Medically unexplained symptoms

Many patients present with physical symptoms, but after exhaustive investigations, no objective evidence of disease is ever found.

Often these symptoms are described as functional symptoms, since the only sign of disease is loss of function. 

There are many reasons for this to occur.
Often there is an underlying history of mental illness, childhood trauma, or typical personality traits.

Malingering

• Becoming approved for disability benefits 
• Escaping stressful commitments
• Gaining time off work
• Manipulating interpersonal relationships

 

Factitious disorders

• Factitious disorder imposed on self  (Munchausen syndrome)
• Factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen syndrome by proxy)

 

Somatic symptom disorders

• Globus pharyngis
• Neurasthenia
• Psychalgia (psychogenic pain)
• Da Costa's syndrome
• Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure
• Chronic fatigue syndrome?
• Fibromyalgia?
• Gulf War syndrome?

 

Mass psychogenic illness

• Havana syndrome?
• 2009 school 'poisonings' in Afghanistan

 

Culture-bound syndrome

• Resignation syndrome