conversion disorder
Stress becomes symptoms
Conversion disorder is a psychiatric condition in which psychological distress manifests as neurological symptoms—paralysis, blindness, seizures, or numbness—without any underlying physical cause.
The mind "converts" emotional conflict into bodily dysfunction.
Once called hysteria, it remains controversial because symptoms are real to patients even when tests show nothing wrong: Doctors diagnosed conversion disorder after ruling out epilepsy.
Mental separation from surroundings
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- defense mechanismUnconscious self-protective mental process
- emotional distressPsychological suffering or torment
trauma · stress · anxiety · conflict · unconscious · psychogenic · denial · emotional numbness
Loss of muscle function
- blindnessAbsence of vision
- deafnessLack of auditory function
- tremorsSlight shaking movements
- seizuresInvoluntary convulsions or takings
aphonia · dysphonia · sensory loss · weakness · numbness · involuntary movements · limb weakness · vision loss
Mind-induced bodily illness
- somatizationMental distress expressed physically
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
- neurologistPhysician specializing in nervous system
- psychiatristMental disorder physician
differential diagnosis · neuroimaging · EEG · clinical examination · onset · prognosis · comorbidity · case history
Lasting psychological wound
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
- conflictOpposition between parties
- childhood adversityDifficulties experienced when young
triggering event · emotional trigger · vulnerability · predisposition
Treatment through guided conversation
- cognitive-behavioral therapyTreatment restructuring harmful thought patterns
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- physical therapyRehabilitative movement-based medical care
- occupational therapyRestoring practical life abilities
rehabilitation · hypnotherapy · stress management · trauma therapy · multidisciplinary · recovery · remission · relapse
dissociation
Mental separation from surroundings
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- defense mechanismUnconscious self-protective mental process
emotional distress · trauma · stress · anxiety · conflict · unconscious · psychogenic · denial · emotional numbness · inner conflict
paralysis
Loss of muscle function
seizures · aphonia · dysphonia · sensory loss · weakness · numbness · involuntary movements · limb weakness · vision loss · hearing loss
psychosomatic
Mind-induced bodily illness
- somatizationMental distress expressed physically
- diagnosisIdentification of illness
- neurologistPhysician specializing in nervous system
psychiatrist · differential diagnosis · neuroimaging · EEG · clinical examination · onset · prognosis · comorbidity · case history · patient history
trauma
Lasting psychological wound
triggering event · childhood adversity · emotional trigger · vulnerability · predisposition
psychotherapy
Treatment through guided conversation
- cognitive-behavioral therapyTreatment restructuring harmful thought patterns
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- physical therapyRehabilitative movement-based medical care
occupational therapy · rehabilitation · hypnotherapy · stress management · trauma therapy · multidisciplinary · recovery · remission · relapse · patient education
- Mental Disordersschizophrenia, depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD
- conversion disorders
- psychosomatic disordershypochondriasis, somatization, hysterical blindness, neurasthenia, health anxiety
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- stress symptomsanxiety attack, panic attack, panic attacks, stress headache, tension headache
- traumaabuse, abandonment, abandonment trauma, acute stress, amnesia
conversion disorderneurological disease
Disorder of nervous system
tissue damage · physical injury · degenerative disease · infectious disease · genetic disorder
disorder, convert, conversion, converted, convertible, converting, unconverted, converter, converters