Somatic Symptom Disorder - Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

The condition of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) involves a person feeling extremely anxious about any experiences of physical ailment. The person nurtures the feeling that their daily productivity may be affected due to these bodily issues. Various biological and circumstantial factors may cater to this disorder. However, the repercussions are mostly exaggerated.

This condition is, however, manageable to a certain extent with treatments such as speech therapy and medications.

SSD is a set of psychological conditions which occurs when a person focuses extremely on experiences of physical pain, shortness of breath or weakness. No substantial cause may be found while physically examining a person affected. However, this does not necessarily mean the person is not experiencing any physical ailment; the anxiety witnessed in the person is simply out of bounds. 

The symptoms of this disorder range from mild to severe and may occur in children, adolescents and adults. However, it is more likely to occur in people in their 30s, and this condition is recorded more in females than in males. 

SSD involves multiple other related disorders, which include the following:

Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (Conversion Disorder)

This disorder occurs when neurological symptoms occur in a person. However, tracing the symptoms back to a medical cause may not always be possible. The patients may experience the following symptoms of the disorder:

• Experiencing seizures or pseudo seizures and tremors.
• Experiences of weakness and paralysis.
• Losing sensations and being numb.
• Loss of hearing or blindness in the person.

Illness Anxiety Disorder (Hypochondriasis)

This disorder is one in which a person is extremely preoccupied with stress concerning a minor medical condition. For example, a minor medical condition such as a headache may be taken as a cause for a brain tumour.

Other Specific Related Disorders of Somatic Symptoms 

These disorders involve somatic conditions that last almost 5 months or may include a specific condition known as pseudocyesis. This is a condition where a person holds on to false beliefs, which leads to mental distress. 

The signs and symptoms of individuals suffering from somatic symptom disorder vary with the individual. Additionally, these symptoms vary in severity, and individuals suffering from these conditions might show multiple signs. Regardless, a few common symptoms include:

• Particular sensations, including pain. 

• Pain during coitus.

• Difficulty in breathing. 

• Weakness.

• Fatigue.

• Abdominal pain. 

• Lightheadedness.

• Digestive problems. 

Individuals with this condition might show particular behaviours and thoughts revolving around their physical symptoms. Hence, if you are suffering from these conditions, you can witness a few of the sentiments:  

• Worry that your doctor is not giving enough effort to treat you. 

• Thinking that minor symptoms are a sign of a severe underlying condition. 

• Wasting time thinking about the symptoms and their solutions. 

• Becoming baffled about symptoms which is affecting your quotidian life. 

• Becoming either unresponsive or unusually sensitive to medications.

• Going for unwanted check-ups.

A mix of causes caters to the condition of SSD. Slime of them are as follows:

• Genetic factors may lead to the condition SSD, being prone to anxiety.

• Being pessimistic may cater greatly to the condition. 

• Influence of family, the pampering you receive from your family may even make you extremely sensitive to minor physical uneasiness. 

• Avoiding activities, always paranoia that activities may lead to worsening any minor bodily issue.

Several risk factors cater to the disorder. These may include the following:

• A family history of diseases gives way to paranoid thoughts of being vulnerable to these diseases.

• Experiences of violence or trauma in life leading to the condition.

• Having inadequate education, which may lead to unscientific and unreasonable assumptions.

You may seek consultation from a primary doctor to diagnose the possible causes for certain uneasiness in the body, such as pain in certain body parts. If the physician cannot find any potential cause, they may refer you to a mental healthcare expert. They may administer the following processes to diagnose the possible symptoms of SSD:

• Performing psychiatric analysis, which includes discussions of how you feel on emotional levels and how you behave.

• Comparing the symptoms to those recorded in patients so far having similar conditions.

Treatment of SSD administers the following processes, which aim at reducing the severity of the symptoms:

Psychotherapy

Since this disorder is an effect of psychological distresses, speech therapy is often recommended to treat the condition. Cognitive behavioural therapy is another most recommended treatment, which involves discussion on levels of anxiety a person goes through and what causes these. Doctors administer such trials to devise solutions to treat the disorder.

Medication

Medications at the initial stages are avoided as the patients already question the effectiveness of medicines on their ailment. However, these are recommended at later stages of developing major severity of the disorder, which may lead to conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders. Hence, antidepressants are often recommended and associated with psychotherapy to treat the condition. 

You should consult a doctor if the aforesaid symptoms occur. Here is a recapitulation of the signs:

• Constant paranoia about developing severe health conditions.

• The causative stress is extreme anxiousness at a given minor health condition.

Aforesaid prevention methods, such as therapy and medication, along with the following lifestyle habits, help deal with SSD:

• Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising enough and sleeping well.

• Practising techniques of stress management and relaxation.

• Active participation in extracurricular activities.

• Avoid indulging in alcohol and drug abuse practices.

The condition of somatic stress disorder showing symptoms not noteworthy enough may often go untreated in its initial stages. However, it may later, hence lead to the development of severe and chronic mental disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a close eye on self and close ones for noticeable symptoms of this disorder to avail of effective treatment at the right time.