12.6 Somatoform, Factitious, and Sexual Disorders

Question 1

somatization disorder (also called Briquet‘s syndrome or Brissaud-Marie syndrome)

Answer 1

• a psychological disorder in which a person experiences numerous long-lasting but seemingly unrelated physical ailments that have no identifiable physical cause

Question 2

conversion disorder

Answer 2

• a psychological disorder in which patients experience specific neurological symptoms such as numbness, blindness, or paralysis, but where no neurological explanation is observed or possible

Question 3

Hypochondriasis (hypochondria)

Answer 3

• another psychological disorder that is focused on preoccupation, accompanied by excessive worry about having a serious illness

Question 4

sexual dysfunction

Answer 4

• psychological disorder that occurs when the physical sexual response cycle is inadequate for reproduction or for sexual enjoyment

Question 5

Gender identity disorder (GID, or transsexualism)

Answer 5

• diagnosed when the individual displays a repeated and strong desire to be the other sex, a persistent discomfort with one’s sex, and a belief that one was born the wrong sex, accompanied by significant dysfunction and distress.

Question 6

paraphilia

Answer 6

• a sexual deviation where sexual arousal is obtained from a consistent pattern of inappropriate responses to objects or people, and in which the behaviors associated with the feelings are distressing and dysfunctional