By : Heavyn Thomas
Welcome to this blog. For the first post, I’ll be providing thorough background information about somatic symptoms disorder. This psychological disorder interests me the most because I wish to pursue a career in the heath field. Somatic symptom disorders are psychological difficulties that take on physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause. I am intrigued by this because it is so peculiar to me how a a person can believe that there is something physically wrong with them yet a medical diagnosis cannot be made for this abnormality. After doing research on this disorder I became informed that it occurs more in women than men and that being more physically and emotionally sensitive to pain and other sensations is a factor that may be involved in this disorder. It is also immensely important to know that a person with this disorder is not faking his or her symptoms. The person will have excessive thoughts, feelings and behavior about their symptoms which cause severe problems as it makes it difficult to function.
It is not easy to treat a person with somatic symptoms disorder. A strong doctor patient relationship is key to successfully treating this disorder. Seeing a single health care provider with experience managing somatic symptoms disorder can help cut down on unnecessary tests and treatments. Patients with this disorder may believe that their symptoms have an underlying physical cause despite a lack of evidence for a physical explanation.They may also dismiss any suggestion that psychiatric factors are playing a role in their symptoms. The focus of treatment is on improving daily functioning, not on managing symptoms. Stress reduction is often an important part of getting better. Counseling for family and friends may also be useful.
Psychological Disorders 