Assignment Somatic Symptom Disorders

Assignment Somatic Symptom Disorders

Assignment Somatic Symptom Disorders

Assignment: Somatic Symptom Disorders
Assignment: Somatic Symptom Disorders

Imagine that Jennifer Brea, whose TEDTalk (TED Conferences, LLC, 2016) you watched, is referred to you for ongoing supportive therapy when her psychiatry consultant decides that she does not have a conversion disorder. Despite the psychiatrist’s opinion, her primary care physician ignores that consult and labels Jennifer as having a somatic symptom disorder anyway.

Step 1:

On a sheet of paper, write down 15 specific things you did over the course of the past 24 hours (for example: got out of bed, drove/rode/walked to class, brushed teeth, etc.).
Next, categorize each of the behaviors on your list into one of three types or sources of motivation: biological (i.e., drive-reduction theory), stimulus (i.e., arousal theory), or learned (i.e., incentive approach).
Step 2:

Thoroughly discuss the following:

Discuss three behaviors from your list that you were able to categorize easily (include the behaviors and their category). What were the motivations behind those behaviors?
Discuss three behaviors that you had difficulty categorizing. What about these behaviors made them more difficult to categorize?
Important guidelines to follow:

Write at least a 300-word, well-developed and well-written response. Use APA Formatting Guide to create accurate citations and documentation to give credit for any resource material used in your response. Your assignment is due October 29 in class.

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms — such as pain or fatigue — that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. You may or may not have another diagnosed medical condition associated with these symptoms, but your reaction to the symptoms is not normal.