Generally speaking, Somatic Symptom Disorder is a condition that can be treated with a variety of different methods. It can be diagnosed by a physician or medical professional, and it can be found in both children and adults.
Treatment options
Having somatic symptom disorder is a serious problem that causes major disruptions to your life. When you seek treatment, you can learn to control your symptoms and enjoy your life again. The condition is usually treated by a combination of medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychotherapy.
Typical somatic symptom disorder symptoms include pain, fatigue, and sleep difficulties. Some people also experience anxiety or other emotional disorders as co-occurring conditions. The symptoms can affect your quality of life and may interfere with your ability to work.
When somatic symptom disorder is diagnosed, the patient often visits several healthcare providers. This can lead to added stress and expensive medical costs. The doctor should conduct a thorough physical examination and a review of the patient’s health history. The primary care physician should assess the patient’s functioning and beliefs, and screen for depression and anxiety.
Somatic symptom disorder can be treated with antidepressant medications. These drugs can help reduce anxiety, ease pain, and improve sleep. They are also useful for treating underlying depression.
When somatic symptom disorder is combined with psychotherapy, the effectiveness of the therapy is higher. The therapist can identify stressful thoughts, and help the patient change their behavior and coping strategies. This can eventually lead to a gradual decrease in medication dosage.
Using a combination of psychotherapy and medication can improve the person’s quality of life. They can also reduce the severity of somatic symptoms, and can teach the patient coping skills.
Somatic symptom disorder is a difficult condition to treat, but with the right therapist, you can learn to cope with it and reduce its impact on your life. The therapist can also help you find ways to manage your symptoms so that you can lead a normal and fulfilling life.
Diagnosis
Symptoms associated with somatic symptom disorder are difficult to attribute to a particular medical condition. Rather, they are an extension of the patient’s underlying illness or disorder.
This can interfere with the patient’s daily life. If the symptoms are severe, the patient may seek help from a mental health professional. The right therapist can provide support and help improve the patient’s quality of life.
The diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder requires a pattern of recurring physical complaints lasting at least six months. It is not uncommon for the physical symptoms to change over time. In some cases, a patient has only one symptom, such as a headache. Often, however, patients have several somatic complaints.
The main characteristic of somatic symptom disorder is that a person worries excessively about his or her health. This worry is usually out of proportion to the symptoms. The resulting stress can lead to frequent visits to the doctor, which can also contribute to high medical costs.
Somatic symptom disorder can be very challenging to treat. Treatment focuses on the physician-patient relationship and can involve medications and therapy. Ideally, the right dosage of medication and the proper level of therapy can improve the quality of life.
When evaluating the symptoms, a physician should conduct a thorough physical exam. This includes a review of the patient’s systems, as well as a mental status examination. The mental status examination should note the patient’s mood, concentration, and affect.
If a physician believes the patient has somatic symptom disorder, he or she will refer the patient to a mental health professional. This can include cognitive behavioral therapy or family therapy. The goal is to change the way the patient thinks about and reacts to his or her symptoms.
Signs
Symptoms of somatic symptom disorder, also known as somatization disorder, include a high level of worry and intense physical reactions to bodily discomfort. Patients experience significant distress and are frequently visited by numerous healthcare providers. This can lead to a disruption of daily life.
There are several reasons why people develop somatic symptom disorder. Some are triggered by a physical condition, and others are influenced by genetics. These symptoms can be treated by cognitive-behavioral therapy, which identifies negative thinking patterns and helps the patient change them.
Some somatic symptom disorders are caused by a person’s response to trauma. Others are linked to a person’s sensitivity to chemicals called BH4. BH4 is found in higher levels in people who experience pain more strongly. In a study conducted at Harvard, Clifford Woolf discovered that people who have higher BH4 levels have more intense reactions to pain.
If you are suffering from somatic symptom disorder, your healthcare provider may recommend antidepressants. These drugs can help alleviate symptoms and reduce anxiety. They also have been reported to reduce fatigue and ease sleep problems.
There are also coping skills that can be helpful. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with excessive thoughts and physical concerns about your health, try focusing on other things in your life. For instance, you might decide to take up a new hobby, volunteer, or start a new job. Developing healthy coping strategies takes time, but can create lasting, positive changes.
In many cases, somatic symptom disorder is associated with depression. In this situation, it can be difficult to accept that you have a medical problem. However, you can make an appointment with your primary care physician at Baptist Health.
Common co-occurring disorders
Often, people with a physical ailment may have somatic symptoms that accompany the disease. Symptoms may be related to the medical condition or they may be caused by emotional distress. Regardless of the cause, these symptoms are often uncomfortable and affect the patient’s ability to function.
Somatic symptoms can also be a symptom of mental disorders. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, you should seek professional help. Medications can help to relieve the symptoms associated with your co-occurring disorder.
Psychotherapists can help you to better manage your symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you to change your behavior and thought patterns. It can also help you to better cope with stress.
Getting treatment early is important because somatic symptom disorder can cause major emotional and physical distress. This can lead to poor health and relationship problems.
Somatic symptom disorder can be difficult to treat. Patients often visit multiple healthcare providers. Often, they are not aware of their underlying mental health condition. Their physician may perform tests, but they are not sure what the test results mean. They may also have difficulty defining the timing of their problems.
Some somatic symptom disorders can be treated with antidepressants. They have been shown to be helpful in reducing fatigue, insomnia, and pain. They can also be effective in treating depression and anxiety.
People with somatic symptom disorder should stick to a treatment plan. They should learn to reduce their focus on their physical symptoms and find ways to stay active. They should also evaluate their beliefs about their health and recognize things that make their symptoms worse.
Patients with somatic symptom disorder typically have a significant focus on their physical symptoms. They are afraid of their symptoms and worry about them out of proportion to their medical condition. They may also become dependent on others.
Physical exam for somatic complaints
Performing a physical exam for somatic complaints may help to determine whether the problem is indeed physical or psychological. It can also give you information about the severity of the symptoms.
Somatic symptom disorder is a mental health condition that involves excessive attention to physical complaints. Patients may also have anxiety about their symptoms. The condition can be extremely difficult to diagnose. It can result in major emotional stress and can interfere with the ability to function.
It can affect males and females and can be diagnosed in children and adults. The condition can be treated with antidepressant medications. It can be difficult to diagnose a somatic symptom disorder because it is hard to tell whether the symptom is actually a physical illness or not. The most important thing to remember is that you need to visit a primary care physician if you suspect that you have the condition.
The diagnosis is usually made when a person has several somatic complaints that are recurrent. Most somatic symptom disorders begin before the age of 30. These symptoms may include physical pain, stomach aches, and other unexplained symptoms.
A physical examination will include a review of the systems at the location of the symptom. The patient will also be asked about their health history. This will help the doctor rule out the disease. Social history can also be helpful. If the patient has a family history of depression, it can be important to investigate.
The patient may also report a lifetime history of anxiety disorders. These symptoms are often accompanied by other mental illnesses such as depression. A doctor will order laboratory tests and may refer the patient to a mental health provider.
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