PSYC 3560 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Somatic Symptom Disorder, Factitious Disorder, Conversion Disorder
Document Summary
People with somatic symptom disorders experience bodily symptoms that cause them significant psychological distress and impairment. No medical explanations these people tend to continue to seek help for their physical problems, asking for and undergoing more and more tests. Affected patients have no control over their symptoms; not trying to deceive others/fake it. 4 types of disorders in category: somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, conversion disorder, factitious disorder. Causes of somatic symptom disorder: cog-behavioral approach, person is hypervigilant and has an increased awareness of bodily changes, person tends to see bodily sensations as somatic symptoms (something is wrong, excessive worry, seeks medical attention. Absorption (overly absorbed in one"s experiences)/alexithymia (difficulties identifying one"s feelings) When people in a negative mood, reporting of symptoms increases: reinforcers. Assessing beliefs about illness and modifying misinterpretations. Relaxation techniques, support and validation of pain: medical management one physician. Presence of neurological symptoms in the absence of neurological diagnosis: e. g.
