Have you ever had this happen to you? Today you have a headache, tomorrow you have a backache, the day after tomorrow you have a stomach ache... You keep coming back and forth with each illness. You go to many doctors for all these things, you do many tests like blood, urine, scans, etc. But none of those reports can find a cause that is as big as your problem. Even if the doctor says, "You don't have a serious illness," you can't believe it. You have a fear in your mind that "Oh, I have a serious illness." You spend most of your day thinking and worrying about these physical ailments. Has this condition become a big obstacle to your family life, work, and daily activities? So, it is very important for you to be aware of this mental health condition that we are talking about today, that is, `(Somatic Symptom Disorder)`.
Simply put, what is Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)?
This is a somewhat complex mental health condition. Simply put, it's when a person has excessive, abnormal preoccupation with a physical symptom (such as pain or fatigue) and the response to it interferes with daily life.
The important thing to understand here is that these symptoms are not fake. That means you are not acting. You are really feeling that pain, that discomfort. But the problem is, your mind's response to those symptoms is very exaggerated.
Think about it this way. A person has a normal stomach ache. But a person with SSD thinks about that ache, "Oh, I don't know if I have colon cancer." Then they worry about it all day, go to doctors, and get tests. Sometimes, there may be no clear medical cause for these physical symptoms. Or, even if there is a certain medical condition, the fear, anxiety, and actions they take about it are hundreds of thousands of times greater than the severity of the disease.
The important thing is that people with this condition often don't realize they have a mental health problem. They sincerely believe they have a serious physical illness.
What is the difference between this and other similar situations?
Sometimes this condition can be confused with other mental illnesses. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of these differences. Let's look at this table to understand this easily.
| Disease status | Main feature | Physical symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) | Excessive worry about a real physical symptom and disruption of life as a result. | Yes, there are usually one or more symptoms, such as pain and fatigue. |
| Illness Anxiety Disorder | Excessive fear of having or developing an illness and constantly thinking about it. | Usually not. These people are afraid of very minor things without any physical symptoms. |
| Conversion Disorder | The occurrence of neurological symptoms (e.g., sudden loss of limbs, loss of vision) without any medical cause. | Yes, symptoms related to the nervous system do occur. But excessive worry about those symptoms is not a key part of this diagnosis. |
Who is most likely to develop this condition?
Somatic Symptom Disorder can affect children, adolescents, and adults, and can affect anyone. However, it usually begins before the age of 30. Studies have found that the condition is about ten times more common in women than in men. It is estimated that between 5% and 7% of the adult population may have this condition.
What are the symptoms of Somatic Symptom Disorder?
The symptoms of this can be divided into two parts. One is the physical sensations, and the other is the mental and behavioral responses to them.
1. Physical symptoms
These can vary greatly, starting from minor to severe.
- Pain: This is the most commonly reported symptom. Pain can occur anywhere, such as the head, back, stomach, or joints.
- Fatigue and weakness: Feeling extremely tired for no reason.
- Difficulty breathing: Feeling like you can't breathe (Dyspnea).
2. Responses to those symptoms (thoughts, feelings, and behaviors)
This is the most important part of this condition: how a person responds to their physical symptoms.
| Behavior or thought | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Anxiety | Constantly feeling excessive fear and anxiety about their physical symptoms. |
| Catastrophic thinking | Even if you have a normal headache, you can think of the worst possible thing, like "I don't know if I have a brain tumor." |
| Distrust of medical test results | Even though the doctor has done the tests and said, "You don't have any problems," you still think, "No, no, the doctor couldn't find my illness." |
| Frequent switching of doctors (Doctor Shopping) | Not accepting what one doctor says, but going to more and more doctors in the hope of finding a cure for your illness. |
| Spending too much time on health | Spending most of the day and energy researching, talking about, and worrying about one's illness. |
| Dependence on others | Constantly asking others to help you and take care of you, and getting angry when your needs are not met. |
| Impairment of daily functioning | These thoughts and behaviors make it impossible to go to work, do household chores, or participate in social interactions. |
Why is this happening? What are the reasons for this?
