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Somatic Disorders

Definition

Somatic Disorders are mental disorders characterized by physical symptoms that cannot be explained by medical conditions, substance use, or other mental disorders. The individual often experiences excessive thoughts and behaviors related to these symptoms.

Analogy

It's like having a car alarm that goes off even when there's no threat. People with somatic disorders experience physical distress similar to real health issues but without any identifiable cause.

Related terms

Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder): A condition where patients present neurological symptoms such as numbness, paralysis, blindness without any neurological basis.

Illness Anxiety Disorder (Hypochondriasis): A condition where individuals have excessive worry about having serious illness despite having no (or only mild) symptoms.

Somatization Disorder (Briquet’s syndrome): A long-term (chronic) condition in which a person has physical symptoms that involve more than one part of the body, but no physical cause can be found.