Abnormal Psychology | Chapter 10: Disorders featuring Somatic Symptoms

Somatic Symptom Disorder

1. Person experiences at least one upsetting or repeatedly disruptive physical (somatic) symptom 2. Person experiences an unreasonable number of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding the nature or implications of the physical symptoms, including one of the following: a. Repeated, excessive thoughts about their seriousness b. Continual high anxiety about their nature or health implications c. Disproportionate amounts of time and energy spent on the symptoms or their health implications 3. Physical symptoms usually continue to some degree (less dramatic than conversion disorder) for more than 6 months

Illness Anxiety Disorder

1. Person is preoccupied with thoughts about having or getting a significant illness. In reality, person has no or, at most, mild somatic symptoms 2. Person has easily triggered, high anxiety about health 3. Person displays unduly high number of health-related behaviors (ex. keeps focusing on body) or dysfunctional health-avoidance behaviors (ex. avoids doctors) 4. Person's concerns continue to some degree for at least 6 months

Traditional Psychophysiological Disorders

ulcers, asthma, insomnia, muscle contractions, tension headaches, migraine headaches, hypertension, coronary heart disease

Conversion Disorder

1. Presence of at least one symptom or deficit that affects voluntary or sensory function (ex. paralysis, blindness, loss of feeling, etc.) 2. Symptoms are found to be inconsistent with known neurological or medical disease 3. Significant distress or impairment

Primary gain

When bodily symptoms keep a patient's internal conflicts out of awareness ex. a man who has an underlying fear about expressing anger may develop a conversion paralysis of the arm, thus preventing his fears of rage from reaching consciousness

Factitious disorder

1. False creation of physical or psychological symptoms, or deceptive production of injury or disease, even without external rewards for such ailments 2. Presentation of oneself as ill, damaged, or hurt

Factitious disorder Imposed on Another

1. False creation of physical or psychological symptoms, or deceptive production of injury or disease, in another person, even without external rewards for such ailments 2. Presentation of another person (victim) as ill, damaged, or hurt

Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions

1. The presence of a medical condition 2. Psychological factors negatively affect the medical condition by: a. Affecting the course of the medical condition b. Providing obstacles for the treatment of the medical condition c. Posing new health risks d. Triggering or worsening the medical condition

Glove anesthesia

A conversion disorder symptom where the entire hand, extending from the fingertips to the wrist, becomes numb; real neurological damage works differently

Factitious Disorder

A disorder in which a person feigns or induces physical symptoms, typically for the purpose of assuming the role of a sick person; the motivation for assuming the sick role may be the role itself

Type A Personality style

A personality pattern characterized by hostility, cynicism, drivenness, impatience, competitiveness, and ambition

Type B Personality style

A personality pattern in which a person is more relaxed, less aggressive, and less concerned about time

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Also known as Factitious disorder Imposed on Another

Munchausen syndrome

Commonly known as factitious disorder

Briquet's Syndrome

Commonly known as somatization pattern

Secondary gain

When a patient's somatic symptoms further enables him/her to avoid unpleasant activities or receive sympathy from others ex. conversion paralysis allows a soldier to avoid combat duty

Hypochondriasis

Illness anxiety disorder was previously known as what?

Malingering

The act of intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain

Psychoneuroimmunology

The area of study that ties stress and illness to the body's immune system

Somatization Pattern

The individual experiences a large and varied number of bodily symptoms; they experience long-lasting physical ailments that typically have littler or no physical basis. Often includes pain symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, sexual symptoms, and neurological-type symptoms. Can last for many years

Predominant Pain Pattern

The person's primary bodily problem is the experience of pain