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Here is a compilation of essays on ‘Somatoform Disorders’ for class 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Somatoform Disorders’ for school and college students.
Essay on Somatoform Disorders
Essay Contents:
- Essay on Somatization Disorder
- Essay on Hypochondriasis
- Essay on Psychogenic Pain Disorder
1. Essay on Somatization Disorder (Briquet’s Syndrome):
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It is primarily characterized by the presence of recurrent and multiple somatic complaints of several years duration for which medical attention has been sought but which was apparently not due to any physical disorder.
Symptoms usually begin in the teen years on rarely in the twenties. This disorder is believed to affect about 0.2 to 2% of females and is rarely diagnosed in males.
The clinical presentation of patients with somatization disorder is:
Gastrointestinal Symptoms:
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Vomiting (other than during pregnancy)— abdominal pain (other than when menstruating), nausea, bloating.
Pain Symptoms:
Pain in extremities, back pain.
Cardiopulmonary Symptoms:
Shortness of breath when not exerting oneself, palpitations. Chest pain, dizziness.
Conversion or Pseudoneurological Symptoms:
Amnesia, difficulty in swallowing, loss of voice, fainting or loss of consciousness, seizure or convulsion.
Sexual Symptoms:
Burning sensation in sexual organs or rectum (other than during intercourse), sexual indifference, impotence.
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Female Reproductive Symptoms:
Judged by the person to occur more frequently or severely than in most women. Painful menstruation, irregular menstrual periods. Excessive menstrual bleeding.
Differential Diagnosis:
This disorder has to be differentiated from:
(i) Physical disorders
(ii) Schizophrenia with multiple somatic delusions
(iii) Dysthymic disorder (depressive neurosis) and Generalized anxiety disorder
(iv) Panic disorder
(v) Conversion disorder
(vi) Factitious disorder with physical symptoms
Treatment:
Noninvasive supportive long-term care of somatization disorder patients that largely focussed on containing the use of medial resources and avoiding unnecessary surgery and medication use is required. Supportive techniques rather than intensive interpretive psychotherapy is recommended.
2. Essay on Hypochondriasis:
Hypochondriasis is defined as a persistent preoccupation with a fear or belief of having one or more serious disease(s), based on person’s own interpretation of normal body function or a major physical abnormality.
Other important features are:
1. Complete physical examination and investigations do not show presence of any significant abnormality.
2. The fear or belief persists despite assurance to the contrary by showing normal reports to the patient.
3. The fear or belief is not a delusion. Patient may agree, regarding the possibility of his exaggerating the graveness of situation, at that time.
4. Preoccupation with medical terms and syndromes is common. Repeated change of physicians is common.
The usual age of onset is the late third decade. The course is usually chronic with remissions and relapses. Obsessive personality traits and narcissistic personality features are frequently seen in addition to associated anxiety and depression.
Etiology:
The cause of hypochondriasis is not known.
The important theories are mentioned below:
1. Psychodynamic Theory:
Hypochondriasis is believed to be based on a narcissistic personality, caused by a narcissistic libido. Here other parts of body become erotogenic zones, which act as substitutes for genitals. Hypochondriac organs symbolize the genitals. This is only a theoretical construct.
2. As a Symptom of Depression.
Hypochondriacal symptoms are commonly present in major depression. In fact according to some, hypochondriasis is almost always a part of another psychiatric syndrome, most commonly a mood disorder. Thus, hypochondriasis has been visualized as a masked depression or depressive equivalent. However, this has not been proven till now.
Treatment:
The treatment is often difficult.
It consists of:
1. Supportive psychotherapy.
2. Treatment of associated or underlying depression and/or anxiety, if present.
3. Essay on Psychogenic Pain Disorder:
It is characterized by a clinical picture in which the predominant feature is the complaint of pain, in the absence of adequate physical findings and in association with evidence of the etiological role of psychological factors. The disturbance is not due to any other mental disorder.
Epidemiology:
This disorder is common in general medical practice and is more frequently diagnosed in women. This disorder can occur at any stage of life but begins most frequently in adolescence or early adulthood.
Etiology:
Severe psychosocial stress is a predisposing factor.
Clinical Picture:
The ‘doctor shopping’, excessive use of analgesics without relief for pain, requests for surgery and the assumption of an invalid role is common. The individual usually refuses to consider the role of psychological factors in the pain.
Differential Diagnosis:
Organic pain, somatization disorder, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, malingering or pain associated with muscle contraction headaches (Tension headaches).
Management:
Complete disappearance of pain through suggestion, hypnosis or narcoanalysis suggests Psychogenic pain disorder. The use of narcotic analgesics or chronic use of an anxiolytic drug should be avoided.