There is no single cause for this. Researchers believe that a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors play a role.
- Traumatic experiences during childhood: Things like physical or sexual abuse during childhood can have an impact.
- Emotional intelligence deficits: Not learning to identify and manage one's emotions (sadness, happiness, anger) properly during childhood. This can sometimes be caused by parental neglect or lack of love. At such times, a child may learn that the only way to get attention is to get sick.
- Excessive anxiety and body phobia: Some people are hypersensitive to changes in their bodies, even minor aches, from a young age. This condition can be common among such people.
How do you accurately identify this as a disease?
The process of identifying this is a little different.
1. When you first go to a doctor, he or she will examine you and order blood, urine, and scan tests to see if there are any other physical conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
2. If those tests don't find a serious physical cause for your symptoms, or if your doctor thinks your anxiety is much more than the severity of the illness, he or she may refer you to a mental health specialist (e.g., a psychiatrist).
A psychiatrist will confirm this as a diagnosis based on a few specific criteria. A person must have one or more physical symptoms that interfere with daily life for more than 6 months. In addition, at least one of the following must occur in response to those symptoms:
- Excessive and prolonged thinking about the severity of symptoms.
- Having a persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms.
- Spending excessive time and energy worrying about physical symptoms and health problems.
People with this condition often don't want to admit that their anxiety and fear are out of control. They always feel that their fears are justified.
What are the treatments for this?
The main goal of treating this is to manage the physical symptoms while also treating the underlying psychological issues. Two main treatment methods are used for this.
1. Psychotherapy
This is the most important treatment method. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is particularly effective here.
CBT works by changing your thought patterns, which in turn helps you change your feelings and behaviors. You can receive this treatment under the guidance of a psychiatrist or psychologist.
How CBT therapy can help you:
- The way you think about your illness helps you assess your beliefs.
- Teaches ways to reduce stress and anxiety about symptoms.
- It helps to stop constantly thinking about physical symptoms.
- It helps you identify when your symptoms are worsening.
- They teach you ways to stay social and active, even if you have pain or other symptoms.
- It gives you the strength to do your daily tasks well.
2. Medication
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medication. Antidepressants are particularly effective. In addition to improving mood, these medications have also been found to help control physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and insomnia.
What is the outlook for this situation?
Somatic Symptom Disorder is often a long-term (chronic) condition. This means that symptoms can last for months or years. They may decrease at times and then increase again.
Things that can happen if left untreated:
- Inability to perform daily tasks.
- Loss of job or reduced efficiency at work.
- Becoming mentally disabled.
- Decreased quality of life.
- Alcohol and drug addiction.
But the good news is that with proper treatment, many people can control their symptoms and live a good life.
What should you do?
If you have these symptoms, there are several steps you can take to help yourself.
- Choose a trusted doctor: Keep the same person as your primary care physician. Build a good, trusting relationship with him or her. This can help you avoid unnecessary tests and treatments.
- See your doctor regularly: See your doctor regularly to talk about your physical symptoms and how you are coping with them.
- Seek the help of a mental health counselor : See a psychiatrist or psychologist regularly to manage your mental symptoms, such as excessive anxiety and fear.
If you are so embarrassed that you are unable to perform daily tasks due to your fear of your physical symptoms, or if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, be sure to see your doctor immediately.
Remember, Somatic Symptom Disorder is a mental health condition. As with any mental illness, seeking help early in the course of symptoms can help minimize disruption to your life.
Take-Home Message
- Somatic Symptom Disorder is a real medical condition that manifests itself as physical symptoms of mental stress.
- The pain or discomfort you are feeling is real. It is not just a pretense or a "sickness of the mind."
- The main problem here is your overreaction to those symptoms (excessive fear, anxiety, and behaviors).
- This is not a weakness. There may be deeper reasons behind this , such as childhood experiences.
- This condition can be managed very successfully with psychotherapy such as CBT and, if necessary, medication. So talk to your doctor about this.
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