Reference no: EM133448508
Assignment:
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
- Based on the information provided, what diagnosis/diagnoses would you give the patient?
- Identify the symptoms within the case that support your diagnosis/diagnoses. This should be specific to the case study; do not just list symptoms for the diagnosis from your text. Be sure to also include the duration, intensity, and/or frequency of the symptoms as appropriate.
- Based on your assessment, describe the treatment you would implement with the patient. Please use your text and any other outside information you might need to answer this question.
Dr. Davis, a 38-year-old physician, is referred to you by a local gastroenterologist after repeated abdominal complaints. Per his gastroenterologist, Dr. Davis has had extensive physical and laboratory examinations of the entire gastrointestinal tract, and endoscopic evaluations of his esophagus, stomach, and colon, all of which are normal. Despite the lack of significant phiscal disease, Dr. Davis is disappointed and continues to complain about and research possible medical issues to support his symptoms.
When asked about his symptoms, Dr. Davis reports mild abdominal pain, sensations of fullness, bowel rumblings, and a firm abdominal mass that he can sometimes feel in the left lower quadrant of his abdomen. Over the last 6 months, he has gradually become more aware of these sensations and convinced that they may be due to a large tumor or cancer in his colon. He tests his stool for blood weekly and spends 15-20 minutes every 2-3 days carefully feeling his abdomen as he lies in bed at home. He has secretly performed several X-ray studies on himself in his own office after hours.
Although he is successful in his work and is active in community life, Dr. Davis spends much of his leisure time at home surfing the Web to look up information about illnesses he worries that he might have. His wife, an instructor at a local school of nursing, is angry and bitter about this behavior. Although she and her husband share many values and genuinely love each other, his behavior causes a real strain on their marriage.