Hypochondriasis Research Papers

The strengths when working with clients on a medical model perspective is that the use of the DSM provides a common language to use in the medical community. The DSM provides reliability and structural guideline to each mental disorder. The structural guidelines in the DSM provide an organized list of criteria and specifiers to help determine the severity of the mental disorder. When diagnosing a client, there are many similar signs and symptoms to each mental disorder; thus, the DSM provides the clinician information about differential diagnosis, prevalence, possible co-morbidity, age of onset, and progressive development of symptoms. Hence, focusing on the medical model and using the DSM can be beneficial to both the client and the clinician providing treatment.

The DSM is a classified system used by psychiatrist and other clinical professions in order to diagnose clients and patients who show signs of some type of disorder. The two advantages of using this model or classification system ranges from the validity of an assessment used by clinicians and other health care professionals. Build around the concepts and purposes for the DSM model is that it supports a number of standard assessments of diagnosing different treatment providers. Furthermore, (Comer, J. 2016) suggest that the DSM-5 requires clinicians to provide both categorical and dimensional information which is part of being consistent in diagnosing. From a categorical perspective this refers to the name of a particular category of a disorder which is indicated on behalf of the client’s symptoms. From the dimensional perspective it is a rating of how the client symptoms and the severity of the dysfunction through various dimensions.

Somatoform are physical symptoms triggered through psychological factors (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Consider “somatic presentations can be viewed as expressions of personal suffering inserted in a cultural and social context” (APA, 2013, p. 310). Andrea expresses somatic symptom disorder through multiple symptoms. Andrea’s physical grievances are excessive, suggesting her need for attention. She states that she is in a tremendous amount of pain and easily agitated and hostile if others do not take her

It is difficult for them to maintain that kind of act. The MindDisorders article has an example, “…hearing voices or seeing demons, or living with the idea that others can hear unspoken thoughts, would become a difficult act to maintain over time”. People would prefer faking a sad mood rather than hearing voices. In case of conversion disorders, the symptoms begin suddenly without any warning. There are some health care providers that falsely believe that conversion disorder is not a real condition and has to do with the problem in the person’s head according to the MedlinePlus article. It’s the same with a sugar pill. People swallow sugar pills that is only made out of sugar, but feel better after swallowing it. This has to do with the brain being tricked to whoever swallowed the pill. People are at a risk of conversion disorder if they already have a medical illness. Unlike malingering, conversion disorder patients cannot pick which type of symptom they want. Conversion disorder patients will either receive paralysis, numbness, or any other neurological symptoms depending on what they are stressing about. For example, if a woman wanted to punch a man because she was so angry, but did not end up doing the action, then she may lose numbness in her arms. It is insane on how fast the symptoms can occur. With one simple thought, a numbness on the arm or leg can happen in a matter of

Somatization disorder is define as a mental condition with medically unexplained physical, symptoms. The minor symptoms will consist of nausea, bloating, diarrhea, headaches, pain in the back or joints, difficulty swallowing or speaking, and urinary retention. The worst of the physical symptoms can disable a patient completely such as seizures, problems with coordination, balance, or paralysis. Many studies have shown that patients with panic disorders are more aware to the changes in their breathing and heartbeats. There are different levels of somatoform such as Catastrophizing Thinking. A patient with a headache will then associate it to having a tumor, or shortness of breath would indicate asthma. Many patients then seek medical treatment

This problem have improved but it is still a problem caused by the DSM. DSM-IV TR also does not consider patients subjective experience of a disorder. That is, the approach is not a dimensional approach as there is no first-person report but rather, observations are usually carried out which may neglect the more somatic and psychological processes that underlie the symptoms (Flanagan, Davidson & Strauss, 2007).3 Also, DSM causes most clinicians to be primarily concerned with the signs and symptoms of a disorder rather than the underlying cause by giving a list of certain criteria for diagnosis.

They often seek medical assistance, but a Doctor's reassurance has no merit for the patient. A patient, who is preoccupied with bodily sensations for less than six months, are classified as having a somatic disorder. If the complaints persist, the patient is then labeled as a hypochondriac.

Counseling, or psychotherapy, is recommended to help cope with anxiety, depression, and treat symptoms of conversion disorder. Treating the underlying conditions can be apart of the treatment plan. Transcranial magnetic stimulation involves exciting brain activity by using weak electrical currents that alter the brain's biochemisty, this treatment is still in its early stages of managing conversion disorder.

The diagnosis of conversion disorder is though there physical examination and based on the neurological examination. The neurologist specialist makes this diagnosis when your provider sends you and sees if there is anything that can be seen more in detail and get a second opinion. There is some test that can check to diagnosis it here are the test to see if you have it are an electroencephalogram (EEG) to evaluate the brain, Electrocardiogram (EKG) to evaluate electrical activity in the heart Images of internal body structures may be taken with, X-rays, CT scan, MRI scan and blood test which measures how well nerve impulses are

Access to online medical information has also increased the number of hypochondriacs. Hypochondriacs are not able to see themselves as healthy because they always feel that something is wrong with their bodies. Hypochondriacs come in two forms: illness anxiety disorder, if there are mild to no physical symptoms, and somatic symptom disorder, if there are multiple or major physical symptoms (Hall-Flavin, 2015, para. 4). The difference in these forms is that illness anxiety disorder is all in a patient’s head, whereas somatic symptom disorder has physical symptoms that lead the patient to believe the problem is worse than the doctors think. Misplaced beliefs due to misconceptions of the body’s natural behaviors cause most cases of hypochondria.

Schizophrenia vs. Bipolar Disorder Page 1 Schizophrenia vs. Bipolar Disorder Angela M. Powell English Composition I Kim Elliott-White April 18, 2011 Schizophrenia vs. Bipolar Disorder Page 2 Brain disorders are commonly misunderstood due to the actions of the person living with the disorder. Education about brain disorders should decrease the misunderstanding of the disorders, and increase the support for those suffering with the disorder. A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual and which is not part of normal

The movie that I chose for the movie analysis is a film called “The Quiet Room.” The disorder presented in this film is conversion disorder. Conversion disorder is said to be a "mental condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system (neurological) symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation." As defined by the National Institute of Health (nlm.nih.gov).

Choice "A" is the best answer. Conversion disorder, also known as functional neurological symptom disorder, consists of symptoms of altered motor or sensory function that do not correspond to a recognized neurologic pattern or syndrome, with an onset related to a major psychological stressor. In this case, the symptoms of right foot and left hand weakness do not correspond to a myotome, and the patient exhibits contradictory examination findings (e.g. diminished foot dorsiflexion on the exam table, but absence of foot drop on ambulation). She recently had a major psychologic stress in being diagnosed with Crohn disease. Conversion disorder occurs much more commonly in women than in men.

The symptoms may also be relieved by an antidepressant. Since they say Hypochondria is similar to OCD they found that it can help to prescribe OCD treatments like fluoxetine or venlafaxine. It is also said that different therapies can help such as, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, stress management. They can teach them distraction and relaxation techniques. It is also helpful if there primary care doctor offers reassurance to them. Hypochondria is so common that the physicians understand this disorder and they can schedule regular short appointments and it can help contain the patient’s

It’s not uncommon to see individuals complain about physical symptoms, when there’s no real physical cause. As defined by Barlow and Durand (2011), individuals who are diagnosed with somatic disorders focus on a specific somatic symptom, or symptoms, about which the patient is so excessively anxious or distressed that it interferes with their functioning, or, the anxiety or distress is focused on just the possibility of developing an illness as in illness anxiety disorder (p.181-182).