Somatic Symptom Disorder

Medical illness and chronic pain can be difficult experiences. The pain of medical symptoms can be made even more challenging by anxiety regarding your symptoms. Whether there is a diagnosable medical condition or not anxiety about medical illness can be almost as bad as the feared illnesses. When fixating on medical symptoms interferes with your life, peace and well-being you may suffer from a somatic symptom or related disorder.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

People with high anxiety regarding the possibility of getting a medical illness with few or no symptoms may suffer from Illness anxiety disorder. The lives of people with illness anxiety disorder are consumed by the checking for, worrying about, researching, and examining themselves for possible signs of illness.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

People with symptoms who experience near constant anxiety regarding bodily symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, and unfamiliar sensations may suffer from a somatic symptom disorder. These disorders are when a particular bodily symptom is taken as a sign of illness.

Conversion Disorder

The mind is a powerful thing and sometimes people exhibit neurological symptoms such as blindness, seizures, weakness, numbness, and sensory issues related to high levels of psychological distress. Psychological distress that leads to neurological symptoms is known as conversion disorder.

With somatic symptom disorder and conversion disorder it is important to have symptoms checked out by a doctor. By the time someone seeks therapy for these disorder they have usually gone through a host of medical tests and are not 100% sure there is not something wrong with them.

Treatment at Thriving Point may help you to notice and cope with the external stressors that contribute to your focus on your body and illnesses.