Conversion disorder

A conversion disorder is a psychiatric disorder which causes patients to

suffer from neurological symptoms, such as numbness, blindness, paralysis, or fits
without a definable organic cause. It is thought that symptoms arise in response to
stressful situations affecting a patient's mental health.
Typically conversion syndrome begins with some stressor, trauma, or
psychological distress that manifests itself as physical symptoms. Usually the
physical symptoms of the syndrome affect the senses and movement. For example,
someone experiencing conversion syndrome may become temporarily blind due to
the stress of the loss of a parent or spouse. While there can be a wide range in
severity and duration, symptoms are typically short-lived and relatively mild.
Some of the most typical symptoms include
blindness, partial or total paralysis, inability to speak, deafness, numbness, sores,
difficulty swallowing, incontinence, balance problems, seizures, tremors, and
difficulty walking. These symptoms are attributed to conversion syndrome when a
medical explanation for the afflictions cannot be found. Symptoms of conversion
syndrome usually occur suddenly, however symptoms are usually relatively brief,
with the average duration being 2 weeks up to years in people hospitalized for
conversion syndrome-related presentations.

Weakness or paralysis

Abnormal movement, such as tremors or difficulty walking

Loss of balance

Difficulty swallowing or "a lump in the throat"

Seizures or convulsions

Episode of unresponsiveness
Signs and symptoms that affect the senses may include:

Numbness or loss of the touch sensation

Speech problems, such as inability to speak or slurred speech

Vision problems, such as double vision or blindness

Hearing problems or deafness

Causes
1

Episodes of conversion disorder are nearly always triggered by a stressful event, an emotional
conflict or another mental health disorder, such as depression.The exact cause of conversion disorder is
unknown, but the part of the brain that controls your muscles and senses may be involved. It may be the
brain's way of reacting immediately to something that seems like a threat.

Treatment
There are a number of different treatments that are available to treat and manage conversion
syndrome. While occasionally symptoms do disappear on their own, many people benefit from a variety
of treatment options. Treatments for conversion syndrome include hypnosis, psychotherapy, physical
therapy, stress management, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Treatment plans will consider duration
and presentation of symptoms and may include one or multiple of the above treatments. This may include
the following:
1. Explanation. This must be clear and coherent as attributing physical symptoms to a psychological
cause is not accepted by many educated people in western cultures. It must emphasize the
genuineness of the condition, that it is common, potentially reversible and does not mean that the
sufferer is psychotic. Taking an etiologically neutral stance by describing the symptoms as
functional may be helpful but further studies are required. Ideally, the patient should be followed
up neurologically for a while to ensure that the diagnosis has been understood.
2. Physiotherapy where appropriate;
3. Occupational Therapy to maintain autonomy in activities of daily living;
4. Treatment of comorbid depression or anxiety if present.