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Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
Reflection essay LP3
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Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
Jamie M. Floeter
Moraine Park Technical College
AODA Counselor
500-142 Intro to Community Mental Health
Jerome M. VanKirk
February 26, 2013
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
Reflection essay LP3
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Abstract
In the counseling world, there are some many theories and therapies to help
treat people with addictions, anxiety disorders, stress disorders, fears,
phobias, ect. Most therapists have come up with theories to why people act
the way that they do. Counselor can use different assessments to learn
about a client’s addiction and even come with theories to how the addiction
started. I had felt like I was getting a good understanding of people and how
to help them help themselves. Then I read this chapter about Somatoform
Disorders and Dissociative Disorders. These are complicated disorders and
not much is understood about most of the disorders that are categorized
under Somatoform and Dissociative disorders. I feel that it would take years
of education and experience to be able to conduct therapy with a client with
one of the disorders, not to mention the amount of patients it would take to
counsel and person as such.
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
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Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
I may have thought that Anxiety Disorders, Social Phobias, or
Obsessive Compulsive disorder could be considered a misdirected mind in
the need of guidance or an unhealthy mind in the need of some healthy
goals. At least with these kinds of disorders therapist and professionals have
an understanding were these disorders may come from. There is gained
knowledge about the above mentioned, since there is enough known a
therapist can several ways or methods to treat the client. When it comes to
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders, there is not the same amount of
knowledge. Some of these disorders have very mysterious areas. Treatment
can be long and lengthy and can also become frustrating for therapist and
client.
Somatoform Disorders
Somatoform Disorders are the pathological concern of a person’s
appearance or bodily of physical functions. These patients complain about
physical pains or issues. What makes the disorder so different is there is no
physical evidence relating to the patients complaints. There are five factors
that professionals look into before diagnosing a person with a Somatoform
disorder. 1.) Does the patient have any loss or altered physical functioning?
2.) The symptom cannot be explained by any known neurological or physical
condition. 3.) There needs to be positive evidence that psychological factors
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
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are related to the symptoms. 4.) The patient is not always but often
indifferent to the physical loss. 5.) That the symptoms are not under
voluntary control. I feel that these factors are key to making a proper
diagnosis for any of the following types of Somatoform disorders;
Conversion, Somatization disorder, Pain disorder, Hypochondriasis, and Body
dysmorphic disorder.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
(BDD) This is when a person notices a slight bodily defect and blows it
way out of proportion. They see themselves as all around ugly. Some of the
flaws or preoccupations can consist of baldness, hairiness, acne, red or white
complexion, thinness/fatness, and scars. These preoccupations can become
so over-whelming the person that in suffering starts to avoid people and
going out in public. Some even go as far as plastic surgery. Some other
outcomes can be severe depression and even suicide. People with disorder
can spend mass amounts of time in front of the mirror, have prolonged
grooming rituals. Very little is known about the causes and even less is
known about effective treatment. When diagnosing; bulimia, anorexia,
depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and social phobia need to be
ruled out. When it comes to treatment, long term group therapy seemed to
cause some improvement and so can’t (SRI’s)
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Dissociative Disorders
These disorders can happen to people who have suffered from severe
trauma. Not just any trauma but, psychological trauma that can sometimes
cause a person to experience a long lasting disturbance of memory, which is
the heart of dissociative disorders. It is called dissociative because two or
more mental processes co-exist or alternate without becoming connected of
influencing each other. (Gregory, 1987)
The best way to descried Dissociative disorders is when a person feels
detached from themselves, surroundings, reality, experience, and identity
may disintegrate. When a person loses sense of reality of the external world,
this is called; Derealization. This reminds me of the five types of dissociative
disorders, 1.) Depersonalization disorder, which is the loss of sense of your
own reality, 2.) Dissociative Amnesia, 3.)Dissociative Fugue, 4.) Dissociative
Trance Disorder and 5.) Dissociative Identity disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Out of all the disorders I have learned about, this one interested me
the most. For the longest time I thought this disorder was nothing more
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
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than a myth. I have seen several movies making fun of this disorder, so I
guess that is why I thought it was a myth.
Dissociative Identity disorder is a very rare disorder that is also
referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder. This is when an individual has
the occurrences of two or more personalities. Bliss has a hypothesis on how
this disorder may come about. 1.) The individual between the ages four and
six may have experienced a traumatizing event and creates another person
to deal with the event. 2.) This person can be highly susceptible to selfhypnosis. 3.) The individual finds out that creating another personality by
self-hypnosis relieves them of their emotional pain, thus causing the
individual to use this method to avoid any future pain, stress, and anxiety.
Some of the disorders I read about I thought were either a myth, or I had
misunderstood the meaning. The psychotherapy world seems like a very
complicated place. I feel it would take years of education and also years of
experience to become competent in counseling clients with such disorders.
Personally I feel I would not be able to ever counsel a person with
Dissociative identity disorder. It seems like it would too frustrating me. I find
it absolutely amazing what the human mind is capable of doing. I hope in
the future we will be able to have more explanations and solutions for these
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
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disorders, and then professionals may say they truly understand the human
mind.
References
http://www.psyweb.com/DSM_IV/jsp/dsm_iv.jsp
Depression and Mental Health Recourse
©2013
http://www.psyweb.com/mdisord/jsp/somatd.jsp
Depression and Mental Health Recourse
©2013
http://www.medicinenet.com/body_dysmorphic_disorder/article.htm
1996-2013 MedicineNet
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/dissociativedisorders/DS00574/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).
All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for
noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com,"
"EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo
are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders
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http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/Dissociative_Identity
_Disorder_(formerly_Multiple_Personality_Disorder).htm
©2000
Abnormal Psychology
Seligman, Walker, Rosenhan
W.W. Northon & Company © 2001, 1995, 1989, 1984