A conversion disorder is an uncommon mental disorder where a person has physical symptoms that cannot be explained with a physical exam. The person is often thought to be "faking." Many times symptoms do not appear to be under the person's control and they can cause noteworthy distress, it is a mental disorder. Some of the symptoms noted can be loss of blindness, loss of muscle control, unconsciousness, seizures and sometimes even unexplained deafness. "Conversion" comes from the thought that psychological distress is often being converted into a physical form. The real cause is not known.
One long-standing theory has been that a person with conversion disorder has blocked out the cause of the so called “destress”, it can be a conflict or traumatic event but the patient thinks it is unacceptable for the person to remain aware of it. This is where the somatoform disorder comes into play. There is no one test or …show more content…
Often times a doctor or a mental health professional will makes a diagnosis of conversion disorder based on the person's neurological exam and health history. A neurologist will make this diagnosis when the physical symptoms do not correlate with a known disorder of the nervous system. Additional tests can clarify the diagnosis. Some of these tests may include an electroencephalogram or an electromyogram. The doctor will also determine if any stress or conflict is a possible root of the symptoms or if they are symptoms of another mental health problem, like a personality disorder or a mood