PSYC 3140 Lecture 6: Somatic & Dissociative Disorders Lecture
8 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Problems featuring physical symptoms (soma) with no organic basis, preoccupied with the physical symptom. Perhaps best interpreted from a psychoanalytic perspective. Unresolved unconscious factors that influence the physical symptoms. Ways of controlling anxiety based on physical symptoms. Primary gain: when the pain symptoms keep the underlying conflicts out of awareness. Secondary gain: when the pain symptoms allow them to receive sympathy, thus avoiding the unpleasant feeling. Because they feel stressed there is a physical symptom. Factitious disorder (munchausen syndrome or munchausen syndrome by proxy) Self presents as being ill, hurt or damaged. Person create physical symptoms in another person, false impression someone is sick, ill or damaged. Pain with one or more body part. 6 months or more having or getting an illness. Traditionally, little empirical testing with inconclusive results. Very important to have a medical doctor involved. Often not diagnosed properly can be misdiagnosed as anxiety or bipolar. Persistent problems in the integration of memory, consciousness, or identity.
