1. Hypochondriasis and Conversion Disorder
By Diana and Nancy Nguyen (:
Period 6

2. Hypochondria: Chronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments
People with hypochondria are unable to control their fears and worries. They often believe any symptom or sensation is a sign of a serious illness.
They seek out reassurance from family, friends, or health care providers on a regular basis. They feel better for a short time at most, and then begin to worry about the same symptoms, or about new symptoms.
Symptoms may shift and change, and are often vague. People with hypochondria often examine their own body.
Those who are affected may recognize that their fear of having a serious disease is unreasonable or unfounded.
Causes
A history of physical or sexual abuse
A poor ability to express emotions
A parent or close relative with the disorder
An inherited susceptibility for the disorder

3. Conversion Disorder Symptoms
Paralysis
Numbness
Blindness
Inability to Speak
Basically, the inability to communicate verbally, to see, to feel externally, and to move physically.

4. Treatments for Hypochondriasis
Supportive care — In most cases, the best course of action is for the person to stay in regular contact with a trusted health care provider. Within this doctor-patient relationship, the doctor can monitor the symptoms and stay alert to any changes that might signal a real medical illness. The doctor’s main approach is likely to focus on reassuring and supporting the person, and preventing unnecessary tests and treatments. It might be necessary, however, to treat some of the symptoms, such as severe pain.
Medicines — Antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs are sometimes used if a person with hypochondriasis also has a mood disorder or anxiety disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and some tricyclic antidepressants are helpful as they are for obsessive compulsive disorder, another anxiety disorder. This may be an additional reason why hypochondriasis is being considered as a health related anxiety with intrusive thoughts.
Psychotherapy — Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) can be helpful in changing the thinking and behavior that contribute to the symptoms. Therapy also can help the person learn better ways to deal with stress, and improve his or her social and work functioning. Unfortunately, most people with hypochondriasis deny there are any mental or emotional problems, making them fairly resistant to psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven successful when adapted to the special needs of these patients. This may prove to be the optimal treatment after more research or in combination with the medication described above, but it is currently too early to be certain of that. When an individual learns what initiates and continues their anxiety, they can learn how to reframe their interpretations of the anxiety and how to change behavior to reduce the emotional impact of abnormal images. In time they may be able to control these visions and convert them to more normal thoughts and images fairly efficiently.

5. Causes of the Conversion Disorder and Effects of Applied Treatments
Affected Thinking: thinking oppositely about one thing, but having your body do the exact
Ex: Restrained thinking of hitting someone, feel arms and hands quiver and shake
A powerful and stressful situation
Ex: A powerpoint that decides your overall grade for your AP Psychology class
Effects (Treatments)
Psycho/Physiotherapy: talking and interaction through therapy, sometimes physically
Ex: Psychodynamic, humanistic, etc. therapy
FOR PARALYSIS:
psychical or occupational therapy on affected body limb(s)
Ex: Exercising affected legs due to paralysis

6. Conversion Disorder in Leroy, New York !!!
The cause of conversion disorder in Leroy, NY may have been connected with a toxic spill in the area.
Leroy, New York
12 people, all women, were affected by conversion disorder in Leroy, NY last fall in early February,
Most of the female teenagers diagnosed went to Le Roy Jr/Sr High School.
They all developed symptoms such as involuntary twitching and verbal outbursts.
To lighten the mood, Leroy, NY is where the emergence of Jell -O appeared ! (:

7. Facts and References ! (:
Hypochondria is often associated with OCD and anxiety
Conversion disorder used to be called HYSTERIA.
Hypochondriasis tends to be a long-term (chronic) condition that can last for years
The symptoms and disorder, itself, were believed to be made up and people were falsely accused of pretense
People with hypochondriasis truly believe they are sick.
Conversion disorder is more common in women, but it can affect men as well and can strike at all ages. For every male diagnosed, there are 2-6 women as well.
opinion/2012/03/theories-abound-about-conversion- disorder-and-illnesses-leroy-ny /
Blais MA, Smallwood P, Groves JE, Rivas-Vazquez RA. Personality and personality disorders. In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Fava M, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2008:chap 39
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH /
my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/hypochondriasis/hic_hyp ochondriasis.aspx
References

8. FINISHED (: