“”I’M NOT MAKING THIS UP!”

Mental Health Institute Berlin

Symptoms and complaints

Somatoform disorders

When physical complaints occur repeatedly or permanently, persist over a long period of time, and despite intensive diagnostics no organic causes can be identified that adequately explain the complaints, we speak of somatoform disorders.

Those affected have often gone a long way with extensive medical diagnostics. They are often confused, perplexed and frustrated because they can find no or only an inadequate explanation for the presence of the symptoms. The perplexity usually leads to further visits to the doctor, with the aim of finally finding a reason for the complaints. Sometimes those affected feel misunderstood and not taken seriously by the medical staff, since they are always told that they “have nothing”. The fact is that those affected suffer greatly and really “have something”. Their symptoms just need to be explained and treated differently than “purely physical”. They are not imaginary, but real, but arise in the central nervous system and not elsewhere. Therefore, it is essential to look in detail at the antecedents of the disorder with regard to stressful events.

Prof. Dr. med. MICHAEL DETTLING

MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF PHYSICIAN

Prof. Dr. med. ION-GEORGE ANGHELESCU

MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF PHYSICIAN

OUR PROMISE

The Mental Health Institute (MHI) Berlin is a private clinic that offers modern and scientifically sound day-clinical and outpatient treatments to people with mental problems and suffering.

CAUSES AND CONCOMITANT DISEASES

SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

How does a somatoform disorder develop? In scientific studies it could be determined that the so-called alexithymia (“blindness to feelings”) plays a decisive role. Alexithymic individuals have difficulty adequately perceiving feelings, distinguishing them, naming them, and expressing them. The hypothesis is that feelings are consequently expressed on a purely physical level. If stress factors meet a personal vulnerability, this can lead to the development of a somatoform disorder. Concrete causes are individually very different. Often there is a style of upbringing in the biography that did not allow any feelings in children (“An Indian knows no pain”), a violence-dominated style of upbringing to which children react with physical complaints instead of with fears, or a style of upbringing in which attention was only given when physical complaints were present. Traumatic experiences can also be causative.

Once the symptoms have developed, the physical complaints lead to a high level of suffering and often to considerable impairments in everyday life. As a reaction, those affected often develop short-term relieving illness behavior, which, however, in the long term leads to the reinforcement and maintenance of the symptomatology. Mentally, too, there is an increasing narrowing down to the symptoms. Those affected have the impression that they can no longer perform many activities or can only do so on “good days”. This, together with the feeling of despair and hopelessness, favors the development of depression and anxiety disorders, which often occur simultaneously.

somatoform Disorders include:

SOMATIZATION DISORDER

Typically, various, recurrent and frequently changing physical symptoms that persist for at least two years. The symptoms are varied, for example: Symptoms that suggest a neurological disorder (e.g., dizziness, balance disorders, numbness, tingling sensations, paralysis, difficulty swallowing, seeing double images, blindness, hearing disorders), gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., gas, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea), or pain symptoms or functional impairment in various organ areas (e.g., head, chest, back, abdomen, rectum, joints, extremities).

UNDIFFERENTIATED
SOMATIZATION DISORDER

Characterized by one or more physical complaints that persist for at least six months and result in significant limitations in various areas of life.

HYPOCHONDRIACAL DISORDER

Characterized by a persistent fear or belief that one is suffering from a serious and progressive illness (e.g., cancer, multiple sclerosis). Physical complaints are then often interpreted as symptoms of this disease, leading to massive anxiety. To reduce this anxiety, sufferers tend to self-examine and make frequent visits to the doctor (“doctor (s)hopping”) to make sure everything is okay.

SOMATOFORM AUTONOMIC
DYSFUNCTION

The sufferer describes symptoms that he or she attributes to a physical disorder of a system or organ that is autonomically innervated, e.g., the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, or urogenital systems. At the same time, there are symptoms of autonomic stimulation (e.g., palpitations, sweating, flushing, trembling) and subjective, nonspecific, alternating complaints (e.g., burning sensation, heaviness, tightness) that are not indicative of disease of the system in question but are attributed by the affected person to a specific organ or system.

PERSISTENT SOMATOFORM PAIN DISORDER

Typically, there is chronic pain lasting at least six months, the origin of which is not clear. In addition, there is excessive preoccupation with pain and considerable distress.

How are somatoform disorders treated at MHI Berlin?

The basis for a goal-oriented treatment of somatoform disorder is first of all a careful diagnosis with the collection of the individual medical history and a detailed examination of the previous findings. If the diagnosis of a somatoform disorder is made, there are various psychotherapeutic building blocks that are goal-oriented.
On the one hand, a psychosomatic explanatory model for the development and maintenance of the complaints is developed. Together with the patient, we look for possible psychological causes that contribute to the maintenance of the symptoms. If there is a tendency to avoid, check or doctor-hop, this is gradually reduced. If there are difficulties in perceiving and expressing feelings, the goal is to develop an adequate emotional life. The training of social skills, in particular social conflict resolution strategies and problem solving strategies, is also to be promoted in order to be able to deal better with critical situations in the future.

A modern treatment concept.
tailored to your needs.

Informationsbroschüre herunterladen

»AT THE MHI, WE OFFER PROVEN AND ALSO NEW EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT PROCEDURES THAT ARE EFFECTIVE EVEN FOR SEVERE AND CHRONIC DISORDERS«

Prof. Dr. Ion-George Anghelescu, managing director and chief physician

In addition to psychotherapy in individual and group settings and medication with psychotropic drugs, there are other forms of treatment that have proven helpful for somatoform disorders.

The MHI offers psychoeducation, resilience and coping groups, among others. Body therapy and learning mindfulness and relaxation techniques have also been shown to be very beneficial. In addition, sports and exercise therapy, which are also offered at MHI, have proven to be beneficial for somatoform disorders. The entire treatment plan is individually tailored to the patient.

treatment concept

Information about patient admission at MHI Berlin

The MHI Berlin offers its services to patients of all private health insurances, as well as to those paying for their own treatment. Immediate admission to the day clinic is usually possible.

The beginning of our common path

Contact

For the fastest possible initial contact, please contact us by phone or use our contact form.

Initial interview

After you have contacted us, the MHI Berlin team will contact you to arrange an appointment for an initial interview as soon as possible. The initial interview forms the basis of the admission.

Cost absorption

If no acute admission is required, MHI Berlin submits the application for cost coverage to the cost units in advance.

In acute cases, the MHI Berlin contacts the cost bearers directly after admission regarding the cost clarification.

In any case, the clinic assists you in all bureaucratic processes and thus simplifies and accelerates your admission to the clinic.