- Chapter 5 talked about somatic symptoms and their related disorders and dissociative disorders. Those diagnosed with somatic symptoms and related disorders are mainly focused on the functionalities of their bodies, thus reaching out to healthcare workers. However, when reaching out for help, health care professionals cannot usually find any identifiable medical causes for the individuals’ symptoms that they are experiencing. One of the somatic symptoms and related disorders listed in chapter 5 is Illness Anxiety Disorder. This is when an individual experiences severe anxiety due to symptoms linked to some medical condition but is not. Another disorder discussed in the chapter is conversion disorder when an individual has some form of disability with no actual corresponding medical condition. There is a wide array of techniques and treatments when it comes to the treatments for these disorders. Individuals can be treated with either CBT or traditional counseling where they will be provided with reassurance and support, with the formal showing more success.
Dissociative disorders refer to when individuals lose connection with themselves and the world around them, along with their memories, perceptions, and thoughts. The textbook lists four disorders under this umbrella, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder, Dissociative Amnesia, and Dissociative Trance. Dissociative Identity Disorder is when a person takes on multiple identities or personalities at a time. Depersonalization derealization disorder is when an individual is terrified of the feeling of detachment of themselves from the world around them. Dissociative amnesia is when an individual cannot remember anything, such as specific memories related to trauma or some form of a traumatic event. Lastly, dissociative trance is when an individual experiences possession by spirits or different forms or alterations of their consciousness. The treatment plans for dissociative disorders tend to be long-term and involve re-introducing the traumatic events to teach coping skills.
2.Chapter 5 Summary
The DSM-V lists five primary somatic symptoms and related disorders: illness anxiety disorder, psychological factors affecting medical condition, conversion disorder, and factitious disorder. The first three disorders have physical symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath, leading to significant distress and other problems. They seem ok to indicate that basic techniques and social support are effective interventions to reduce stress. Somatic symptom disorder doesn’t seem to be well understood, and genetic and biological factors can influence it. The biggest takeaway from the first three disorders is to listen to your body and, most of all, seek help. The symptoms can be easily dismissed, but it is good to have a professional opinion to diagnose this somatic symptom disorder. Conversion disorder is the unintentional production of neurological symptoms, and factitious disorder is voluntary production symptoms with internal and external incentives. The book stated that conversion disorder involves physical malfunctioning such as blindness or paralysis. What struck me as enjoyable was when people had no neurological damage but experienced blindness or paralysis—a dissociative disorder discussed in chapter 5. Multiple personality disorder is, also called DID, is defined as a person having multiple identities. These personalities are said to control the person who has been diagnosed with this disorder. Some people may have different names and personal histories for each character. DID is one of the conditions that can be treated but can’t be cured. The book discusses treatments and symptoms to look for, but psychotherapy and hypnotherapy are good treatment plans for this disorder. The book also stated that there are no medications best for DID.
Reference:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.