Somatoform Disorders Overview

A mental health condition where emotional distress presents as unexplained physical symptoms, often neurological. These symptoms are thought to provide an unconscious escape from a psychological conflict.

A category of disorders where patients experience significant distress or impairment due to physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by medical conditions.

A situation where symptoms are deliberately faked or exaggerated for external gain.

Intentional creation or faking of symptoms, but not for external gain, rather for internal needs like attention or sympathy.

A caregiver deliberately causes illness in someone under their care, typically for emotional gratification.

An extreme form of Factitious Disorder where individuals go to great lengths to feign illness, often involving multiple surgeries and procedures.

Psychological stress directly results in physical symptoms affecting motor or sensory function.

Episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period, often feeling out of control.

Actions taken after bingeing to compensate for the calories consumed, such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or using laxatives.

Recurrent episodes of binge eating without any compensatory behaviors to control weight.

Avoidance of food due to sensory issues or fear of choking or vomiting, unrelated to body image concerns.

Hilde Bruch’s theory suggesting that ineffective parenting leads to a poor understanding of internal bodily cues like hunger.

Distorted beliefs about weight and appearance that reinforce unhealthy eating habits.

Low self-esteem and hopelessness contributing to disordered eating patterns.

Unrealistic beauty standards in media promoting a thin ideal, impacting body dissatisfaction.

Salvador Minuchin’s theory suggesting that overly involved families stifle independence, leading to control-seeking behaviors like anorexia.

Loss of menstruation due to extreme weight loss, often seen in anorexia.

Persistent and excessive worry about physical symptoms, even when medical tests show no serious problems. This worry causes significant distress and interferes with daily life.

A preoccupation with the fear of having or developing a serious illness, despite no or mild symptoms. The fear often leads to repeated doctor visits and excessive health checks.

An obsession with perceived flaws in physical appearance, even when these flaws are minimal or nonexistent to others. This obsession leads to excessive grooming, social avoidance, and significant distress.

The idea that physical symptoms allow people to avoid psychological conflict by keeping it unconscious. It's like a defense mechanism.

The benefits someone receives from having physical symptoms, like increased attention or escape from responsibilities. These benefits reinforce the symptoms.

The idea that physical symptoms are learned behaviors, reinforced by the attention or avoidance they bring. It's like a 'reward' for having a symptom.

A focus on how people misinterpret bodily sensations and engage in catastrophic thinking, making ordinary sensations seem like serious problems. It's like a distorted view of the world.

A severe eating disorder characterized by excessive food restriction, distorted body image, and intense fear of weight gain, despite being underweight.

The unconscious gain derived from a physical symptom, allowing the individual to avoid confronting the underlying emotional conflict.

The conscious or unconscious benefits received as a result of the physical symptom, such as attention, sympathy, or relief from responsibilities.

A therapeutic approach that helps individuals with Illness Anxiety Disorder identify and challenge their unhealthy thoughts and behaviors related to health concerns.

An approach that provides patients with Illness Anxiety Disorder with factual information about their health and symptoms, helping them to understand and manage their anxiety.

A style of parenting that adequately responds to a child's needs, providing appropriate support and care.

A parenting style that misinterprets or fails to address a child's needs, potentially leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

A parenting style where a child's emotional needs are met with food rather than addressing underlying emotions.

The interaction of social, cultural, psychological, and biological factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders.

A mental health condition where individuals deliberately feign illness or injury to gain attention, sympathy, or a medical role. The behavior is not motivated by external rewards, unlike malingering.

A type of eating disorder where individuals engage in recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging (vomiting, laxatives), excessive exercise, or fasting to prevent weight gain.

A theory suggesting that ineffective parenting can contribute to the development of anorexia nervosa by leading to a poor understanding of internal bodily cues (like hunger) and a feeling of inadequacy.

A theory that emphasizes the role of family dynamics in the development of anorexia. It suggests that overly involved or enmeshed families may contribute to a lack of independence and a desire to exert control through food restriction.

A form of cognitive distortion where individuals interpret symptoms as a sign of serious illness, even when there is little evidence to support those beliefs. Often linked to anxiety disorders.