title: The somatizing patient.
abstract: The authors discuss the significance of identifying primary care patients with dramatic and persistent unexplained physical (medical) symptoms, especially given the concerns about containing health care costs. Such patients are a cause of frustration to the clinician, because the clinician may experience a sense of failure after using the state of the art and still being eluded by a diagnosis. We focus on the methods for understanding somatic worry or preoccupation, which is the essential process in a variety of somatoform disorders. The second half of the article focuses on evaluation and treatment considerations and includes a discussion of both psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatment strategies for the somatizing patient.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Inova Fairfax Hospital, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA 22042-3300, USA.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Holder-Perkins
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Wise
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Williams
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs