Somatic Symptom Theory

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Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) embodies the conundrum of compartmentalizing mental disorders as separate from physical, emotional and spiritual ailments. The number of individuals presenting for treatment of somatic symptoms associated with mental duress is enormous (Sharma & Manjula, 2013). They suffer high disability, marked impairment of health status, and place massive financial burden on the health care system (APA, 2013; Ruttley, Ng & Burnside, 2014; Sharma & Manjula, 2013). Approximately half of patients present to caregivers with somatic complaints, of which a third cannot be explained by a medical condition (Sharma & Manjula, 2013). Individuals suffering from somatic symptoms report extreme dissatisfaction with primary, secondary …show more content…
Adler proposed, rather than separate the individual is an indivisible whole. “As holistic thinker, Individual psychologists know that Life-Style is revealed in any movement of the person…a physical symptom is behavior…part of the person’s striving toward a subjectively conceived goal of mastery” (ibid, p. 439). Adler referred to somatic symptoms as organ inferiority. As such he stated, “Sometimes the mouth lies or the head does not understand; but the functions of the body always speak the truth (Adler, 1956, p. 434 in Griffith, 1984). The prevalence and origin of SSD is currently unknown (APA, 2013). Precipitating factors of SSD include being female, of lower educational level, experience of neglect and/or adverse event and exposure to parental illness (Ruttley, Ng, & Burnside, 2014, p. 153). Other theoretically based etiologies of SSD fall under the umbrella of Individual …show more content…
269). The essential self, social self, creative self, physical self and coping self were identified as five second-order factors of the indivisible higher order factor of wellness (Ibid, p. 273). Interaction of each components of the Indivisible Self model with all others influences to holistic functioning (Ibid, p. 276). Therefore, a clinician utilizing of a wellness perspective to treat SSD may activate strengths to enhance functioning, overcome depressive forces and facilitate the uniqueness and significance of the individual. A positive, holistic asset view of SSD may ameliorate the chronic social, occupational and physical debilitation and hopelessness associated with this disorder. Does the functional revolution of removing MUS from the SSD diagnostic criteria create a need to evolve from the mental illness perspective into a holistic wellness

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