Somatization disorder case example
Susan was a 15-year-old girl with a 2-year history of body aches, fatigue, fevers (reported but not documented), headaches, diarrhea, nausea, joint pain, dysuria, and irregular menses. Her mother stated that she had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). During multiple medical clinic visits, Susan repeatedly had normal findings on physical and extensive laboratory examinations. The patient repeatedly denied stressors, psychological trauma, and/or victimization despite assessments by an adolescent medical specialist and a psychiatrist.
While being evaluated by neurology department personnel for her headaches, Susan became completely mute. Following a negative medical workup, she was admitted to a psychiatry inpatient unit, where she began talking upon arrival.