Somatic symptom disorder presents a somatic (bodily) symptom—a physiologically unexplained but genuinely felt ailment.
In the related conversion disorder (also called functional neurological symptom disorder), anxiety appears converted to a physical symptom that has no reasonable neurological or medical basis.
The more common illness anxiety disorder, another related disorder, involves the interpretation of normal sensations as a dreaded disorder.
Dissociative disorders are conditions in which conscious awareness seems to become separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings.
Skeptics note that dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, increased dramatically in the late twentieth century, that it is rarely found outside North America, and that it may reflect role-playing by people who are vulnerable to therapists’ suggestions. Others view this disorder as a manifestation of feelings of anxiety, or as a response learned when behaviors are reinforced by anxiety reduction.
Personality disorders are disruptive, inflexible, and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning.
These disorders form clusters, based on three main characteristics: (1) anxiety; (2) eccentric or odd behaviors; and (3) dramatic or impulsive behaviors.
Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of conscience and, sometimes, by aggressive and fearless behavior. The amygdala is smaller and the frontal lobes less active in people with this disorder, leading to impaired frontal lobe cognitive functions and decreased responsiveness to others’ distress. Genetic predispositions may interact with the environment to produce these characteristics.
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are the three main eating disorders.
Despite being significantly underweight, people with anorexia nervosa (usually adolescent females) continue to diet because they view themselves as fat.
Those with bulimia nervosa (usually females in their late teens and twenties) secretly binge and then compensate by purging, fasting, or excessively exercising. Unlike anorexia, bulimia is marked by weight fluctuations within or above normal ranges.
Those with binge-eating disorder binge but do not follow bingeing with purging, fasting, or exercise.
Low self-esteem, perfectionism, concern with others’ perceptions, and cultural pressure—which include body ideals that vary across time and place, often perpetuated through media—interact with stressful life experiences and genetics to produce eating disorders.
Multiple-Choice Questions
Adela regularly interprets everyday aches and pains, such as stomach cramps and headaches, as serious medical problems. Her doctor is unable to convince her that her problems are not serious. Adela suffers from
dissociative identity disorder.
antisocial personality disorder.
a fugue state.
illness anxiety disorder.
anorexia nervosa.
Karl, a 45-year-old barber, had worked in the same shop his entire life. Last year he disappeared and was found working as a car mechanic known as “K” 300 miles away, saying he had no memory of his former life. Karl’s clinical diagnosis would most likely be
schizophrenia.
antisocial personality disorder.
a fugue state.
a conversion disorder.
dissociative identity disorder.
Antisocial personality disorder is most often characterized by
violence.
lack of conscience.
mood swings.
unexplained physical symptoms.
committing serial murders.
Practice FRQs
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is among the most controversial of all psychological disorders. Briefly describe the disorder. Then, provide one piece of evidence that supports the existence of the disorder and one piece of evidence that would indicate the disorder might not be genuine.