Somatic Symptom And Related Disorders Practice Test

In Somatic Symptom Disorder, the key is the way a person responds to somatic symptoms, not just whether a medical explanation is found. The disorder requires one or more somatic symptoms plus disproportionate thoughts about their seriousness, persistent high anxiety about health, and/or excessive time and energy devoted to the symptoms. Importantly, these criteria can apply even if the symptoms have a medical explanation, or if no clear explanation is found. So simply having somatic symptoms without a medical cause by itself is not enough to diagnose SSD; there must be that maladaptive cognitive–behavioral response to the symptoms. For example, chronic pain that is accompanied by persistent, excessive worry and frequent doctor visits would meet SSD, whereas pain with no such preoccupation would not.