Joseph T.
Baring III
DIAGNOSTIC PROFILE
Somatic Symptom Disorder
(Current severe symptoms)
With predominant pain
300.82 (F45.1)
I. Introduction
A. Client’s Demographic
Meredith Coleman is a 25-years-old divorcee who ran through a several
physicians over the years seeking help to treat her for many distinct physical
problems. The client, Meredith began experiencing complexities and problems
with her health looking back when she was just a youngster and teen after the
death of her granny for which she witnessed how her mom had taken care of.
She began experiencing headaches and physical signs of pain soon after her
granny died. She grew up in a small town and was the youngest of the three
children. Her dad was a bank president, and her mom was a homemaker.
Growing up, she sensed like she never fit in. When she was in high school, she
turn out to be a part of a chorale and fantasized of turn into an opera singer,
consequently, she majored in music as soon as she went to college where she
met her husband, Steve. Meredith and her husband would habitually get into
disputes about her medical bills and doctor’s appointment that led to their
divorce. Her symptoms only got worst after her divorced.
B. Reason for Referral
The client referred to the hospital as the client has been complaining about her
experience of unending uterine pain, headaches, and leg pains that no any
psychological abnormalities form of diagnosis.
II. Justification
This psychologist in training was able to come up with a diagnosis on Somatic
Symptom Disorder (Current sever symptoms) with predominant pain, features
300.82 (F45.1). The client has been experiencing mild somatic symptoms such
A B N O R M A L P S Y C H O L O G Y
as leg pains, headaches, and uterine pains, with no any medical findings. This
is due to the fact that diagnostic criteria for this disorder have been fully satisfied and
met. Below of this statement presented the detailed diagnosis.
Diagnostic Criteria Given Facts
Criterion A. Criterion A.
One or more somatic symptoms that are In the case it was stated that the client
distressing or result in significant had a very poor health even before when
disruption of daily life. she was in his teenage her health was
really poor. The client had experiencing
severe pain that resonated down to her
legs that turn out to be feebler and weaker
in the preceding three years. Her most
recent symptoms was chest pains. The
never-ending and ceaseless of her health
disruptions with no extreme causes are
evident in the findings of neurologists and
MRIs, involving the client’s several
doctors and gynecologist. Additionally, it
boasts triggered the client’s marriage into
divorce and her leg’s instability and
impulsiveness, this affects with the
client’s life, this cause client to lose her
job.
Criterion B. Criterion B.
Excessive thoughts, feelings, or she’d experienced lots of pains that
behaviors related to the somatic associated from headache to
symptoms or associated health migraine, chest pains to heart attacks,
surgery for the removal of her uterus,
A B N O R M A L P S Y C H O L O G Y
concerns as manifested by at least one and gallbladder and I think that could
of the following: indicates the client’s excessive
thoughts, feelings or behavior that
related to the somatic symptoms.
1. Disproportionate and 1. The clients had a situation when
persistent thoughts about the she hurried into an emergency
seriousness of one’s room looking for aid for the reason
symptoms. that of her chest pains which she
declared out as heart attack. Also,
there was a situation when the
client experienced headaches,
and it ascribed it migraine when in
fact it did not seem to fit into a
typical symptom of migraine. The
client also had her gallbladder
separated as well as her uterus
with no extreme reasons which
according to her physicians
makes not cause the pains she
was suffering suggest the clients
unbalanced and relentless
reflections about her symptoms.
2. Persistently high level of 2. The client’s repeated visit to
anxiety about her health or infirmary several doctors for
symptoms. medial treatment and findings to
imply that her symptoms form she
was a teen and until the present-
day with headaches and chest
pains may signify the determined
A B N O R M A L P S Y C H O L O G Y
high level of anxiety about the
client’s health or symptoms that it
still at the present drives the client
to seek for medical help. The
client has been experiencing
tender and throbbing symptoms
when she was a teenage up to
high school student, and
eventually graduated and went to
college then after graduated in
college she got married. The
persistence of her symptoms had
almost certainly caused her to be
worried and anxious of her health.
3. Excessive time and energy 3. The client was visited several
devoted to these symptoms or doctors and hospitals when she
health concerns. was a teenager, and her doctor
had nothing to be found that
causes pathological.
Nevertheless, the clients excess
of time in forthcoming her
physicians to ask for surgeries
and medications appeared was
obviously a little becoming a
problem and concern for her
physician. She also visited her
gynecologist to whine and
complain about what she had
experienced and symptoms, the
indication which mean for her
persistent and excessive time and
energy devoted to her symptoms
would be when her gynecologist
recommended her with twelve
month of medication. Her
maintains of medical prescriptions
A B N O R M A L P S Y C H O L O G Y
and recommended utilization,
pursues care from several
physicians for the same
symptoms over time.
CRITERION C. CRITERION C.
Although any one somatic symptom may The somatic symptoms of the client such
not be continuous presently, the state of as uterine pain, abdominal pain, severe
being symptomatic is persistent pain at her back, frequent headaches,
(typically more than 6 months. nausea, leg pains and her chest pains
were experience during in her teenage up
to college days and present. She still
suffers from her leg pain up to certain
extent that her legs gradually weaken at
the present. Even when she got divorced
with her husband her pains are still
occurring over the past 6 months, her
chest and legs pain along with the
headaches, which makes this her current
symptom
Specifier: Specifier:
With predominant pain and sever The client had complained of specified
symptoms. pains, back abdominal, head and legs.
Nearly all of which explain and describe
to trigger her painful experiences when
she was juvenile and continued until
present day. The symptoms of the client
are seeming like severe, even her leg
pains continue over time that it was
describe increasingly weakens the
client’s leg. Up to certain extent that she
had use her granny’s wheelchair, for
times when her legs could not hold it
A B N O R M A L P S Y C H O L O G Y
anymore. the client’s symptoms have met
and satisfied the three of the symptoms in
the criterion B.
IV. Treatment Recommendation
The goal of treatment is to improve the client’s symptoms and the client’s ability to function in her
daily life. The psychologist in train recommended psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, can be
helpful for somatic symptom disorder because physical symptoms can be related to psychological
distress and a high level of health anxiety, psychotherapy specifically, the cognitive behavioral
therapy (CBT) can help improve physical symptoms of the client. Cognitive behavioral therapy can
examine and adapt the client’s beliefs and expectations about her health and physical symptoms.
The CBT could also reduce the preoccupation of the symptoms and improves daily functioning of
the client at home, work, and social situations. Furthermore, it is also recommended the Family
therapy may also be helpful by examining family relationships and improving family support and
functioning of the client.
Nonetheless, if symptoms continue to persist, and the client has become ambiguous and non-
responsive of the therapies, Antidepressant medication can also help the client to reduce symptoms
associated with pain that often occur with somatic symptom disorder. medication with appropriate
doses of amitriptyline, Prozac and St. John’s wort is recommended. Prozac helps the brain to
maintain enough serotonin so that client have a feeling of well-being, resulting from improved
communication between brain cells.
And also, amitriptyline can also improve the client’s mood. and can also change the way that the
client’s nerves receive pain signals so pain will diminish. Thus, the client will attain the temporary
relieved form somatic symptoms including pains fatigue and lack of sleep. And lastly St. John's wort
a pharmacological treatment for this kind condition which involves well-endured and safe control
benefits to the client with Somatic Symptoms disorder. If one medication does not work well to
Meredith, the psychologist in training recommends switching to another or combining certain
medications to boost effectiveness. This can take several weeks after first starting a medication to
notice an improvement in symptoms.
