Correct!! The symptoms described in this scenario indicate that the patient is suffering from somatoform disorder.
Somatoform disorders are disorders in which the primary concern is a person's body, either its health or its appearance. With this disorder, the individual experiences persistent physical symptoms or concerns for which there is either no medical evidence of pathology, or for which their reported distress far exceed any pathology found.
Now, you will need to make a more specific diagnosis of the type of somatoform disorder. Re-read the case study (below) again to determine the specific somatoform disorder that Carol is displaying.
Carol M., a 40-year old mother of 5 has come into the emergency room of a small town hospital, stating in a soft, hoarse voice that " .my throat is closing up, and I'm losing my ability to breathe well or speak! Please help me!" As doctors rush to run several medical tests, staff interview Carol to learn more about her and her situation. While relating her recent history, she tells them that she recently experienced a divorce after 15 years of marriage, and has temporarily relinquished custody of her 5 sons to her ex-husband. She since has also remarried a man who was arrested three weeks ago in a high profile cocaine bust. She further states that she must get better quickly since she was on her way over the mountain pass to attend a deposition about her husband's case and is afraid of how upset he'll be if she does not make an appearance. Upon evaluating Carol's test results, doctors can find no medical reason for her extreme throat symptoms, but do acknowledge that these symptoms appear to be quite real and not feigned. Carol does indeed appear to be losing her voice. After additional tests with several specialists, still no physical findings are evident in her case.
What type of somatoform disorder does Carol appear to have?