PSY340H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Paresthesia, Conversion Disorder, Personality Disorder
PSY340: Lecture 6 October 19th 2018
Somatic and Dissociative Disorders
• Not conditions of psychosis – break from reality
SOMATIC DISORDERS
• Physical ailments that seem to be deeply rooted in psychological causes
• Physiologically rooted disorders that have physiological symptoms
- Most common physical complaint in somatic disorders – they are experiencing pain,
however, after a physical examination, no physiological cause for the pain can be found
- Upset stomach, inability to see or walk – without any physical reason for such symptoms
- This does not mean that the individuals are not experiencing pain – THEY ARE
EXPERIENCING PAIN
- Treatment: should be psychological and not physiological
• Somatic symptoms:
- Symptoms of these disorders suggest a physical disorder
- Symptoms cannot be explained physiologically
- Symptoms are often (but not always) described in dramatic ways – gives us a clue that it is
of psychological origin
- Other disorders, such as anxiety, mood disorders, and personality disorders, often co-exist
• Somatic disorder types:
i. Somatization – now called Somatic Symptom Disorder
- History of multiple and diverse complaints
- Have to include four symptoms of pain
- Can be upset stomach, cramps – two gastrointestinal symptoms
- One sexual symptom
- One pseudo-neurological symptom
- Beginning at the age of 30
- Dramatic descriptions of symptoms
ii. Conversion Disorder – more neurological in origin
- Physiological symptoms suggesting neurological problems
- Implies that the brain is faulty functioning – physical
- Sensory impairment of any modality (vision, hearing)
- Studying of body parts responsible for sensory functioning do not show any irregularities
suggesting faults in the brain
- Often, paralysis or paresthesias is observed or demonstrated
- The onset, termination and reappearance is sudden
- Men under extreme stress – combat
- Mostly seen in women also under extreme stress
- Often misdiagnosed and overpathologized
- La belle indifference – people are blissfully unaware that they have a disorder and that it is
psychological in nature (1/3 of cases)
iii. Pain Disorder
- Main symptom is pain
Document Summary
Somatic and dissociative disorders: not conditions of psychosis break from reality. Somatic disorders: physical ailments that seem to be deeply rooted in psychological causes, physiologically rooted disorders that have physiological symptoms. Most common physical complaint in somatic disorders they are experiencing pain, however, after a physical examination, no physiological cause for the pain can be found. Upset stomach, inability to see or walk without any physical reason for such symptoms. This does not mean that the individuals are not experiencing pain they are. Treatment: should be psychological and not physiological: somatic symptoms: Symptoms of these disorders suggest a physical disorder. Symptoms are often (but not always) described in dramatic ways gives us a clue that it is of psychological origin. Other disorders, such as anxiety, mood disorders, and personality disorders, often co-exist: somatic disorder types: Have to include four symptoms of pain. Can be upset stomach, cramps two gastrointestinal symptoms. Implies that the brain is faulty functioning physical.
