Somatization disorder is 10 times more common in women than in men. In clinical practice, however, physicians encounter patients of all ages who have this illness but have never been given the diagnosis. Somatization disorder is chronic, fluctuates in severity, and is most apparent in early adulthood. Full remission is rare. Even subspecialists sometimes have trouble distinguishing between somatization and an anxiety or a mood disorder.
Recent studies link somatization to child abuse, particularly sexual abuse.
Sicker than the sick' Patients with somatization disorder have poorer health than those with other chronic medical conditions. They rarely respond to treatment, and if they do, their response is short-lived. In contrast, patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease are much more likely to respond to treatment, can express genuine gratitude to their physicians, and often take responsibility for their own care by researching treatments. In contrast, patients with somatization disorder are passive and show little interest in finding a cure. They typically exhaust the therapeutic repertoire of one physician and move on to the next.