Five Subcategories of Somatoform Disorders

Somatoform disorders were once known as hysteria. Today it is defined as "somatic symptoms in the absence of physical illness". In contrast to psychosomatic disorders, somatoform disorders cannot be linked to an underlying impairment. There is nothing wrong physically, and the symptoms are not made up; the physical problem is very real to the patient. In some cases, the patient reports paralysis in one arm, or the inability to see. In other cases, some patients report several physical symptoms like chronic pain. Increased anxiety is experienced by some regarding excessive worry of contracting a horrible disease, even after tests and the doctor's reassurance tells them they in the clear.…