Somatic Symptom Disorder

[Mom2FourKiddos]

I think SO MANY of us have this disorder.. Especially those of us who suffer from heath anxiety. I wanted to share this link because it really does help to put things into a healthier perspective:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/somatic-symptom-disorder/what-is-somatic-symptom-disorder

I'm pretty sure 99.999999999% of my symptoms are just this.

---------- Post added at 11:03 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------

I love this quote from the site:


It’s important to remember that all pain – even pain that we can see and define – is contextual. A soldier in the heat of battle can suffer enormous tissue damage from a gunshot wound in the arm, and barely feel anything as he rescues his companions from danger. While later in the hospital, alone, tired and scared of what may become of his limb, he can hardly stand a needle prick to obtain a blood sample. Fear, emotion, distraction and the meaning behind an event or feeling can, together, dictate the severity of pain and your reaction to it. Often, it’s the reaction to the pain that engenders more of it. The soldier tenses his forearm and makes it more difficult for the lab tech to draw his blood sample, making the pain worse.

[Luellen]

Thanks for posting this link it is really useful.

Regards
Laura

[Mom2FourKiddos]

You're welcome. It is a very sensible way to think about things huh? :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thanks for posting this link it is really useful.

Regards
Laura

Just a note with you being from the UK. The classifications differ in the UK because the OP is in the US where their APA have the DSM manual whereas as the UK use the WHO ICD. There are differences in criteria and the disorder names are completely different. (Why the medical world can't sort these differences and make it universal so it's easier for us to understand, I don't know!)

This is always a very interesting topic. I think there will definitely be some on here with Somatoform Disorders (I'm using the WHO grouping as I know less about the DSM) and some with OCD. Since HA isn't a medical condition boards like that bundle everyone in together.

It's hard to separate the two. Obsessive patterns are in both and the Googling in OCD can easily be found in Somatoform Disorders.

What do you think, Mom2FourKiddos? Do you think you identify more with this disorder? I always find separating OCD from these is difficult as they seem to have some very similar elements.

[melfish]

There's also Illness Anxiety Disorder too, which is where I believe I fall (as opposed to Somatic Symptom Disorder)

[Mom2FourKiddos]

Just a note with you being from the UK. The classifications differ in the UK because the OP is in the US where their APA have the DSM manual whereas as the UK use the WHO ICD. There are differences in criteria and the disorder names are completely different. (Why the medical world can't sort these differences and make it universal so it's easier for us to understand, I don't know!)

This is always a very interesting topic. I think there will definitely be some on here with Somatoform Disorders (I'm using the WHO grouping as I know less about the DSM) and some with OCD. Since HA isn't a medical condition boards like that bundle everyone in together.

It's hard to separate the two. Obsessive patterns are in both and the Googling in OCD can easily be found in Somatoform Disorders.

What do you think, Mom2FourKiddos? Do you think you identify more with this disorder? I always find separating OCD from these is difficult as they seem to have some very similar elements.

I apologize. I was unaware of the differences. I will keep that in mind before posting links and stuff in the future. I do think I identify with this disorder. I can have a little twinge or pain and I will focus on that and become fearful that it won't stop happening. And then, of course, it doesn't stop. I've had this happen with several different things that I've feared I had in the past. Something that is a totally normal feeling for all of us, like normal gas pains. Those become colon cancer in my mind if they reoccur in the same place too often.

Our minds are amazing things. I just wanted to post this in case it helped someone else to recognize that their mind could also be very well creating their "pains".