Write a one- to two-sentence description of a hypothetical patient illustrating each of these three disorders: (1) somatic symptom disorder, (2) illness anxiety disorder, and (3) conversion disorder.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: (1) somatic symptom disorder—Glenn is convinced that the heartburn he has experienced two or three times recently is a bleeding ulcer. He spends an excessive amount of time researching bleeding ulcers online and has scheduled needless and time-consuming appointments and examinations with gastroenterologists.
(2) illness anxiety disorder—Gina is preoccupied with the notion that she may develop a brain tumor, even though she has no symptoms that might indicate such a disorder. She spends a lot of time reading a medical encyclopedia and seems obsessed with serious diseases and conditions.
(3) conversion disorder—Marilyn complains that she cannot feel anything below her left knee. Such a lack of feeling does not reflect what is known about the innervation of the limbs.
Learning Objective: 9.6 Describe the characteristics of conversion disorder.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Conversion Disorder
Difficulty Level: Medium