There are countless articles online about depression, anxiety, OCD, and Bipolar, but have you ever heard of or read about Somatic Symptom Disorder?
Chances are, you haven’t.
With Somatic Symptom Disorder, an individual is acutely aware of any abnormal (but usually harmless) or random physical sensations which then causes them extreme emotional distress. I struggle with this disorder personally, and I think it needs more attention, so I asked a lovely group of people what they want others to know and wish others understood about living with this condition.
Here’s what they had to say:
1. “People always say, ‘Trust your gut.’ I feel like I do not have a gut instinct because it is masked in fear.” - Hannah
2. “It infuriates me when people say, ‘Just get over it.’ If it were that simple, I would’ve done it years ago and saved myself a lot of wasted time, heartache, and money on therapy.” - Judy
3. “I am fully aware of my anxiety, so when a health fear passes, I can look at it and go, ‘Wow, that was silly,’ or ‘Next time I will really try to stop myself,’ but every new health scare is like a reset button. I always hear myself saying, ‘Last time I was overreacting, but this time it’s serious.’ It’s always a new fear and it’s always just as scary.” - Hannah
4. “I wish that when people say ‘You’re fine, nothing is wrong,’ I could believe it. I wish people knew I go to bed every night expecting not to wake up, so I try my hardest not to sleep.” - Ali
5. “I wish people knew that even though I no longer appear anxious on the outside, it’s not gone. It’s very loud inside my head.” - Catherine
6. “I am not doing this for attention or for people to feel sorry for me. If I could make it go away, I would.” - Samantha
7. “My body just spins into panic sometimes for no apparent reason. If you were in my body, you’d feel the exact same thing and you’d also wonder why you can’t breathe or why your heart is racing or why your limbs are going numb. You can’t just talk yourself out of it.” - Sara
8. “I wish people could grasp the concept that I can’t just flip a switch in my brain and stop my anxiety and hypochondria forever. If I could, I would. It’s a living hell—always waiting for tragedy, always seeing only the negative aspects of life.” - Will
9. “I absolutely hate it when the people around me say, ‘Nothing is going to happen,’ when my body is literally clamping up and I feel like I’m going to die. It’s a very real feeling and it’s something I can’t control. All I want is for someone to give me a hug and help me feel safe.” - Dana
10. “People—even doctors—judge us and think we’re crazy, but deep down we know what we’re dealing with. It doesn’t just take a toll mentally, it affects us physically and socially, too. You don’t always want to do things, meet people, and you lose so much hope.” - Anmol
11. “I, myself, know that my thinking is completely irrational. However, when I’m in a bout, even my rational, intelligent side believes the ‘fake’ symptoms. I truly believe I am going to die at any given moment.” - Kyla