A patient who is concerned that she may have serious heart disease seeks help at the mental health center after her internist examined her and told her that she has no physical illness

Question

She wants staff to tell her internist it's not all in her head. The patient reports she has had tightness in her chest and the sensation of her heart missing a beat. Her concern over her symptoms has caused her to miss much time from work over the past 2 years, and her social life has been severely restricted because she believes she must rest each evening. This presentation most suggests: a. somatization disorder.
b. pain disorder.
c. body dysmorphic disorder.
d. hypochondriasis.

Answer 1

D
Hypochondriasis, according to the DSM-IV-TR, involves a disabling preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease even when evidence to the contrary is available. The preoccupation causes impairment in social or occupational functioning. Somatization disorder involves multiple physical symptoms, often dramatically or implausibly presented, rather than worry about having a specific disorder. In pain disorder, the patient is distraught over chronic or recurrent pain that does not have a physical cause. In body dysmorphic disorder, the patient believes he has a physical defect when none exists or may greatly exaggerate the significance of a small defect or blemish.