Despite the fact that medicine has been studying human anatomy and psyche for many centuries, some reactions of the body are still difficult to explain. These mysterious reactions include dissociative conversion disorders.
Illness or sham?
How do they usually treat those who complain of a disease, but during the examination it turns out that they are he althy? Many will say that this person is a simulator, but they will be wrong. Physicians know that sometimes in a physically he althy person there are violations of various functions of the body. This phenomenon is called "conversion disorder".
The human psyche is very complex. In some cases, social conflicts, internal contradictions, stressful situations or psychological trauma lead to the fact that a person feels overwhelmed and sick. He experiences pain and symptoms of the disease, sometimes even paralysis occurs. Imaginary sensations and signs have long been called hysteria and treated as a pretense. Only at the end of the 19th century, Jean Martin Charcot proved that patientsactually experiencing symptoms of non-existent diseases. Since that time, official medicine has recognized that hysterical conversion disorders are a disease.
Sigmund Freud, who trained with J. M. Charcot, made his contribution to the study of the disease. The young psychologist was looking for connections between conscious and unconscious, "closed" memories. In the process of communicating with the sick, Freud developed a special method called psychoanalysis, which allows you to release "closed" memories and eliminate the causes of the disease.
Why is this happening
Conversion disorder is most commonly seen in children, young adults and the elderly. The reason is that people during this period of life are the most emotionally receptive. At the same time, girls and women are more susceptible to the disease than boys and men.
As a result of a strong psychological shock, an internal conflict occurs, and the patient cannot correctly assess the current situation. Conversion disorder can be caused by underestimation of one's own importance, an attempt to "shelter" from difficult problems, the need to make important decisions or take responsibility. All this happens against the background of stress, and the psyche "turns on" the disease.
Initially, the symptoms were reduced to fainting, hysterical seizures, paralysis and mental disorders. However, in the course of studying a complex mental illness called "conversion disorder", the symptomsturned out to be more extensive. It was determined that the effects of the disease can be felt by any organ. A deeper analysis made it possible to divide the symptoms into four separate groups.
Motor group of symptoms
The first and most extensive group of symptoms affects or limits motor functions. The complexity of symptoms can be different: from gait disturbances to the onset of paralysis. Conversion disorder is often associated with uncontrollable seizures that suddenly appear on external stimulation. The patient may fall, raise a cry, jerk his arms or legs, arch unnaturally and roll on the floor. Such movement disorders last from several hours to several minutes, and can be caused by a sharp loud sound, the appearance of a new person, a flash of light and other stimuli.
Sensory group of symptoms of dissociative disorders
This group includes all the symptoms associated with human sensitivity. Sensory disturbances can manifest in different ways:
- violation of the threshold of sensitivity, which may increase or decrease the pain threshold. Numbness may occur, in which sensitivity to pain disappears altogether;
- violation of temperature perception, in which a person stops feeling hot;
- deafness;
- change in taste;
- manifestations of blindness;
- disturbance of smell.
All these symptoms can be more or less pronounced and can be felt for different periods of time.time.
Vegetative symptoms
The symptoms of this group cause spasms of smooth muscles and blood vessels. In this case, conversion disorder can look like any other disease. The person is initially put through many tests and analyzes until it is suspected of having a dissociative disorder.
Psychic group of symptoms
This group can have harmless fantasies and morbid delusions. Hallucinations may occur or imaginary memory loss, the so-called amnesia, may begin. However, the symptoms cause tension and anxiety, and in more severe cases can even cause a split personality.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Despite the frequent mention in detective novels and action films, a split personality, the symptoms and signs of which the authors use, is a rather rare disease. It can be difficult for even an experienced psychiatrist to accurately establish a diagnosis without confusing it with manifestations of schizophrenia or a person's attempts to act out the disease in order to avoid responsibility or punishment for a crime.
Previously, the name "multiple personality disorder" was used in the diagnosis. But today this diagnosis was abandoned. The official name is "dissociative identity disorder". But most often this subspecies of the disorder is called precisely "split personality". Symptoms and signs of the disease are diagnosed according to four criteria:
- The patient has two ormore personal states. Each person has his own model of behavior, a separate worldview and his own attitude to the world around him.
- Internal personalities alternately gain control over the patient's behavior.
- The patient has no memories of important events in his life, does not remember important facts.
- The patient's condition is not caused by alcohol or drugs. The patient has not been exposed to poisonous substances and has not been diagnosed with other mental illnesses.
When diagnosing multiple personality disorders in children, psychiatrists often encounter violent fantasies, lingering games, and fictitious friends.
How is the treatment going
If a patient is diagnosed with conversion disorder, treatment should begin immediately. The first stage is the elimination of the traumatic factor. No matter how hard the doctor tries to influence the symptoms of the disease, but if the main cause is not identified, then there will be no lasting effect.
A change of scenery is good for the patient. The main treatment is psychotherapy sessions. In addition, the patient must be convinced that his illness is psychological. This will help to properly tune in to treatment and speed up recovery.
A good psychoanalyst is able to identify personality conversion disorder and determine the best course of treatment. The use of drugs is often not required. Drug therapy is necessary only in the case of a depressed patient. To take offanxiety and depression, the doctor may prescribe a course of tranquilizers or antidepressants.
The chance of full recovery is quite high. It all depends on the professionalism of the doctor and the timeliness of assistance. However, in some cases there are relapses, and sometimes conversion disorders are observed throughout a person's life.
