Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Diagnosis of Somatization Disorder under the DSM

Somatization disorder is characterized by many different complaints of physical ailments for several years that are not adequately explained by independent findings of physical illness or injury and that lead to medical treatment or to significant life impairment.

Somatization disorder was formerly known as Briquet’s syndrome, after the French Physician who first described it. The disorder is similar to hypochondriasis but people with hypochondriasis tend to be convinced that they have an organic disease. Further more the person suffering from hypochondriasis has only a few primary symptoms while in somatization there are multiple symptoms.

People with this disorder are costly to health care systems because they often have multiple unnecessary hospitalizations and surgeries. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) list four other symptom criteria that must be met before a diagnosis of somatization can be made.


These are;

1) Four pain Symptoms: The patient must report a history of pain experienced with respect to at least four different sites or functions. These maybe the head, abdomen, back, joints, rectum

2) Two gastrointestinal symptoms: The patient must report a history of at least two symptoms of, other than pain pertaining to the gastrointestinal system. For example having nausea, bloating, diarrhea, or vomiting when not pregnant

3) One Sexual symptom: The patient must report t least one reproductive system other than pain. This maybe sexual indifference or dysfunction, menstrual irregularity, or vomiting throughout pregnancy


4) One Pseudoneuroligical symptom: The patient must also report at least one symptom, not limited to pain, suggestive of a neurological condition. This could be systems that mimic sensory or motor impairment such as loss of sensation or involuntary muscle contraction in a hand.

Read more at: http://healthmad.com/mental-health/the-diagnosis-of-somatization-disorder-under-the-dsm/

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