What is Conversion Disorder?
Conversion disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by somatic (bodily) symptoms that often occur as a person’s coping mechanism for stress or emotional difficulties. Although these symptoms may seem like signs of a medical condition, they are based on a psychological source rather than a medical cause. Conversion disorder can occur when an individual’s ability to cope with challenging emotional experiences is limited and is often manifested by a variety of physical symptoms, such as neurological symptoms, muscle weakness, vision or speech problems.
This disorder is defined as a reaction in which the emotional distress experienced by the individual in the subconscious somehow turns into physical symptoms. Conversion disorder is usually evaluated and treated by a specialist psychiatrist or psychologist.
What are the symptoms of conversion disorder?
Conversion disorder symptoms are often associated with somatic complaints and these symptoms mimic the presence of a medical condition. These symptoms may include a variety of neurological or musculoskeletal symptoms. Common symptoms of conversion disorder:
Muscle Weakness: An individual may experience sudden muscle weakness, which can limit daily activities.
Coordination Problems: Conversion disorder can cause coordination problems, which can lead to loss of balance or irregular movements.
Seizures: Neurological symptoms may include seizure-like conditions.
Vision Problems: Sudden vision loss, double vision or other vision problems may occur.
Voice or Speech Problems: The person may experience voice changes, difficulty speaking, or other sudden speech problems.
Anesthesia or Numbness: A feeling of numbness or numbness may occur in certain body areas.
Gait Disorders: Conversion disorder can lead to walking problems, which can affect normal gait.
Memory Loss: Neurological symptoms such as memory loss or cognitive difficulties may also occur.
What Causes Conversion Disorder?
Although the cause of conversion disorder is not exactly known, it is thought to generally occur following a challenging emotional event or trauma. This is considered a defense mechanism that occurs as a result of the person having difficulty coping with this negative emotional experience. Conversion disorder is characterized by emotional stress or conflict turning into symptoms in the body.
This disorder, which is caused by emotional conflicts in the person’s subconscious as well as a specific cause, can occur as a type of “avoidance” response. A person may not be able to tolerate emotional pain or stress better, turning instead to somatic (bodily) symptoms in the body.
Who Gets Conversion Disorder?
Conversion disorder can occur in any age, gender or socioeconomic group. However, it is generally more common among young women. This disorder can usually occur from adolescence to young adulthood. The age of onset usually varies between 10 and 35, but it can occur at any time in life.
Symptoms usually occur following a stressful event, so they may occur more frequently in people exposed to stressful life events. These events may include traumatic experiences, family conflicts, losses, or other challenging situations.
Additionally, individual factors such as personality structure and psychological history in general may also affect the risk of developing conversion disorder. However, anyone can experience this type of disorder, and in this case, expert help and appropriate treatment are important.
How is Conversion Disorder Diagnosed?
Diagnosing conversion disorder usually involves a series of clinical evaluations. The psychiatrist or psychologist conducts an evaluation, focusing on the person’s symptoms and medical and psychosocial history. However, diagnosing conversion disorder usually means ruling out other medical conditions and psychiatric disorders. This evaluation process may include these steps:
Physical Examination: The person may undergo a physical examination on their symptoms. This is important to evaluate other potential medical causes.
Laboratory Tests: Medical tests such as blood tests, imaging tests, or electrophysiological tests may be used to rule out other health problems.
Psychiatric Evaluation: The specialist evaluates the person’s general psychiatric condition. It focuses on the person’s mood, thought processes and general psychological state.
DSM-5 Criteria: Evaluates established symptoms for conversion disorder, based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association.
No Other Health Problems: Other medical conditions or neurological problems are evaluated to rule out underlying causes of symptoms.
Conversion Disorder Treatment
Treatment of conversion disorder usually requires a multidisciplinary approach and is planned individually. This treatment process is applied taking into account the severity of the symptoms, the individual’s general health condition and living conditions. Some methods used in the treatment of conversion disorder:
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to improve an individual’s skills in coping with their symptoms and understand underlying psychological factors.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: Physical therapy may be used to deal with the physical aspects of the symptoms. This may include increasing muscle strength, improving movement abilities and encouraging physical activity.
Medication: Specific medications to address symptoms may be prescribed, especially for co-occurring conditions such as anxiety or depression. However, medications usually do not completely eliminate symptoms.
Family Involvement: Family members can be involved in the individual’s treatment process. This support can increase the effectiveness of treatment and contribute to the overall healing process.
Rehabilitation Programs: Rehabilitation programs can be used to regain daily living skills, increase functionality and encourage independence.
The treatment process is adapted depending on individual preferences and needs. The success of treatment is closely related to the person’s participation in treatment, support systems and the coordinated efforts of specialists.
