Research Paper On Hypochondriasis

Known as a mental disorder a phobia is a persistent fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to compelling desire to avoid it. Phobias tend to affect the way people live their lives, for example, their working and social environments, considering that they last for a very long time and are capable to cause intense psychological physical stress. It is considered today the most common mental and anxiety disorder in the United States (Matig Mavissakalian & David H. Barlow 1981 pp 2). There are many phobias such as: the fear of aging, fear of changing, fear of clowns, fear of getting fat, fear of being in closed spaces, etc.

A. Causes: The exact cause for this disorder is unknown. Some patients have had problems with their nerve impulses that relay signals of pain, unpleasant sensation and pressure to the brain. One thing we do know, about this disorder is the pain is real, “they are not imagined” (Somatoform Disorders). Many psychiatrist believe that this disorder often run in families.

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

Chapter 7 covers the fundamentals of somatoform disorders and dissociative disorders. After reading this chapter, I became really interested in somatoform disorders. Somatoform disorder is physical pain due to psychosocial reasons and often misdiagnosed. Just like the story in the beginning of the chapter described the man who was paralyzed but did not have any physical wounds. This a strong example of how powerful the mind. This was discussed briefly in previous chapters, but I better understand the concept of this somatoform disorders. People with hysterical somatoform disorder have changes in their physical functioning. Conversion disorder is a psychosocial conflict that affects the voluntary motor and sensory functioning. Somatization disorders have a long lasting physical

As a hypochondriac anxiety allows the worry, the unease feelings to absorb your every thought. It does not allow you to stop thinking about your health. When you think of a disease ruining your health, it becomes a obsession. Anxiety latches on to things you can't control.

The anxiety (nervousness) of this disorder causes the individual to feel the urgent need to perform certain routines or rituals (compulsion) (Chakraburtty, 2009). For example, a person who has an unreasonable germ fear constantly washes their hands (Chakraburtty, 2009). The rituals are performed in an attempt to prevent or make the obsessive thoughts go away (Chakraburtty, 2009). The rituals that are performed are temporarily the person will perform the rituals again once his or her obsessive thoughts return (Chakraburtty, 2009).

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

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.

The movie Send Me No Flowers is centered around George Kimball, a man that constantly thinks he is becoming ill and ignores any person that tells him different. When at the doctor’s office because of a “worrisome” chest pain, George overheard the doctor speak on the phone about a patient that was dying. Due to a misinterpretation, George automatically assumed that he was the patient being discussed. When reviewing his behavior, it is evident that George has the somatoform disorder, hypochondriasis. Symptoms of this disorder are interpreting normal sensations (headaches, chest pain, stomach aches, etc.,) as symptoms of a deadly disease and ignoring physician reassurances that they do not reflect a serious illness. Since hypochondriacs doubt

Somatoform disorders are conditions characterized by multiple, recurrent physical complaints for which there are no organic basis. They are associated with significant psychological distress, poor functioning and help seeking behaviours. They undergo multiple investigations and consultation resulting significant burden on health resources. There has been limited research on quality of life in somatoform disorders.

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD). That is when the mind-body relationship is altered due to unpleasant emotions, negative feelings, life cycle modifications or situations of high emotional impact, which produce stress, which can be represented as symptoms or physical illness.

Anissa case involves what is known to be a Somatoform Disorder. An individual with a somatoform disorder displays the onset of physical symptoms that have no medical explanation. They result from an underlying psychological problems that can develop into physical ailments. Anissa honestly believes the condition occurs and is not lying or making up the symptoms. Somatoform disorders can sometimes present itself when a sudden distressing experience has previously occurred. Typically, the patient has a profound inability to manage guilt or in some cases sheer frustration. As a result, the individual begins to experience the physical ailments much like in the what Anissa is presenting. It is said that psychodynamic theorists think that this ailment

After reading this article, somatic disorder can be described as having physical symptoms that are typically associated with a physical disorder, but no test or finding can confirm a physical or even psychological cause. These aspects make the disease difficult to fully understand and confirm. This disorder can, however, be associated with large amounts of stress. There are several different forms of treatment for this disorder; most of them are associated with talking to a professional mental or physical caregiver. Through these interactions, it is important for there to be a doctor to patient relationship because this allows the doctor to give explanations to the patients that ensures a prognosis and encourages the patient about treatments.

Headache = Tumor. Cough = Tuberculosis. Mole = Skin Cancer. Such is the thought process of a hypochodriac. As defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV), hypochondriasis is an unrealistic interpretation of one's bodily sensations as abnormal, leading to the fear and belief that one has a serious disease (1). This preoccupation with having a serious medical condition is one of the somatoform disorders and may be considered more as a symptom than a disease. In fact, hypochondriacal symptoms often appear as a part of other mental disorders, including forms of depression or schizophrenia (2). For this reason, a close investigation of hypochondriacal behavior is necessary to

However, phobia can even cause people to risk their health. For example, the fear of dentists can leave people suffering from it willing to risk the health of their teeth in order to avoid having to go through an exam or procedure ( MacKay). When one knows about an upcoming confrontation, it can be the reason why one can not sleep or finds it hard to focus on important tasks. Due the change in daily routine, this unrealistic fear can interfere with the ability to socialize, work, or go about everyday life, brought on by and object, event or situation. But even animals have anxieties and phobias just as every human being (www.phobia-help.de). A phobia is an irrational fear, one knows that the object or situation, one is scared off, can not hurt one, but one is still afraid. A reason for this is that the human mind can not distinguish what is real and imaginary. When one has uncontrollable anxiety attacks, he loses rational judgement, leading to complicated problems. However, anyone can develop a phobia, men and women, teens and young adults, and elderly lady or a one-year-old boy (MacKay).