If you have a female patient there is a one in five chance that the mother will have somatization disorder, and, there is a one in five chance every sister will have somatization disorder. There is a one in five chance every first degree male relative will develop antisocial personality. People with antisocial personality have a characterologic disorder and tend to have frequent conflicts with authority. They are often involved with drug and alcohol abuse and may exhibit such antisocial behavior as fighting and law breaking. They tend to do rather well with the third type and, if they do not marry the third type, will often break up their marriage and will remarry until they find the third type to take care of them.
Treatment involves individual and group counseling as well as hypnosis.
Group treatment is useful particularly when it involves the family as well as the patient because experiences can be shared and education can be provided in an effective manner. This is immensely supportive and avoids a great deal of the conflicts which can occur if education is insufficient. Without this vital education, the patient is apt to wander from doctor to doctor looking for someone who knows what they have and knows what to do about it. Frequently this results in enormous amounts of unnecessary money being spent in medical tests and elaborate work-ups, and also unnecessary surgeries, so it is important that the entire medical profession be aware of this condition and its diagnosis and treatment in making the decision of whether or not to operate or proceed with other medical measures. It is Just that the whole picture needs to be taken into consideration.