PTG QnA Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders & Dissociative Disorders

PT31503 Sem 1: 2023/2024 nfaa

1. Personally, i am a little bit confuse with somatic disorder and wondering what are the cause of it.
a. Refer to slide 14 & 15 in the notes. Both those slides are important for you to review.
2. "I am still blurry between illness anxiety and somatic symptom disorder.
3. "The somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder is very sme, how to differentiate
them?
a. Somatic symptoms disorder involves the client experiencing some kind of somatic
symptoms (i.e. physical symptoms, bodily symptoms, aches, pain). However, when they
are being examined by medical providers, there is no basis for those symptoms.
b. Illness anxiety disorder may not necessarily involve any pain sensation or somatic
symptoms but the idea and thoughts of worrying about having an illness.
4. For the case study question, I’m a bit confused with the symptoms of Somatic Disorder and
illness Anxiety Disorder. It would be very grateful if you could explain more specifically or give an
answer to the case study question. Thank you Dr! have a good day ahead.
a. I’ve posted the answer on itel, but the differences is as posted above in question #2
5. The dissociative identity disorder is a new personality formed after a trauma for the person?
How many personality will form?"
a. It can be understood as such. The number of personality formed varies from case to case.
Average number of alters is 15, but it can be more than that.
6. is dissociation really a disorder or a coping mechanism?
a. It is indeed outlined as a disorder based on the DSM-5. However, it can be perceived as a
maladaptive coping mechanism.
7. "what will be the effect if we don’t go to check with the doctor?
a. Not sure which disorder this is referring to, but or any mental health disorders, it can
deteriorate further to significantly impact a person’s functioning.
8. can we die because of anxiety?"
a. Not sure the basis of this question, but people may not necessarily die directly “because
of anxiety.” However depending on situation and condition, anxiety and worsen that it
impacts a person significantly.
9. How does illness anxiety disorder differ from general health concerns, and what are common
symptoms associated with this condition?
a. Please refer back to the videos and notes. General health concerns are actual concerns
with basis, and not excessive. Whereas once it is a disorder the “concern” becomes so
excessive that it impacts a person’s functionality.
10. Somatic Symptom Disorder: Are there any specific challenges or misconceptions in diagnosing
and treating Somatic Symptom Disorder?
a. Providers need to ensure that all physical health problems are ruled out before a
diagnosis of somatic symptoms disorder is given.
b. Misconception: tit is assumed that they are making up the symptoms or simply
pretending to have symptoms.
11. Illness Anxiety Disorder: Are there specific risk factors or triggers that contribute to the
development of Illness Anxiety Disorder?
a. Refer to slide 14 & 15 in the notes. Both those slides are important for you to review.
 PTG QnA Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders & Dissociative Disorders
PT31503 Sem 1: 2023/2024 nfaa

12. How can healthcare professionals effectively communicate with individuals experiencing Illness
Anxiety Disorder?
a. Psychoeducation sessions are the key to effective communication for mental health
disorders.
13. Dissociative Identity Disorder: How is Dissociative Identity Disorder diagnosed, and what
challenges might arise in the diagnostic process?
a. They are diagnosed clinically, through professional’s clinical judgment.
14. What are the current theories or hypotheses regarding the etiology of Dissociative Identity
Disorder?"
a. Please refer to slide 44, which is an important slide for you to review.
15. Berkaitan dengan video dissociative identity disorder ada mengatakan bahawa penyakit ini boleh
menyerang sama ada dalam keadaan mereka sedar ataupun sebaliknya. Soalan saya, sekiranya
dissociative disorder ini menyerang pesakit ketika mereka tidak perasaan akan perubahan sikap
mereka sendiri maka bagaimanakah mereka dapat mengawal ia supaya tidak menimbulkan salah
faham kepada orang lain yang berinteraksi dengan mereka?
a. Exactly. Tanpa rawatan, sememangnya disorder ini akan memberi kesan yang signifikan
kepada kefungsian serta hubungan dengan orang lain.
16. "How can I support and understand the experiences of people with DID?
a. As is with any type of disorder or anyone with or without disorder, be a non-judgmental
listener, validate and acknowledge other people’s experiences, communicate your
readiness to be there and to support them, be present and consistent.
17. Do DID patients have a chance to be as healthy as others in old age?"
a. With therapy, they are able to recover, live a functional and meaningful life.
18. I also don’t understand slide page 19 “psychological factors affecting medical condition"
a. The DSM-5 is used professionally to categorize clients into certain labels (diagnosis) for
formal communication purposes. “Psychological factors affective medical condition” is
just another label in the DSM-5 for us to use when the criteria/presentation doesn’t fit
into any other diagnosis (or labelling). I get that this is not an easy concept to
understand specially that we didn’t really delve too deeply into the DSM-5. I’d be more
than happy to explain further if you are interested, but not too worry to much about this
one for your exam.
19. To diagnose a Dissociative Identity Disorder, are the person need to have all the symptoms given
in the video?
a. Yup, based on the DSM-5 criteria
20. Since fear of illness is considered an illness(illness anxiety disorder), how do the
counsellor/therapist tells the patient they have the disorder? Will the patient take the
information well?
a. After ruling out actual illness and assessment the impact of their presentation to their
life in general. Psychoeducation sessions are conducted to explain things to client.
Usually they are receptive to our psychoeducation sessions, as it gives me an answer to
explain for the struggle that they go through.
21. Why does women tend to have DID than men?
 PTG QnA Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders & Dissociative Disorders
PT31503 Sem 1: 2023/2024 nfaa

a. I believe it has a lot to do with how women process emotional experiences. And their
susceptibility to experiences of trama.
22. I am a little confused about the conversion disorder, it says it is a functional neurological disorder.
so, is this disorder related to what happens in the brain? and related to neurological issues? but
how does it relate to somatic symptoms disorder? somatic symptoms disorder mentioned that
the patients have excessive worry about their physical condition such as pain. so, patients with
conversion disorder are excessively worried about their neurological problems. is this right? but
how do they start to worry about their neurological problems? because of distress too?
a. Conversion disorder fall under the umbrella topic of “somatic symptom and related
disorders.” Note that Somatic symptoms Disorder is a disorder under the umbrella topic
of “somatic symptom and related disorders” as well. Not to be confused between the
disorder and the umbrella topic.
b. Let’s refer to slide #20 on the definition of conversion disorder, which is an important
slide to review. Functional Neurological Symptoms Disorder is another name for it, with
reference to the neurological aspect is functional as in there is nothing wrong with the
client neurologically. However, the symptoms that they present with appears as if there
is something wrong with them neurologically.