Doctors here said conversion disorder, which is a psychiatric disorder due to emotional and psychological stressors, is also treatable through psychological intervention. About 4.3 per cent of children in the country suffer from the disorder. Often, its physical symptoms cannot be explained by a neurological or medical condition.
Chennai: Conversion disorder usually begins suddenly after a period of emotional or physical distress. Elaborating on a recent case of a 12-year-old girl who was successfully treated after she suffered from bilateral closure of eyes, doctors said she was brought to Kauvery Hospital after suffering from it for eight months.
The patient was suffering from a psychogenic blepharospasm, a rare manifestation of conversion disorder where an individual suffers from involuntary closure of eyes. Dr Yamini Kannappan, a consultant psychiatrist at Kauvery Hospital, said the case highlights the importance of recognising the psychogenic causes, which comes with unexplained medical conditions. For instance, seizures and movement disorders can also arise from psychological factors.
The patient was suffering from a psychogenic blepharospasm, a rare manifestation of conversion disorder where an individual suffers from involuntary closure of eyes. Dr Yamini Kannappan, a consultant psychiatrist at Kauvery Hospital, said the case highlights the importance of recognising the psychogenic causes, which comes with unexplained medical conditions. For instance, seizures and movement disorders can also arise from psychological factors.
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