Description
Pseudocyesis is a condition in which signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy occur when an individual is not pregnant. It is also referred to as a false pregnancy, hysterical pregnancy or a phantom pregnancy. Symptoms of pseudocyesis are very similar to those of a real pregnancy. Some of the symptoms include morning sickness, missing a menstrual period, weight gain, and tenderness in the breasts. A majority of individual’s abdomens with pseudocyesis become very swollen. The abdomen expands so greatly, that an individual actually looks pregnant. The cause of the swollen abdomen may be due to feces, gas build up, urine, or fat. In many cases, the only difference between a true pregnancy and pseudocyesis is the lack of a fetus. One physical sign of this condition that is common to all cases is that each individual firmly believes she is pregnant. Another common physical sign of pseudocyisis is irregularity with menstrual cycles. A majority of women also report feeling the fetus move even though there is no fetus present. …show more content…
This category is one of the DSM-5 somatic symptoms and related disorders. This category applies to presentations in which symptoms characteristic of a somatic symptom and related disorder cause clinically significant impairment and distress in occupational, social, or other important areas of one’s life. However, individuals do not meet the full criteria necessary for any of the other disorders in the somatic symptom and related disorders classifications. Other presentations that can be identified under this diagnosis include brief somatic symptom disorder, brief illness anxiety disorder, and illness anxiety disorder without excessive health-related