Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) is a disorder that occurs when people are overly concerned about physical symptoms such as fatigue or pain. The person has intense thoughts and feelings about these symptoms, which affect their daily life, and exhibits extreme behaviors. A person with ASPD does not actually fake these symptoms. So the pain and other problems are real. This can also be caused by a medical problem. However, it is usually not due to a physical cause. The real problem here is the overreaction and behavior to the symptoms.
What is Somatic Symptom Disorder?
Soma, which means "body" in Ancient Greek, covers a group of mental illnesses that involve somatic, or bodily complaints and symptoms. Somatic symptom disorders are defined when, despite examinations and tests, no physical disease that can be explained in the person is found, or even if the disease is diagnosed, it does not coincide with the complaints of the person. According to research, the prevalence of somatic symptom group diseases is as low as 1%. However, this rate is thought to be higher in Turkey due to cultural factors.
Mood and anxiety disorders are frequently encountered in somatic symptom disorders. In this disorder, the first symptoms of which are mostly observed during adolescence, the prevalence of diagnosis in first-degree relatives is 22%. However, women are more likely to suffer from ASPD than men.
People with ASPD are often pessimistic due to genetic or environmental factors. These people may think that these situations are not real and become even more distressed, so it is very important that they get support from a specialist psychiatrist. In addition, in order for these people to be diagnosed with SSD, the symptoms must affect their life areas and relationships such as work, family, social environment, school.
What Causes Somatic Symptom Disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder usually starts before the age of 30. The cause of this disorder, which is more common in women than men, is still unknown. However, some factors are thought to trigger this condition. For example
- Having a negative personality and perspective,
- Being hypersensitive, both physically and emotionally, to pain or other emotions,
- Factors related to upbringing,
- Genetic factors can be listed as follows. People with a history of physical or sexual abuse are very likely to develop this disorder.
It is possible for people with somatic symptom disorder to experience a bad event in their past and get worse while trying to cope with it. Therefore, long-term negative situations should be analyzed well and support should be sought from a specialist doctor.
This condition is also similar to anxiety disorder in general. In anxiety, there is excessive worry about getting sick or having a serious illness. At some point, people expect that they will become ill. However, unlike SSB, there are few or no physical symptoms.
What are the symptoms of Somatic Symptom Disorder?
People with Somatic Symptom Disorder are obsessed with physical symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath and weakness. Even though there is no diagnosed medical condition or the doctor has assured them that there is no health problem responsible for the symptoms, they do not believe it. They may even be under great stress, thinking that the doctor and others around them believe that the symptoms are not real.
The main cause of somatic symptom disorder is psychological. The person may think that he/she is suffering from some physical pain and may get support from different branches, but since the problem is usually psychological rather than physical in these cases, general branch doctors refer such patients to psychiatrists.
The main symptom of somatic symptom disorder is the belief that the physical symptoms are due to a medical condition that is not actually present. Symptoms vary from patient to patient.
However, the general symptoms can be listed as follows:
- Symptoms that are not related to any known medical condition
- Symptoms that are related to a known medical condition but are more extreme than they should be
- Constant and intense anxiety about a possible illness
- Thinking that normal physical symptoms are signs of illness
- Worrying too seriously even about sneezing, runny nose, etc.
- Believing that the doctor is not giving appropriate treatment
- Worrying that physical activities will harm the body
- Being examined again and again and again for any signs of a possible disease
- Not responding to medical treatment
- Being hypersensitive to the side effects of medication
- Often, patients with SAD think that they really have a disorder. It is therefore difficult to distinguish SSB from a real medical condition that requires treatment.
What are the types of somatic symptom disorder?
- Artificial disorder
- Conversion disorder
- Pain disorder
- Hypochondriasis (illness anxiety disorder)
How is Somatic Symptom Disorder Treated?
Psychotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of somatic symptom disorders. Psychotherapy helps the patient to cope with physical discomforts and helps the patient to perform daily tasks. The elements performed in therapy can be listed as follows:
- Slowly challenging the body and addressing the problem despite the discomfort
- Helping the patient to change their physical activities; relaxation exercises, breathing techniques, etc.
In the treatment of somatic symptom disorder, medication can also be helpful in some circumstances. The psychiatrist will determine with the patient whether the patient will take medication and which medication to use.
What is the difference between hypochondriasis and somatization disorder?
Hypochondriasis or hypochondriasis is a psychological disorder characterized by a person's misinterpretation of body symptoms, fears and worries that they will have a serious illness or that they have a serious illness, and the inability to prevent the thoughts that the person has despite medical evaluations and reassurances.
Hypochondriasis is classified as a somatic symptom disorder.
