The Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize Shouf Campus (NDU-SC) organized on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at noon, a lecture titled, “Symptoms Not Well Explained: Is It All In Your Head?”
Sani Hlais, M.D., Specialist in Family Medicine, and holder of a Medical Education degree earned from Saint Joseph University (USJ) and a Master in Public Health earned from the American University of Beirut (AUB), delivered the lecture.
FNHS Coordinator at SC Dr. Lara Youssef moderated the seminar. Dr. Youssef welcomed the guest speaker and thanked SC Director Fr. Naji Khalil for supporting and encouraging rewarding academic initiatives that serve both NDU and the entire Lebanese community.
Dr. Hlais began his lecture with a case study and referred to the definition of somatization disorder, as a history of complaints about physical symptoms affecting many different areas of the body, for which medical attention has been sought but no physical cause found.
He highlighted the importance of its diagnosis, as it is underestimated as an illness, based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) where the disorder has been renamed Somatic Symptom Disorder.
He stressed its association with numerous psychological disorders and stated that epidemiologically, the disease is more prevalent in females beginning in the teens and young adulthood years.
He mentioned the current debate and uncertainty regarding the pathophysiology of somatization disorder and noted that most current explanations focus on the concept of a misconnection between the mind and the body and that a person's body might develop increased sensitivity of nerves associated with pain, such as in “phantom limb syndrome.”
Dr. Hlais stressed on cognitive behavioral therapy as the best treatment and stated that the use of antidepressants is still preliminary.
He concluded that recognition of the disorder is often the problem in its treatment and that establishing a long-term treatment relationship forms the basis for therapy.
Attendees, including students, asked questions at the end of the lecture, giving rise to an interesting reciprocal interaction.