Treatment of conversion disorder with ptsd

Abstract

Some of the most difficult patients to treat are those that require investments of our time, those that challenge our beliefs and require a review of our countertransference. Patients with somatoform spectrum illness are often categorized as “difficult” patients, because there is no medication that can be prescribed. In the case of conversion disorder and, the patient’s symptoms are, by definition, unconscious. They are the result of a complicated patient history, and very often associated with trauma. What further complicates the treatment of patients with conversion disorder is the dearth of controlled research and the lack of evidence-based treatments. This case describes the course of a female service member who presented with symptoms of seizure-like activity, who was ultimately referred to mental health for treatment after no findings to support epileptiform activity or neurologic illness were discovered.