Somatization

Somatization
The process by which psychologic distress is expressed as physical symptoms. Somatization is an unconscious process. In somatization, mental experiences or states are "converted" to bodily symptoms. A tension headache is an example: tension is converted to a headache. Somatization is a normal phenomenon. However, some patients with somatization have psychiatric conditions. A person who is expressing physical symptoms as a result of psychological distress is said to be somatizing. The word "somatization" comes from the Greek "some" meaning body. Somatization is a part of psychosomatic medicine, the mind-body relationships, the interactions between the mind (the "psyche") and body (the "soma").
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The process by which psychological needs are expressed in physical symptoms; e.g., the expression or conversion into physical symptoms of anxiety, or a wish for material gain associated with a legal action following an injury, or a related psychological need. SEE ALSO: s. disorder.

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so·ma·ti·za·tion .sō-mət-ə-'zā-shən or chiefly Brit so·ma·ti·sa·tion -mə-.tī-' n conversion of a mental state (as depression or anxiety) into physical symptoms also the existence of physical bodily complaints in the absence of a known medical condition

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so·ma·ti·za·tion (so″mə-tĭ-zaґshən) in psychiatry, the conversion of mental experiences or states into bodily symptoms.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Somatization — is currently defined as a tendency to experience and communicate somatic distress in response to psychosocial stress and to seek medical help for it . [cite journal |author=Lipowski ZJ |title=Somatization: the concept and its clinical application …   Wikipedia

  • somatization — (n.) 1925, from Gk. somat , comb. form of soma body, + IZATION (Cf. ization) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Somatization —    See Hysteria Psychosomatic Somatization (1924 and after) …   Historical dictionary of Psychiatry

  • somatization disorder — n a somatoform disorder characterized by multiple and recurring physical complaints for which the patient has sought medical treatment over several years without any organic or physiological basis for the symptoms being found * * * a psychiatric… …   Medical dictionary

  • Somatization disorder — Infobox Disease Name = PAGENAME Caption = DiseasesDB = 1645 ICD10 = ICD10|F|45|0|f|40 ICD9 = ICD9|300.81 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = 000955 eMedicineSubj = ped eMedicineTopic = 3015 MeshID = D013001Somatization disorder (also Briquet s disorder… …   Wikipedia

  • somatization — noun Date: 1925 conversion of a mental state (as depression or anxiety) into physical symptoms; also the existence of physical bodily complaints in the absence of a known medical condition …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • somatization — noun The generation of physical symptoms of a psychiatric condition such as anxiety …   Wiktionary

  • somatization — n. process of psychological anxiety being expressed through physiological symptoms …   English contemporary dictionary

  • somatization — or somatisation ˌsəʊmətʌɪ zeɪʃ(ə)n noun Psychiatry the manifestation of psychological distress by the presentation of bodily symptoms …   English new terms dictionary

  • somatization — so·ma·ti·za·tion …   English syllables

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