SOMATIZATION DISORDER: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES - ECONOMÍA - 2025

A somatization disorder is any mental illness that is characterized by the presence of physical symptoms that point to bodily problems, but cannot be explained due to the existence of a medical condition. In addition, the symptoms cannot have been produced by the abuse of some substance or another mental disorder.

Symptoms of somatic disorders can include any type of physical problem or discomfort. The most common is the appearance of pain in some area of ​​the body, but this mental illness can also cause more serious effects such as temporary blindness or loss of mobility in any limb.

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For a person to be diagnosed with a somatization disorder, the results of medical tests must be normal, or be completely unrelated to the symptoms present. On the other hand, the individual has to be excessively worried about what is happening to him, and must present the problem for at least six months.

Somatization disorders can cause really serious problems in the lives of people who suffer from them, as the symptoms can last for years. In addition, it is one of the most difficult types of mental illness to diagnose and treat.

Symptoms

Physical aches or pains

The main symptom caused by somatization disorders is the appearance of different discomforts in some area of ​​the body that cannot be explained due to the presence of some other physical or mental illness.

These complaints are usually intense, and must be present for at least six months for such a disorder to be diagnosed. Normally, they begin during adolescence, and the person can suffer them for years until they receive some type of treatment.

Virtually all parts of the body can be affected during a somatization disorder. However, aches and pains are more common in some areas than others.

For example, it is common for people with this mental illness to complain of intestinal or stomach discomfort.

Other areas most commonly affected by these symptoms are the reproductive system (for example, difficulties in having an erection or pain when having intercourse), the joints, the back, or the head.

In some very extreme cases, much more serious physical symptoms may appear, such as loss of mobility in some limb or the malfunction of a sensory organ. However, this happens to a very small percentage of people affected by a somatoform disorder.

It is important to remember that in a somatization disorder, the aches and pains experienced by the patient are not related to any underlying disease. On the contrary, the cause is completely psychological.

Exaggerated concern for discomfort

Another of the fundamental criteria to be able to diagnose a somatization disorder is the presence of obsessive and recurrent thoughts about the discomfort, which cause a great discomfort to the person. She will constantly worry about the possible origin of her pain, and will attribute it to all kinds of terrible diseases.

Thus, people with somatoform disorder often see a doctor repeatedly even though tests have shown that they do not have any physical problems.

Normally, their concern increases over time, and these individuals require specialists to perform increasingly sophisticated tests.

Often, until a somatization disorder is diagnosed, people with it seek information about their physical symptoms and try to find out for themselves what they have.

This usually makes their discomfort even greater, to the point that it can interfere with the normal development of their lives.

Altered mood

Although you do not need to be present to diagnose somatization disorder, people with this problem often also have symptoms such as anxiety or a depressed mood.

However, it is not yet known if this is simply a side effect of their excessive worry about their physical problems.

In either case, people with a somatic disorder will usually feel unmotivated, sad, uninterested in activities that normally bring them pleasure, and distressed.

As time goes by, if your physical symptoms are still present, usually the psychological ones become stronger.

Causes

Unfortunately, experts still don't know exactly why some people develop somatization disorder at some point in their lives.

However, there are some theories that could explain at least in part some of the most common problems of these patients.

Defense against psychological stress

One of the oldest theories about the origin of somatic disorders suggests that they are a way for the mind to deal with psychological stress. Instead of experiencing anxiety or depression, some individuals simply develop physical symptoms.

According to this model, people with somatization disorder unconsciously seek the care that is generally given to the sick, while avoiding the stigmas associated with mental illness. However, the evidence supporting this theory is not much.

Great sensitivity towards physical sensations

An alternative theory suggests that somatization disorders arise because the person is especially sensitive to the sensations of his body.

According to this explanation, individuals who develop this pathology feel, for example, a small pain that another person would ignore, and with their excessive worry they end up amplifying it.

Studies on this show that most people with this disorder do pay more attention than normal to their physical sensations. However, more evidence is still needed to confirm if this is the cause of the problem or not.

Autosuggestion

The last theory, which in many cases would go hand in hand with the previous one, is that people with somatization disorder would convince themselves that a minor symptom is actually caused by a very serious physical problem. Over time, this belief would cause them to develop other increasingly severe discomforts.

Often, people with this disorder change their lifestyle to minimize activities that may make their suspected disease worse. Because of this, they have more and more free time to focus on their symptoms, which is why they only get worse.

Today it is known that the subconscious mind is capable of producing all kinds of physical symptoms in certain situations. This appears to be the main mechanism that causes somatization disorders.

In fact, this idea has been developing since the time of Sigmun Freud, the father of psychoanalytic theory. This Viennese psychologist treated cases of "hysteria" (which today would be diagnosed as somatization disorders) by modifying the person's unconscious thoughts through the therapeutic process.

Consequences

Somatization disorders are among the most damaging to the well-being of people who suffer from them. The physical symptoms are usually very annoying and painful, and are accompanied by constant and excessive worry that often interferes with the normal development of the patient's life.

On the other hand, individuals with this disease often modify their entire lifestyle to try to minimize the discomfort they feel, although they are usually unsuccessful. Because of this, they usually reduce their daily activity little by little and stop doing what they enjoy.

It is also common for people with a somatization disorder to develop other pathologies at the same time, such as depression or anxiety. These have a very negative impact on your quality of life.

Finally, one of the biggest problems with this disorder is that it is very difficult to diagnose. Due to this, people who suffer from it can spend years suffering all kinds of physical and psychological symptoms without any specialist finding the cause of their disease.

Treatments

Once a somatization disorder has been diagnosed, the most common approach to treating it is cognitive behavioral therapy.

Applied correctly and with enough time, this current has proven to be the most effective in reducing symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients.

The focus of cognitive-behavioral therapy is twofold. On the one hand, the psychologist will focus on changing the irrational beliefs that patients may have about their physical sensations, which will help reduce their mental and physical discomfort.

At the same time, the patient will be encouraged to re-engage in all kinds of activities that help take his mind off his problem. This has also been shown to be very effective in reducing the consequences of somatization disorder.

On the other hand, in some cases it seems that the use of psychotropic drugs may be useful to alleviate the symptoms of this psychological disorder. For example, certain types of antidepressants have been found to be effective in reducing pain and improving the mood of patients.

References

1. "Somatic symptom and related disorders" in: Web MD. Retrieved on: December 07, 2018 from Web MD: webmd.com.
2. "Somatization disorder" in: Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Retrieved on: December 07, 2018 from Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders: minddisorders.com.
3. "Somatization Disorder Symptoms" in: PsychCentral. Retrieved on: December 07, 2018 from PsychCentral: psychcentral.com.
4. "Somatic symptom disorder" in: Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on: December 07, 2018 from Mayo Clinic: mayoclinic.org.
5. "Somatization disorder" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: December 07, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.