Letter S

Somatization

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The process by which psychologic distress is expressed as physical symptoms.

Somatization is an unconscious process.

In somatization, mental experiences or states are 'converted' to bodily symptoms.

A tension headache is an example: tension is converted to a headache.

Somatization is a normal phenomenon.

However, some patients with somatization have psychiatric conditions.

A person who is expressing physical symptoms as a result of psychological distress is said to be somatizing.

The word 'somatization' comes from the Greek 'some' meaning body.

Somatization is a part of psychosomatic medicine, the mind-body relationships, the interactions between the mind (the 'psyche') and body (the 'soma').

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