What is Somatization Disorder?

Table of Contents

Last Updated on March 13, 2023 by Mike Robinson

Somatization disorder is a chronic condition in which the person has physical symptoms related to various body parts, although there are no physical causes.

These people do not have an urgent need to take action and solve problems, but they feel sick and weak continually. On the other hand, the lives of these people can get to revolve around their symptoms, becoming part of their identity.

Symptoms interfere with work and personal relationships and lead the person to visit different doctors or health centers. The pain and other symptoms that these people feel were not purposely or intentionally created; they really feel them.

Somatization Disorder

One of the oldest explanations for somatization disorder is that it is the result of the body’s attempts to cope with psychological and emotional stress.

This theory holds that the body has a finite ability to cope with psychological, emotional, and social stress, and that to a certain extent, symptoms are experienced as physical, mainly affecting the reproductive, digestive, and nervous systems.

Another hypothesis is that people with this disorder have a greater sensitivity to internal physical sensations and pain. Cognitive theories explain somatization as arising from negative and catastrophic thoughts and reinforcing those thoughts.

Catastrophic thoughts could lead the person to think that the symptoms are evidence of illness. Such thoughts can be reinforced by social support, for example, when a wife or friend responds more to complaints of pain.

Children whose parents are overly concerned about their children’s somatic complaints are more likely to develop this disorder.

There is a model with some support that supports the somatization disorder (TS) part of a neurobiological syndrome base; the behavioral inhibition system ensures greater sensitivity to threat and danger.

Symptom

People with TS have many physical complaints that last for years, mostly pain and problems with the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems.

Some symptoms that may occur are:

Abdominal pain
Amnesia
Back pain
Diarrhea
Chest pain
Difficulty swallowing
Dizziness
Impotence
Nausea and vomiting
Articulations pain
Pain during intercourse
Pain when urinating
Painful menstruation
Pain in arms or legs
Palpitations
Paralysis or muscle weakness

Diagnosis

Diagnostic Criteria of DSM-V

A) A history of multiple physical symptoms that begin before age 30 and persist for several years, require the search for medical care, or cause significant social, labor, or other significant areas of the individual’s activity.
B) All the following criteria must be fulfilled, and each symptom can appear at any moment during the alteration:

Four painful symptoms: A history of pain related to at least four areas of the body or four functions (e.g., head, abdomen, back, joints, limbs, thorax, and rectum, during menstruation, intercourse, or urination).
Two gastrointestinal symptoms: a history of at least two gastrointestinal symptoms other than pain (e.g., nausea, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, or intolerance to different foods).
A sexual symptom is the history of at least one sexual or reproductive symptom outside of pain (e.g., sexual indifference, erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction, irregular menses, excessive menstrual bleeding, vomiting during pregnancy).
A pseudoneurological symptom is the history of at least one symptom or deficit that suggests a neurological disorder not limited to pain (symptoms of type alteration of psychomotor or balance coordination, paralysis or localized muscular weakness, difficulty swallowing, knot sensation In the throat, aphonia, urinary retention, hallucinations, diplopia, blindness, deafness, seizures, and dissociative symptoms with amnesia or loss of consciousness during fainting

ICD-10

The tenth version of the International Classification of Diseases describes somatization disorder as:

“The main features are multiple, recurring, and frequent physical symptoms of at least two years’ duration. Most patients have a complicated and long-lasting history of contact with medical specialists or medical centers. The symptoms can be from any part or system of the body. The course of the disorder is chronic and fluctuating and is often associated with interference in social, interpersonal, and family behavior. “

Treatment

To date, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the best-established treatment for this disorder.

Their goal is to help people realize that their ailments are not catastrophic and to allow them to resume the activities in which they participated before without fear of worsening symptoms.

Also read: Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

With practice, people learn to recognize negative thoughts and develop rational explanations of their feelings. Other types of treatment include relaxation techniques, sleep hygiene, and social skills training.

An important goal is to encourage the person to practice more appropriate methods of interaction with others.

As for medication, antidepressants may help alleviate symptoms, but if they are to be used, they should be used in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy.