPQ for children, and MMPI-201 for mothers. The obtained results showed high scores for somatization, extroversion and accentuated anxiety for children; as well as a typical Hs-Hy personality profile for mothers. The treatment with cognitive-behavior therapy and biofeedback showed very positive outcome.
What are somatic symptoms?
The present study was designed to increase our understanding of the relationship between parental attachment and somatic symptoms by testing the mediational role of anxiety, peer attachment and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample of 332 Italian children (49.4% males) aged 8 to 11 years (Mage= 9.26; SD= 0.89) A serial multiple mediation model was used to verify the study’s hypothesis. Somatic symptoms correlated with attachment, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Anxiety, peer attachment and depression mediated the association between parental attachment and somatic symptoms. This association remained significant after controlling for mediators (b= - 0.185, p < .05), suggesting that low levels of child-parent attachment security relationships can predispose children to experience more somatic symptoms. Results are discussed considering clinical implications.
What is conversion disorder in childhood?
Conversion disorder in childhood exists and remains a complex entity whose clinics and psychopathology vary according to the chosen definition or to the theoretical framework. At present, this pathology remains the source of numerous diagnostic questions and nosographic confusions in current pediatric practice. This article tries to define and describe in a synthetic way the specificities of child conversion disorder, and the processes underlying the symptomatic outbreak. Today, there is no consensus on the management of these young patients, but we will try to identify the main features for a comprehensive therapeutic approach.
What are the mental health problems of adolescents?
Mental health disorders in adolescence are a significant problem, relatively common, and amenable to treatment or intervention. Obstetrician-gynecologists who see adolescent patients are highly likely to see adolescents and young women who have one or more mental health disorders. Some of these disorders may interfere with a patient's ability to understand or articulate her health concerns and appropriately adhere to recommended treatment. Some disorders or their treatments will affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, causing anovulatory cycles and various menstrual disturbances. Adolescents with psychiatric disorders may be taking psychopharmacologic agents that can cause menstrual dysfunction and galactorrhea. Adolescents with mental illness often engage in acting-out behavior or substance use, which increases their risk of unsafe sexual behavior that may result in pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. Pregnant adolescents who take psychopharmacologic agents present a special challenge in balancing the potential risks of fetal harm with the risks of inadequate treatment. Whether providing preventive women's health care or specific obstetric or gynecologic treatment, the obstetrician-gynecologist has the opportunity to reduce morbidity and mortality from mental health disorders in adolescents by early identification, appropriate and timely referral, and care coordination. Although mental health disorders should be managed by mental health care professionals or appropriately trained primary care providers, the obstetrician-gynecologist can assist by managing the gynecologic adverse effects of psychiatric medications and providing effective contraception and regular screening for sexually transmitted infections. This Committee Opinion will provide basic information about common adolescent mental health disorders, focusing on specific implications for gynecologic and obstetric practice.
What is somatoform disorder?
Patients with somatoform disorders somatize unconsciously as a dysfunctional and maladaptive coping mechanism; they do not produce their symptoms intentionally as do those with malingering or factitious disorder. Table 1. Somatoform disorders—diagnostic criteria [5] Disorder. Diagnostic Criteria.
What are the different types of somatoform disorders?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes seven diagnoses under the category of somatoform disorders: somatization disorder, undifferentiated somatoform disorder, conversion disorder, pain disorder, hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder, and somatoform disorder not otherwise specified. In order to meet the criteria for any of the somatoform disorders, one must have significant social or occupational dysfunction that is directly related to psychopathology and not due to an occult general medical condition or substance abuse [5]. Patients with somatoform disorders somatize unconsciously as a dysfunctional and maladaptive coping mechanism; they do not produce their symptoms intentionally as do those with malingering or factitious disorder.
What is the role of empathy in a patient?
Empathy. Empathy or briefly "becoming the patient" is a key component to developing a strong therapeutic relationship with the patient.
Do psychiatrists help with somatization?
