Somatic symptom disorder involves _____.

• A. alternating periods of mania and depression
• B. recurring episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations and shortness of breath
• C. experiencing physical symptoms that are distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life, without a fully explained medical cause
• D. persistent fear of gaining weight and refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of somatic symptom disorder. It is a psychological condition where a person experiences physical symptoms that cause significant distress or disruption in daily life, but these symptoms cannot be fully explained by a medical condition.
2. Step 2: Differentiate somatic symptom disorder from other disorders by focusing on the nature of symptoms. Unlike mood disorders (e.g., alternating mania and depression) or anxiety disorders (e.g., panic attacks with intense fear), somatic symptom disorder centers on physical symptoms without a clear medical cause.
3. Step 3: Review the options given and identify which description matches somatic symptom disorder. The correct description involves experiencing physical symptoms that are distressing or disruptive without a fully explained medical cause.
4. Step 4: Recognize that other options describe different psychological disorders: alternating mania and depression relates to bipolar disorder; intense fear with physical symptoms relates to panic disorder; persistent fear of weight gain relates to anorexia nervosa.
5. Step 5: Conclude that somatic symptom disorder is best characterized by the presence of distressing physical symptoms without a clear medical explanation, which significantly impacts the individual's daily functioning.