What are the Functional Somatic Syndromes? Are they curable?
In recent years, Functional Somatic Syndromes have concerned physiologists as well as psychologists. These disorders have certain marked symptoms which involve a lot of suffering and also disability. However, these symptoms are not marked by any demonstrable tissue abnormality. In simple words, we do not know the causes or reason for these disorders yet.
What are the Functional Somatic Syndromes?
Some of the prominent Functional Somatic Syndromes include:
· Chronic fatigue syndrome
· Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)
· Fibromyalgia
· Sick building syndrome
· Gulf-War syndrome
· Chronic whiplash
· Any chemical sensitivity
These disorders are more common in:
· Women as compared to men
· People with prior psychiatric history especially depression and anxiety
· People who suffered childhood maltreatment, abuse or trauma
· People who have low socioeconomic status
· People who are at increased risk of Chronic Fatigue Illness
· People who are unemployed
· Minority groups
These disorders have symptoms that are very much in common with each other like:
· Abdominal distention
· Headache
· Fatigue
· Disturbances in the HPA axis
· Certain viral and bacterial infections
· Stressful life events
As the etiological factors of these disorders are still unidentified, their treatment is still unknown and complicated to treat. Because of their insidious way of grinding down the quality of life, they come with a great deal of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety or the symptoms of the syndromes have been misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety.
Treatment
What helps people to cope with these enfeebling disorders?
Social Support
Social support plays a huge role in the management of Functional Somatic Syndromes, even solicitous behavior from the closed and loved ones may aggravate the symptoms.
Self-Efficacy
Providing the sense of self-efficacy predict good psychological adjustment.
· Generally speaking, medical practitioners combine pharmacological interventions for symptoms such as sleep deprivation and pain with some behavioral interventions like exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), some efforts to attain some achievement.
· Coping intervention such as written emotional expression can produce a lot of health gains as well.
· The specific treatment for these disorders may get people to adhere to more physical activity as compared to individual interventions.
· Robots are increasingly used to help disabled people to move and to maximize their physical functioning. Physical activity paves the way for more general changes in self efficacy.
· Developing a comprehensive rehabilitation program with incorporated certain and a variety of management plans can also benefits a lot.
Overall, Functional Somatic Syndromes are common, unrelenting, persistent, costly, disabling and still fairly mysterious. Medical as well as psychological attention to these debilitating disorders simultaneously is essential for their successful management and treatment.