While psychiatrists are not normally on the "front lines" when dealing with patients with somatization disorders, they frequently are called upon to advise primary caregivers. Unexplained physical symptoms due to a somatoform disorder usually cause great frustration and anxiety to both the treating physician and the patient. As consultants, psychiatrists can help treating physicians recognize and properly use their countertransference and encourage the use of the CARE MD management plan.
When does somatization become a clinical issue?
Somatization becomes a clinical issue when it causes prolonged and severe distress. An individual may interpret their symptoms as a bodily illness and see a physician. But the doctor will rarely find a physical explanation for the person’s symptoms.
What causes somatization?
There are many theories about why somatization occurs. These theories involve: 1 Biological Sensitivity: A person may have a heightened sensitivity to certain sensations, such as pain or nausea. They may be more likely to attribute these sensations to illness. A person may also misinterpret psychological symptoms, such as anxious sweating, to a physical cause. 2 Trauma/Stress: Research shows survivors of trauma are particularly susceptible to somatization. Trauma can lead to high levels of cortisol and other hormones. These chemicals can weaken one’s immune system and cause physical symptoms such as dizziness. 3 The Unconscious: Somatization could be a defense mechanism, protecting the person from emotional overwhelm. Some psychological symptoms may be so overwhelming that a person cannot face them consciously. A person’s distress may then find an outlet through the body, converting to a physical symptom. 4 Cultural Attitudes: Some people may live in a culture that stigmatizes emotional distress. A person may receive more attention and sympathy when they present physical symptoms than when they report psychological issues. A person’s mind and body may “learn” to somaticize distress in order to get help.
What is somatization in medical terms?
Somatization is a primary symptom of somatic symptom disorder (SSD). SSD encompasses the old diagnoses of somatization disorder, hypochondria, and pain disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) states around 75% of people who were diagnosed with hypochondria now qualify for SSD.
Why do people somatize?
A person may receive more attention and sympathy when they present physical symptoms than when they report psychological issues. A person’s mind and body may “learn” to somaticize distress in order to get help. Somatization may be caused by multiple factors. It could also have no perceivable cause.
What is somatization in psychology?
Somatization Across Populations. Treatment for Somatization. Somatization occurs when psychological concerns are converted into physical symptoms. For example, a person who has just lost a loved one may somaticize their grief through severe fatigue. The prefix “soma” stems from the Greek word for body. Somatic symptoms can range from joint pain ...
How long does it take for a person to have somatic symptoms?
The DSM-5 estimates 5-7% of the general population has SSD. Someone with SSD will have at least one somatic symptom for 6 months or more. An individual may have persistent diarrhea, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and so on. Pain is a common symptom.
Why does somatization cause dizziness?
These chemicals can weaken one’s immune system and cause physical symptoms such as dizziness. The Unconscious: Somatization could be a defense mechanism, protecting the person from emotional overwhelm. Some psychological symptoms may be so overwhelming that a person cannot face them consciously.
What Is Somatization?
Somatization describes physical and medical symptoms that have an emotional or psychological cause. Somatization is a symptom of a group of disorders known as somatoform disorders. Somatoform disorders include physical complaints like pain, G.I.
3 Examples of Somatization
Somatization can cause a range of physical and medical symptoms, and these symptoms may worsen, change, or resolve over time.
What Causes Somatization?
Somatization is caused by underlying emotional distress or mental health conditions. In some cases, the root cause is another mental health condition (e.g., mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, dissociative, and substance use disorders).
Types of Somatoform Disorders
There are several different types of somatoform disorders; the experience of psychosomatic symptoms is common to all of them.
How Therapy Can Help With Somatization
A licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist is often needed in order to effectively diagnose and treat symptoms of somatization. Once a patient is accurately diagnosed with a somatoform disorder, a licensed and trained provider can help them by providing therapy or a combination of medication and therapy. 4,5,6
Getting Help For Somatization
If you or someone you care about is struggling with unexplained physical symptoms, consider making an appointment with a licensed therapist.
Final Thoughts on Somatization
If you have unexplained physical symptoms, making an appointment with a licensed therapist can help you rule out a psychological cause. If the cause is psychological in nature, therapy (sometimes in combination with medication) is the most effective method of treatment, and may offer the relief you’ve been searching for from doctors. 4,5,6