People suffering from a somatization disorder often have multiple somatic symptoms (fullness) that cause discomfort or can cause significant problems in daily life. However, sometimes they may present only one severe sign and not several of them. In these cases, the most characteristic symptom is a pain.

Symptoms may be specific (e.g., localized pain) or relatively nonspecific (e.g., fatigue). Signs sometimes denote normal bodily sensations or discomfort that usually does not mean a serious illness.

The suffering of the person with somatization disorder is real

Person Suffering

The person suffering from a somatization disorder your discomfort is authentic, whether or not it is explained medically. Thus, the symptoms may or may not be associated with another medical condition. In fact, often, these people have medical conditions along with the somatization disorder.

The Symptoms

For example, a person could be severely disabled by the symptoms of a somatization disorder after uncomplicated myocardial infarction. This is true even if the myocardial infarction itself has not produced any disability. If there is another medical illness or a high risk of suffering from it, with this disease would be excessive in these people.

Somatization

On the other hand, people with somatization disorder tend to have very high levels of concern for the condition. In this way, they unduly evaluate their bodily symptoms and consider them threatening, harmful or annoying. They often think the worst about their health.

The quality of life is reduced in these people

Health-related quality of life is often affected by both the physical and the mental levels.

In somatization disorder, deterioration is characteristic and, when it is persistent,  disability can result. In these cases, the patient often goes to consultation and even consult different specialists. However, this rarely alleviates their concerns.

These people often seem not to respond to medical interventions, and new interventions can aggravate the presentation of symptoms, entering a vicious circle. Some of these individuals seem unusually sensitive to the side effects of medications. Also, some feel that their medical evaluation and treatment have not been sufficient.

Leave a Comment