Major Categories of Mental Disorders: Somatic Symptom (Somatoform) Disorders

Psychology Final

Conversion Disorder

• serious loss of physical functioning WITHOUT any physical reasoning

physical functioning = blindness, paralysis

• the person is “somatizing” their anxiety so the anxiety comes out in physical ways

  “Somatizing” Cause: psychological blocking/repression; denial of the problem in their life

Cause: experience of a horrible trauma

Treatment: psychotherapy

Psycho-somatic Illness/Disorder

People have a real physical illness that is caused/influenced by anxiety or stress.

(irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches, asthma)

• stress/anxiety makes the illness worse

Treatment: medication

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