What are the somatoform disorders? Part 2
Conversion disorder
Conversion disorder is a disorder where a person gets symptoms which suggest a serious disease of the brain or nerves (a neurological disease). For example, blindness, deafness, weakness, paralysis, or numbness of arms or legs. The symptoms usually develop quickly in 'response' to a stressful situation. You unconsciously 'convert' your mental stress into a physical symptom.
Conversion disorder tends to occur between the ages of 18 and 30. Symptoms often last no longer than a few weeks but persist long-term in some cases. In many cases there is only ever one episode and no treatment is needed once symptoms have gone. Some people have repeated episodes of conversion disorder from time to time.
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition where a person spends a lot of time worried and concerned about their appearance. A person with this disorder may:
- focus on an apparent physical defect that other people cannot see, OR
- have a mild physical defect but the concern about it is out of proportion to the defect
For example, a person may think that he or she has a skin blemish or an odd shaped nose. However, no-one else can see the defect, or the blemish would be considered trivial by most people. The person becomes preoccupied with the imagined defect, or slight defect. For example, he or she may spend a lot of time looking in the mirror at the apparent defect, or wear camouflaging make-up to hide the defect. The thought of the defect is very distressing for people with this condition. Some people with this condition consult a cosmetic sugeon to have the imagined or trivial defect corrected.
Pain disorder
Pain disorder is a condition where a person has a persistent pain that cannot be attributed to a physical disorder.
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