SOMATIFORM DISORDERS [ back to Glossary Index ]
Somatiform Disorders represent a group of disparate psycho-somatic illnesses in which the common element is unconsciously acting out psychological problems through the theatre of the body. Typically there is a plethora of vague complaints (e.g. fatigue, depression, malaise, aching in all the joints) with no known organic cause. One example is "conversion" disorder, in which severe anxiety leads to non-organic dysfunction of body parts as in hysterical blindness or paralysis. A much rarer example is "factitious disorder," in which the patient inflicts real signs and symptoms of illness in order to assume the sick role, e.g. cutting, poisoning or burning himself or injecting himself with urine or saliva to produce a rash. The great majority of factitious disorder patients manufacture physical problems to receive medical and nursing attention, and these patients can ultimately be detected. Yet it is asserted (without much proof) by some forensic mental health experts that factitious disorder can lead patients to "fake bad" during cognitive testing to be perceived as having schizophrenia, traumatic brain damage or other mental problems. Since such patients visit misery and social stigma upon themselves, there seems to be little in the way of objective or rational pay off. Hence such experts say the motivation is "unknown," but may have something to do with being an abused child.