Question

A 35-year-old man presented with a 6-year history of abdominal pain that he was convinced was cancer. For most of his life, the patient evidently had been dominated by a tyrannical father who never gave him the love he craved. When the patient was 29, his father died of carcinoma of the colon, and soon afterward, the patient developed abdominal pain. His complaints had gradually increased as his identification with his father, as well as his unconscious hostility towards him, increased. The patient came to the clinic almost daily with complaints of bloody stools (the feces were found to be free of blood) and the belief that he had cancer. He felt that none of the clinic doctors listened to him, just as his father had not

Treatment included development of longstanding, trusting, positive relationship with one of the clinic physicians, who allowed the patient time to talk about the illness. His symptoms gradually subsided during a 12-month period of supportive physician-patient relationship

1. An example of a symptom of a somatoform disorder is: _______

A. Obsession

B. Delusions of persecution

C. False sensory perception

D. Conversion

2. The patient’s hypochondriasis was treated successfully with: _______

A. Hypnosis

B. Neuroleptic therapy

C. Psychotherapy

D. ECT

Answer 1

1) Answer: (d) Conversion

Reason: Conversion disorder is a condition in which a person exhibits a few or several physical symptoms, but the cause of this physical symptom need not completly be due to physical causes.

Somatoform disorder is a mental disorder that causes physical signs and symptoms in the affected individual. The passage well explains what is a somatoform disorder. Since in conversion disorder the body shows physical symptoms that are not due to physical cause, it is an example of somatoform disorder. Conversion disorder is also called Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder. This disorder can show symptoms like numbness, paralysis, lose of sense organ activity, seizures etc.

The other options are incorrect because:

Option A: Obsession - It is a thought that occurs continuously in someone's mind. This is purely a mental condition / state and has no physical symptoms.

Option B: Delusions of Persecution - This is a condition in which an individual feels like he or she is being continuously harassed or punished by someone. This is also a feeling and the symptoms are not manifested physically.

Option C: False sensory perception - These are associated with use of drugs or due to mental conditions like a strong fear of an object or something. It may simply be called hallucination. Here, an individual perceive something without a sensory stimulus, as if it is in the surroundings but invisible or unhearable to others. This is not due to a physical defect in sense organs, but due to mental conditions resulting from chemical imbalances in nervous system. It is also not a physical symptom.

2) Answer: (C) Psychotherapy

Reason: It is a form of mental illness treatment by psychological means. It is generally done as mentioned in the passage in question. That is, by building personal interactions and relationship, there by making the individual able to have control over this emotions. It is the best method of treatment adviced for SSD (Somatoform Symptom Disorder ). This help improve the person's mental health with respect to social skills and interpersonal behavior.

Other options are not the right answer because:

Option A: Hypnosis - It is a method used to increase the focus and concentration of an individual. Here, the interaction with surroundings is temporarily restricted. But, interaction with surroundings and getting close to them is the key for SSD treatment.

Option B: Neuroleptic therapy - This is a method of treatment by the administration of drugs for the mental conditions like Psychosis. The drugs used are known as anti psychosis drugs. This is not primarily administered for SSD.

Option D: ECT - It is the process of inducing short term seizures by passing small electric current through the brain. This is done to induce an anesthetic effect in persons with violent behavior, which may be due to mental illness. Induction of anesthesia is never an option in the treatment of SSD.