It is as though the patient is perceiving that there is an illness or injury despite data which would ordinarily be reassuring that the problem does not exist or is certainly less than the patient fears. In medical clinics, the most commonly seen of the Somatoform disorders is Somatization Disorder. It is characterized by multiple symptoms involving pain, gastrointestinal, sexual and pseudoneurological complaints. The complaints begin before age 30 and extend over many years. The patient often has a complex medical history of shopping for diagnoses and endless series of laboratory and radiologic studies.
Hypochondriasis is a disorder with which most people are familiar.
The hypochondriacal patient is preoccupied with the fear of having a serious disease. This preoccupation is based upon the patient s misinterpretation of bodily functions and despite reassurance, the patient clings to these irrational beliefs and the consequent repeated accessing of health care. Hypochondriasis is a somatoform disorder that involves the preoccupation with the idea that one has a serious disease based upon misinterpretation of bodily symptoms. Despite reassurance from professionals that there is no disease or disorder present, the hypochondriacal person maintains this unwarranted fear. Work and relationships are disrupted by this preoccupation.