title: [Conversion: mimicry of somatic symptoms].
abstract: Certain symptoms represent the neutralization of intrapsychic conflicts by means of physical symptoms. They mimic symptoms of organic origin and protect the individual from acting out repressed wishes. Since they mimic and protect, the expression "nervous mimicry" seems adequate. The dream, the game of charades and colloquial language present analogies which render the conversion of psychic conflicts into physical symptoms understandable. A clinical vignette is used to elucidate the mechanism of conversion and to illustrate the positive criteria on which the diagnosis of "conversion symptom" must be based.
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats
vernacular_title: Konversion: Mimicry somatischer Symptome.