Somatization Disorder was known as Briquet’s disorder or hysteria in olden times. It is a psychiatric disorder belonging to the category of Somatoform disorders and usually develops before the age of 30. Individuals with this disorder have a persistent history of several complaints of physical ailments over a long period of time but on examination no evident proof of existence of the ailment or injury can be determined. A number of these individuals can be spotted in primary medical care units and private practices of doctors.

Diagnosis of Somatization disorder:

According to the DSM-IV criteria there are four symptoms that may lead to the diagnosis of this disorder:

Symptoms of pain: Individuals with somatization disorder often complain of experiencing pain in four different places in the body that can include the head, rectum, menstruation, urination, abdomen, back, joints or sexual intercourse.

Gastrointestinal problems: These individuals may complain of a minimum of two symptoms related to problems in the gastrointestinal system such as bloating, nausea, stomach-upset, indigestion or vomiting.

Sexual problems: These individuals may complain of at least one sexual problem such as sexual dysfunction, irregular periods or sexual disinterest.

Pseudoneurological problem: The patient may complain of at least on symptoms related to a neurological condition such as loss of sensation, involuntary muscle contraction, dissociative amnesia or abnormal functioning of the memory.

Somatization disorder is almost ten times more common in women than in men and the lifetime prevalence rate of this disorder is up to two percent. There might be a linkage of this disorder with antisocial personality disorder with a genetic basis.

It is essential for patients with Somatization disorder to seek professional help for their condition from a psychologist or psychiatrist. These patients are mostly referred to mental health care professionals by physicians once the pathological basis for the physical ailments reported by these individuals is not found. Treatment methods involve administration of anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications. Cognitive behavior therapy and psychotherapy have also been found to be useful in the treatment of this disorder and have long-term benefits.