Somatic symptom disorder
Real physical symptoms (pain, tiredness, discomfort) that dominate your life and thoughts, even when investigations find no clear cause. The suffering is genuine, not “imaginary”, and it can be eased.
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What is somatic symptom disorder
Sometimes, suffering is expressed through the body. Somatic symptom disorder describes exactly this situation: physical symptoms, along with the intense thoughts, emotions and worries they bring, end up taking a central place in your life.
Signs and symptoms
The picture differs from one person to another. Perhaps you have noticed:
The physical symptoms
- pain (headaches, muscle pain, abdominal pain) or discomfort that persists
- constant tiredness, lack of energy
- digestive problems, palpitations, dizziness, sensations that are hard to describe
- symptoms that change their location or form over time
The thoughts and emotions around them
- intense and constant worry about health
- the fear that the symptoms mean something serious, despite medical reassurance
- attention always focused on the body, monitoring every sensation
- repeated checking, online searches, frequent medical visits
The impact on your life
- a lot of time and energy spent on the symptoms and the worries about them
- avoiding certain activities for fear of making something worse
- frustration and discouragement, especially after “normal” investigations
- the feeling that you are not believed or understood
What matters is how much of your life these symptoms and worries take up.
The link between body and mind
The idea that “real” physical symptoms and stress-related ones are two separate worlds is a simplification that does a lot of harm. In reality, the body and the mind are deeply connected.
Stress and anxiety have concrete physical expressions: muscle tension, changes in digestion, a faster heart rate, tiredness. In some people, the nervous system becomes particularly sensitive to the body’s signals, and the intense attention focused on them amplifies them. A cycle forms: the physical sensation gives rise to worry, worry increases tension and attention, and these intensify the sensation.
Once you understand this mechanism, your suffering finally has an explanation, and treatment has a clear starting point.
When to see a specialist
An assessment is worthwhile if:
- you have physical symptoms that persist and dominate your everyday life
- you spend a lot of time worrying about your health, without lasting reassurance
- repeated medical investigations have not found a cause that explains everything
- you constantly monitor your body and check your symptoms
- you avoid activities for fear of the symptoms
- you feel discouraged, misunderstood or alone in this suffering
A psychiatric assessment, complemented by a psychological one when needed, helps you understand the whole picture and find an approach that can reduce the symptoms and the worries.
With the right help, you can regain trust in your own body and return to the activities you now avoid.
The first step
If you recognise yourself in what you’ve read, book a conversation with one of our specialists. Together, we’ll look at what’s going on and what your options are.
Services: Psychiatry · Psychotherapy · Counselling
See our team and pricing.
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace a specialist consultation.