Case Study - Somatoform - Research Paper Example

Case Study - Somatoform Catherine is a 25 year old college and is living with her mother. She is living in Manhattan New York and is financially stable as her mother is a lawyer who is successful. She is of Caucasian descent and is of fair health and energy. Catherine is a hard working person and has a passion for food. She indulges in work outs and keeps her health in good status. She likes to have nutritious food and depend more on vegetables and food and does not want to indulge more in fast food and sugary food. She has lot of friends and travelling is her hobby. She is emotionally strong and never been married. However she is dating a person for one year and has plans for future. Catherine has been feeling health problems since one year period of time. She was confronted with list of symptoms including nausea, painful menstruation, weakness, fatigue, headache, malaise and disturbed sleep. She encountered these problems for one year period but neglected it thinking as hormonal imbalance. She had a normal childhood and is close to her mother. In beginning her physical problems were minor and in 6 months time it worsened which prompted her to seek medical advice. She has been having loss of appetite and could not concentrate on her studies due to discomfort and sickness. Her mother has taken to many physicians but could not be given the right solution. She was given narcotic and the client developed addicted to the drugs. Catherina also recently experienced chest pain which she found unusual. These symptoms have put Catherine and her mother in great tension. Catherine has been also suffering from skin irritation and rashes which has confused her and they do not understand which physician to be consulted for the problems she is facing. Catherine has no history of substance abuse or alcohol addiction and she is a health conscious individual. However her narcotic addiction has been a result of her physical problems and pain. Her mother is a diabetes patient and she does not want to put much pressure on her and stress is not a good idea for her as she already faces pressure at job. Until now, she has not been diagnosed correctly for the health problems but her condition relates to somatoform. Behavioral theory approach and treatment The behavioral theory is used to understand the situation of Catherine and understand the kind of treatment approach needed for her condition. Behavioral theory is the best way to treat somatoform as it encourages the patient to be responsive to treatment. Behavioral theory has the potential to understand the cause of psychological disorder. Catherine can be motivated to abandon unwanted behaviors and avoid thought processes which can disturb her. Anxiety is a common problem with all psychological problems and stress is more related to somatoform. Hypochondria are a problem faced by them and behavioral theory can understand that symptoms aggravate due to fear of disease. According to (McLeod,2010) ‘Behaviorism assumes that all behavior is learnt from the environment and symptoms are acquired through classical conditioning and operant conditioning”. Analysis Catherine has been having all the symptoms which relate to somatoform has stress as part of the disease. The sleeplessness is due to the stress and anxiety confronted by the patient. Somatoform is a mental disorder and headache and fatigue is related to disturbed sleep. A person with disturbed sleep and fatigueless can have problems with menstruation. Her stress condition has taken away her appetite for food. Patient is experiencing painful menstruation and anxiety and stress can be a main reason for abnormal menstruation. Painful menstruation is due to hormonal imbalance caused by stress and anxiety. In mental disorders stress is the root cause of all problems and a troubled mind havocs hormones which cause fatigue, nausea, menstrual problems and sleeplessness. Catherine is a person who has no substance or alcohol addiction and here mental condition can be attributed genetics or environmental conditions. In personal life she has no financial problems or relationship problems so genetics could be reason for the mental disorder. According to (Kenny, 2014) “It is not clear why some people develop somatoform disorders. Genetic makeup and environmental factors both probably play a part”. Most of the mental disorder is genetically contributed and she could have inherited from any of her grandparents or ancestors. She has not provided any family history with mental problems and could have inherited from her father’s side as she has only her mother’s family history recorded. The somatoform disorder has a profound effect on the health of a person and these physical discomforts could be the reason that the patient is having chest pain. There is high pressure on Catherine as she cannot get a correct diagnosis for her disease. Catherine’s weakness and fatigue is the result of her disinterest in food and sleeplessness. Having less sleep is a common symptom of mental disorders and this can also result in many problems in bodily functioning. Pain and worry are the main problems for the physical problems she is confronting. Due to her month old mental problems and discomfort, she is also started to feel chest pain. Emotional stress is often the reason for chest pain. According to (Righter, 1999)“Symptoms most likely to be somatoform are fainting, menstrual problems, headache, chest pain, dizziness and palpitations. Unusual types of somatic symptoms, such as functional respiratory disorders (e.g., paroxysmal sneezing, sighing dyspnea, habit cough, vocal cord dysfunction), have been described in children, adolescents and young adults”. Since the patient has not revealed any relationship conflicts it is not evident whether that is cause for her problem. One reason can be the absence of a fatherly figure in her life. These things can have an impact on a child in their childhood years. Such underlying emotional stress can be a reason for somatoform as it is attachment related problem too. Family factors and problems during developmental age can be a reason for somatoform. References McLeod, S. (2010). Behavioral Therapy. In http://www.simplypsychology.org. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/behavioral-therapy.html Kenny, T. (2014). Somatisation/Somatoform Disorders. In http://www.patient.co.uk. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.patient.co.uk/health/somatisationsomatoform-disorders Righter, E. (1999). Managing Somatic Preoccupation. In http://www.aafp.org. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0601/p3113.html Read More