Posted by Somaticide on June 3, 2004, at 21:43:50
In reply to Anxiety/somatization without awareness?, posted by Eddie Sylvano on August 21, 2002, at 8:47:55
> I read your previous entry. I too was diagnosed with somatization disorder. My symptoms were/are 30 lb Weight loss, Sporadic attacks of violent diarrhea, burning sensations in my mouth, constant burning like a bladder infection, chest pain & shortness of breath, headaches, TMJ, tinnitis, lump in my throat, nervous rash on the back of my neck (only get it around strangers and people who make me nervous), pins & needles/tingling and sometimes numbnes in my hands, neck pain, lower back pain, memory trouble, insomnia, menstral symptoms (sorry too private to explain) hot flashes, extreme sensitivity to cold, food allergies, and alot more. I have had cat scans, thyroid tests, xrays, endoscopy, HIV and Hep A B & C tests, allergy tests, and have been to many specialists, but there is never EVER anything physically wrong. I am on 30 mg of prozac and 1mg Xanax twice a day, then 2mg at bedtime. I would not have believed a diagnosis of Somatization if it weren't for the fact that I had had severe urinary burning for 1 1/2 years. I had been treated with antibiotics, anti-fungals, bladder spasm control drugs, and steroid creams but nothing worked. Then I took my first 1mg dose of Xanax. I could not beleive it. The Xanax actually cured my burning. When the Xanax wore off, the burning came back. That was what made me finally accept that I have somatization disorder.
Recently I went to the eye doctor because my right eye kept turning red. Nothing was wrong with my eyes, however my right eye muscles were working too hard for no reason. I about died when my eye doctor said this was probably caused by stress. I told him to fax the info to my MD who is keeping track of all of my somatic symptoms. It just keeps getting weirder everyday.
Since my GP has no psychiatric training, and I can't talk to a real psychiatrist, I've been on my own trying to figure out the origin of my problems. Most of my symptoms fall neatly into "generalized anxiety disorder," and quite possibly somatization disorder (years of sporadic digestive problems that a dozen tests cannot define. Finally labeled IBS.).
> According to the literature, those diagnoses fit my symptoms very well. The one sticking point is that I really, really don't *feel* anxious. If anything, I'm typically sedated. Concerns don't race though my head. I also feel that I'm relatively rational about the possibility of my physical symptoms being somatiform, which is inconsistant with desciptions of those with the disorder, who typically express the symptoms in overly theatrical ways and insist on tests and evaluations (I didn't ask for any of my tests. They're all barbaric).
> I have had a depressive episode, which medication alleviated.
> So anyway, what I'm wondering is:
> (1) has anyone else been diagnosed with somatization disorder, and if so, what was the process leading to that diagnoses? What helped it?
> (2) Is it possible to have GAD (particularly the physical symptoms), but have no awareness of being anxious?
poster:Somaticide
thread:117220
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040602/msgs/353559.html