Somatoform Disorders are those disorders in which individuals have physical symptoms in the absence of identifiable physical causes for these symptoms. There are various categories of Somatoform disorders:

Somatization disorder: This is a condition in which an individual has a history of many physical complaints, beginning before age 30 that occur over a period of years and result in treatment of being sought for significant impairments in social, occupational or other important areas of life. The symptoms reported may include pain in various parts of the body such as head, back or abdomen, gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting or bloating, sexual symptoms such as sexual indifference, excessive menstrual bleeding and neurological symptoms not related to pain such as impaired coordination or balance, paralysis or blindness.

Hypochondriasis: This is the preoccupation with fear of disease. Hypochondriacs do not actually have the diseases they fear but they persist in worrying about them, despite repeated reassurance by their doctors that they are healthy. Many hypochondriacs are not simply faking. They feel the pain and discomfort they report and are truly afraid that they are sick or will soon become sick.

Munchausen’s Syndrome: Individuals with this disorder devote their life to seeking and often obtaining costly and painful medical procedures they realize they don’t need. Perhaps these individuals relish the attention or because they enjoy fooling the physicians and other trained professionals.

Conversion disorder: Individuals with this disorder actually experience physical problems such as motor deficits or sensory deficits. While these disabilities are quite real to the individuals involved, there is no medical condition present to account for them.

Individuals who develop somatoform disorders seem to have a tendency to focus on inner sensations and are high in private self-consciousness. In addition, they tend to perceive normal bodily sensations as being more intense and disturbing than do most people. They have a high level of negative affectivity and tend to be pessimistic, fear uncertainly, experience guilt and have low self esteem. Together, these traits crate a predisposition or vulnerability to stressors and contribute to the development of somatoform disorders.