What is it?

Somatization disorder or somatic symptom disorder is a chronic condition consisting of multiple medically unexplained bodily complaints for which treatment has been sought over a prolonged period of time.

The symptoms usually begin before 30 years of age, cause significant impairment in the patient’s overall level of functioning, and are not feigned or intentionally produced.

It is diagnosed when a person has a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, to a level that results in major distress and/or problems functioning. The individual has excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors relating to the physical symptoms. The physical symptoms may or may not be associated with a diagnosed medical condition, but the person is experiencing symptoms and believes they are sick (that is, not faking the illness).

Somatization reactions are an unconscious defense mechanism of anxiety in a visceral expression, which is thereby prevented from being conscious. 

Somatic symptom disorders can have reproductive health impacts in addition to its mental and social effects. 

Physical, psychological, or sexual abuse in childhood may cause long-term mental and physical symptoms. Previous sexual abuse has been associated with multiple somatic diagnoses. In women, a recent study showed that sexual trauma affects somatization level to a greater extent than nonsexual trauma. Several previous studies have reported associations between somatic symptoms and sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse in adolescents has been linked to psychopathology. It seems plausible that somatic symptoms and psychopathology will be closely associated following sexual assault, but this has not been documented prospectively according to some studies. This is important since dual psychiatric and physical sequelae represent an additional health burden for affected young people and may require both pediatric and psychiatric attention at follow-up.