Somatic Symptom Disorders and Dissociative Disorders
Somatic symptom disorders and dissociative disorders have a close relationship since they have been reported to have comparable diagnostic and etiological models. Early diagnosis of these disorders by understanding their significant symptoms is the only way to avoid dire consequences they might cause on human health (Kearny & Trull, 2018). The diagnostic criteria of somatic symptom disorders and dissociative disorders must be carefully assessed since the diseases affect both the older and younger generations. Research done by Koenig et al. (2014) to evaluate mental illnesses and their characteristics in Saudi Arabia proved that about fourteen percent of school-going children aged fourteen and nineteen years old developed somatic symptoms. Therefore, this essay describes and compares somatic symptom disorders and dissociative disorders and highlights their primary diagnostic differences.
Dissociative disorders are mental disorders involving a disconnection between memories, thoughts, actions, surroundings, and identity, thus making an individual feel absent from reality involuntarily, thus causing a problem that affects the normal functioning of their everyday life (Kearny & Trull, 2018). On the other hand, Somatic symptoms occur when an individual feels distressed about certain physical symptoms and, therefore, develops abnormal behaviors and feelings in response to them. These physical symptoms either develop due to an existing medical condition or can randomly show up without any apparent cause leading to reactions that interfere with their quality of daily life (Henningsen et al., 2018). Dissociative disorders commonly develop as a way of dealing with an event that leads to long-term abuse, trauma, or abuse, mainly if these events occur during the early stages of life. Different types of dissociative disorders include depersonalization, dissociative identity disorder, and dissociative amnesia, while examples of somatic symptom disorders include the illness anxiety disorder, conversion disorder, and factitious disorder.
Physical symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, general fatigue, and body weakness are commonly reported by patients suffering from somatic symptom disorders (Subramanyam et al., 2020). They may also complain of extreme anxiety due to the symptoms they experience. They also spend most of their time visiting healthcare providers and conducting several tests but fail to believe the results. Those with dissociative disorders usually experience memory gaps of daily events, past traumatic events, and personal identity. They also develop suicidal attempts and other self-injuring behaviors. Diagnosis involves reviewing the symptoms and personal history. Physical and psychological tests can also be done to determine the dissociative disorder’s major cause (Chadda et al., 2018). Psychologists have put different criteria to confirm the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder, such as having continuous anxiety about health symptoms. Antidepressants have been the treatment of choice for both dissociative and somatic symptom disorders since they ease the symptoms of depression. Henningsen et al. (2018). Psychotherapy also helps these individuals change their thinking patterns and behavior and also helps them learn how to cope with stress and respond effectively to anxiety.
Both Somatic symptom disorders and dissociative disorders are mental health problems that need special and immediate intervention to prevent disruption of one’s quality of life. Individuals prone to such conditions should also be advised by their health providers to minimize interaction with risk factors such as alcohol consumption. Healthcare providers must also follow the correct criteria for diagnosing these disorders to reduce the psychological effects experienced by their patients (Chadda et al., 2018). Cognitive Behavioral therapy should be adopted since it helps individuals suffering from these mental disorders change their thinking and behavioral patterns. It also helps them manage symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Malhotra et al. (2005) argue that parents should take care of their children at the early stages of development by ensuring they are free from abuse and traumatic experiences that might later affect them during adulthood.
Referencess
Chadda, R. K., Kumar, V., & Sarkar, S. (2018). Social Psychiatry: Principles & clinical perspectives, 223. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.
Henningsen, P., Zipfel, S., Sattel, H., & Creed, F. (2018). Management of Functional Somatic Syndromes and Bodily Distress. Psychotherapy And Psychosomatics, 87(1), 12-31. DOI: 10.1159/000484413
Kearney, C., & Trull, T. (2018). Abnormal Psychology and Life: A dimensional approach (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage learning.
Koenig, H. G., Al Zaben, F., Sehlo, M. G., Khalifa, D. A., Al Ahwal, M. S., Qureshi, N. A., & Al- Habeeb, A. A. (2014). Mental health care in Saudi Arabia: Past, present, and future. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 4(02), 113. DOI 10.4236/ojpsych.2014.42016
Malhotra, S., Singh, G., & Mohan, A. (2005). Somatoform and dissociative disorders in children and adolescents: A comparative study. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 47(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.46073
Subramanyam, A., Somaiya, M., Shankar, S., Nasirabadi, M., Shah, H., Paul, I., & Ghildiyal, R. (2020). Psychological Interventions for Dissociative Disorders. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(8), 280. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_777_19
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Question 
Design a 12-15-slide (not including title and reference slides) PowerPoint presentation that describes and compares somatic symptom disorders and dissociative disorders. Address the following:
Somatic Symptom Disorders and Dissociative Disorders.
Describe the key concepts and therapeutic process of somatic symptom disorders.
Describe the key concepts and therapeutic processes of dissociative disorders.
Compare and contrast the rationale of the two therapeutic approaches for explaining psychological behavior.
Include speaker notes below each slide. Expand upon the information included in the slide. Please ensure the speaker notes for each content-related slide include a minimum of 50 words.