What Is Somatic Symptom Disorder?

Somatic symptom disorder is a collection of excessive concern regarding somatic symptoms that results in excess impairment and distress. Unlike malingering, SSD individuals do have real symptoms, which are predominantly disabling. Psychological factors in somatic symptom disorder create a vicious cycle in the manner that concern about the symptoms generates magnification of the body sensations, and this also causes additional illness-behavior and worry.

It should be made sure that somatic symptom disorder vs illness anxiety disorder is differentiated while making the correct diagnosis. They do share common health issues but with SSD, it is the occurrence of distressing body symptoms, whereas illness anxiety disorder is fear of falling ill but without an excessive amount of body symptoms.

Common Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of somatic symptom disorder are nonspecific but predominantly encompass:

  • Pain: Headaches, back, joint, or stomach pain in spite of returning with normal exams. Pain is the most frequent symptom of SSD.
  • Gastrointestinal Disturbances: Nausea, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation in the absence of gastrointestinal distress.
  • Neurological Complaints: Dizziness, numbness, weakness, tingling, or coordination issues.
  • Cardiovascular Symptoms: Palpitation, chest pain, or shortness of breath in spite of normal heart function tests.
  • Fatigue: Rigid exhaustion that is not alleviated by rest and cannot be explained by medical illness.
These somatic symptom disorder symptoms are legitimate experience events rather than factitious presentations or seeking of attention.

Emotional and Behavioral Signs

Aside from presentation in the body, SSD has with other disorders common emotional and behavioral signs:

  • Excessive Health Anxiety: Chronic worry about symptoms and what they could possibly be indicating, constantly anticipating acute underlying sickness in the face of medical reassurance.
  • Hypervigilance: Excessive monitoring of body sensations, interpreting normal reactions as abnormal indicators of disease.
  • Doctor Shopping: Recurrent doctor changing for verification or new diagnosis, frequent visits to the doctor several times a week, typically for tests and interventions.
  • Impaired Functioning: Inability to sustain work, relationships, or activities due to being fixated on symptoms.
There is a two-way relationship between somatic symptom disorder and anxiety—more somatic symptoms as a consequence of more anxiety, and the converse. The worsening of the symptoms also enhances the anxiety level.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes of somatic symptom disorder is multi-factorial with social, psychological, and biological causes:

  • Psychological Factors: Increased susceptibility due to trauma, abuse, or neglect. Patients with dysphoria and associated verbal affect expression can subconsciously express distress through somatic symptoms.
  • Biological Considerations: Sensitization of pain and body feeling hypersensitivity is possible to be under genetic control. Brain range of variability in processing somatic sensation has been postulated in certain research studies.
  • Conditioned Behavior: Physically ill children in families where physical illness is mastered but not emotional needs learn to communicate distress somatically.
  • Chronic Stress: Chronic stress is able to disrupt the body's coping repertoire for stress, and that can be a part of the somatic experience.
Adult somatic symptom disorder in adults arises over a lifetime, but somatic symptom disorder in children arises subsequent to illness or after being exposed to traumatic life experiences and, if not treated, rolls over into adulthood.

How Somatic Symptom Disorder Is Diagnosed?

Somatic symptom disorder diagnosis is laboriously diagnosed by mental health practitioners. Diagnostic criteria state that the individual must:

  • Have one or more annoying physical symptoms
  • Excessive symptom, concern about, or fixation on symptoms
  • Deterioration of the symptoms for more than six months
Medically ill should be ruled out using appropriate investigation with reasonable protocol. A good evaluation is made of the history, chronological symptom history, psychiatric examination, and measurement of impairment of function.

Treatment Options

Somatic symptom disorder treatment is aimed at symptom relief and quality of life improvement:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy for somatic symptom disorder is the optimum somatic symptom disorder therapy. CBT identifies and re-maps thinking processes that connect body feeling with catastrophic meaning and provides coping techniques in symptom management with minimal use of health care.
  • Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Mindfulness therapies enable the patient to notice body feeling non-judgmentally, reducing anxiety and over-reacting on symptoms.
  • Medications: No medication removes SSD directly, but antidepressants, i.e., SSRIs, remove underlying depression and anxiety exacerbating symptoms.
  • Stress Management: Progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and biofeedback reduce physiological arousal strengthening symptoms.
  • Regular Primary Care: One stable provider avoids doctor shopping and facilitates coordinated medical treatment.
Treatment of somatic symptom disorder normally is long-term intervention because habits are learned in a few years.

Living with Somatic Symptom Disorder

Treatment and lifestyle must be modified to accommodate managing somatic symptom disorder:

  • Establish Routine: Maintain consistent sleeping habits, exercise habits, and day routines despite symptoms to prevent isolation.
  • Reduce Symptom Checking: Refrain from excessive symptom checking or reassurance via internet search or physician over-questioning.
  • Establish Healthy Coping: Replace symptom behavior with stress reduction, hobby, and social support.
  • Practice Self-Compassion: Work in the presence of symptoms without cocooning sickness as your new identity.
  • Stay Engaged: Keep working, socially active, and managing symptoms, building tolerance for unpleasants.

Supporting a Loved One with SSD

Family and friends are key to recovery:

  • Validate Without Reinforcing: Identify symptoms as being present without reinforcing complaints about the body. Move toward middle ground between support of activity and medication compliance and empathy.
  • Encourage Treatment: Encourage treatment and therapy appointment without controlling.
  • Avoid Enabling: Avoid enabling recurrent medical seeking and symptom management of family life.
  • Educate Yourself: Knowledge of SSD allows the individual to know how to respond accordingly and stay patient in recovery.
  • Set Boundaries: It is draining to take care of an individual with SSD. Take care of your self through self-preservation.

Read More: How Do Substance Use Disorders Occur?


When to Seek Professional Help

Seek professional assistance of mental health professionals when:

  • Physical symptoms don't remit after appropriate medical workup
  • Interfere with work, social role, or activities of daily living in a significant way
  • Consume a significant amount of time concerning themselves about or undergoing medical treatment for the symptom
  • The symptom is probably an artifact of psychological problems as indicated by several physicians
  • Physical symptoms occur when the patient is depressed or anxious
Early intervention maximizes outcomes and forestalls symptom chronification.

Conclusion

Somatic symptom disorder is the intricate mind-body relationship in which psychologic distress results in actual body symptoms. An assumption that symptoms are actual and psychologic origin is the most important factor in treatment. By cognitive behavior therapy, reduction of stress, and education with information, the SSD patient can overcome distress regarding symptoms and live a purposeful life. Recovery can be achieved with consistent effort and patience but requires effective treatment and awareness.

Please book an appointment with the best Psychiatrist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.