Somatoform Disorders

-       psych conflicts into physical symptoms

-       soma = body

-       no physical origin

Major Categories

-       conversion disorder

o  specific symptom

§    loss, alteration

§    involuntary

o  la belle indifference

§    not distressed by symptoms

§    1/3 – 1/2

o  symptoms

§    1. motor symptoms

§    2. sensory symptoms

§    3. seizures, convulsions

§    4. mixed presentation

o  course

§    rare

§    1-3%

§    women

·    2:1 – 10:1 ratio

§    children

·    gait problems, seizures

§    onset

·    10-35

·    sudden

·    2 weeks

-       hypochondriasis

o  serious illness

o  misinterpret, exaggerate

o  preoccupied

§    6 months

o  not delusional

o  doctor shop

o  course

§    early adulthood

§    chronic

o  causes

o  treatment

§    difficult

§    cope, not cure

§    medication

-       body dysmorphic disorder

o  preoccupied with appearance

o  avoidance

o  common complaints

§    males vs. females

o  mirrors problematic

§    special lights

§    3+ hours daily

§    avoid

o  adolescent onset

o  associated features

§    depression

§    surgical procedures

o  12% met criteria

o  treatment

§    medication

§    thought-stopping

Related Conditions

-       malingering

o  faking, exaggerating

o  ulterior motive

o  challenging

-       factitious disorder

o  fake, create, exaggerate symptoms

o  “sick” role

o  types

§    Munchausen’s syndrome

·    seek medical care

·    inflict injury

·    males

§    Munchausen’s by proxy

·    make dependent sick

o  mothers

o  child 6 or younger

·    warning signs

o  in child

o  in parent

·    why?

o  early loss, abuse

o  cry for help

o  attention 

o  nurture

-       theories of somatoform disorders

o  primary gain

§    avoid responsibilities

o  secondary gain

§    sympathy, attention

o  costs

o  many factors

- treatments

o  behavioral techniques

o  supportive environment

Dissociative Disorders

-       loss of identity, awareness

-       types

o  dissociative amnesia – on own in text

§    memory loss

§    forms

·    localized

·    selective

·    generalized

·    continuous

·    systematized

§    difficult diagnosis

§    course

·    all ages

·    minutes to years

o  dissociative fugue – on own in text

§    “flight”

§    sudden unexpected travel

§    memory loss

§    identity problems

§    after trauma

§    prevalence

·    .02%

o  dissociative identity disorder

§    2+ personalities

§    memory problems

§    primary identity

·    host

·    memory gaps

§    alternates

·    contrast with host

·    specific circumstances

·    differ from each other

·    number

o  2-100

§    transitions

·    “switching”

·    physical changes

o  handedness

§    associated features

·    childhood abuse

·    comorbidity

o  7

§    other

·    culture specific

·    women

o  3-9 times

o  15 identities

·    males

o  8  

§    course

·    childhood

o  7-9

§    theories

·    problems in development of “self”

·    trauma

o  physical/sexual abuse

·    alter = escape

·    unknown factors

§    treatment

·    integrate alters

·    hynotherapy