Other Conversion disorder?

[cat-lady]

I've been diagnosed with PTSD and no other mental illnesses. I'm starting to think that some of my symptoms are conversion disorder though. I'm waiting to get my insurance worked out and hope to start back with therapy soon so maybe I will get some answers then. Does anyone know of good resources on conversion disorder? Here are the symptoms that make me suspect it:
-years ago when I first wanted to speak out about the abuse I couldn't physically bring myself to say that stuff.
- so I tried to write or type it and my hand would physically stop working kind of like when you've been in the cold too long.
-once when someone was screaming at me abusively my hearing went out and I could only hear ringing even though there is nothing medically wrong with my hearing.
-I have a more recent symptom. It's like pseudo-tourrette's. It's fairly new to me. It starts like a panic attack but then I start thinking "what if I blurted out the most inappropriate thing I can think of right now?", and then my mind fixates on it and I get so scared of doing it that I accidentally do. It's social anxiety related.
-I used to have panic attacks when I was younger that involved the same thought process but with blushing or sweating heavily instead of blurting things out. They eventually went away on their own, then years later this new version surfaced after I was re-triggered.
-this also makes me wonder if other stuff I've been diagnosed with was triggered by my trauma (for example vitiligo and the desire to be invisible?)

Anyway, if anyone else on here has conversion disorder or has these symptoms I'd like to hear from you about resources or your experience. Hopefully I can get to a therapist for a diagnosis one way or the other soon!

 

[asadafagahajakal]

There's a good chance that these other symptoms are just ptsd. It's best you talk to a specialist on the topic. A lot of us would likely fit the bill for borderline personality disorder, bipolar or antisocial personality disorder if trauma wasn't included in the equation. Fact of the matter is there are close to 100 possible symptoms, but the DSMV only covers the basic essential criteria. If you talk to a lot of ptsd sufferers you'd discover that a lot of things we have in common aren't in the DSMV definition of PTSD.

What you described as "Tourette's" is not Tourette's. That's when without warning, or you even knowing about it, you either twitch, or say a random word. It's not all swearing like the Tourette's guy meme.

In the world of psychology, having the urge to do something crazy, like cuss someone out for no reason, punch a baby or jump off the bridge you're walking on without wanting to do that thing or having a reason to do so, is called a call of the void. The only thing you can do is be aware that it's not you, it's a call of the void. Let it pass. I have to do it every time I walk across a bridge, a specially when I'm holding something expensive and my mind tells me to throw it. But then again for me this is trauma related as my mom hung me over a bridge threatening to drop me when I was 5.

Maybe do a little self evaluation and try to find the root causes of these symptoms. They may all be trauma related. Maybe your T can help you with that too.

 

[anthony]

I've been diagnosed with PTSD and no other mental illnesses. I'm starting to think that some of my symptoms are conversion disorder though.

Conversion disorder is a differential diagnosis, not a comorbid diagnosis for PTSD. You're either diagnosed conversion disorder OR PTSD, but both do not exist together. Diagnosis is based on the one that fits you best, not every diagnosis that could apply to you.

Hope that helps in understanding the difference. You can fit many diagnoses, but its about fitting the most accurate one. And comorbid means a diagnosis that exists separately, but only due to the primary diagnosis, i.e. major depressive disorder can be comorbid, or an anxiety disorder that meets and causes distress individually to what PTSD is causing, yet would not otherwise exist without PTSD.

 

[Fadeaway]

What you described as "Tourette's" is not Tourette's. That's when without warning, or you even knowing about it, you either twitch, or say a random word. It's not all swearing like the Tourette's guy meme.

Thank you! I was actually going to rant about this. It also isn't something that develops later in life. It's genetic, you are born with it. Sorry, recently went to a conference to support someone with Tourette's. This is so little awareness of what it it really is. Not that I even fully understand, but I am actively trying to learn.

Really, what the OP describes sound more like anxiety or even OCD.

-once when someone was screaming at me abusively my hearing went out and I could only hear ringing even though there is nothing medically wrong with my hearing.

That sound like a form of dissociation.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that can absolutely be brought on by trauma if you have the gene for it. A lot of dormant genes for autoimmune disorders can be switch on by trauma.

The thing is you have a diagnosis of PTSD already, so the conversion disorder seems unlikely.

 

[Sideways]

Being physically unable to speak, and being physically unable to move your body (or parts of it) are often the result of anxiety. Pretty scary in the moment, but more common than you'd think as a stress reaction.

It sounds like maybe working on your triggers may be helpful...?

 

[shimmerz]

Convversion Disorder Resource
Dead Link Removed
Conversion Disorder vs. PTSD
Hysterical conversion and brain function. - PubMed - NCBI
^^^^ Take notice of the dates on these posts. 8 years ago I was diagnosed with severe chronic PTSD and Conversion Disorder. Sounds like, from the posts above that I wouldn't be diagnosed with both anymore.

My SO used to say that my shaking, trembling, muttering No, No, No all seemed Tourrettes like. Oh, and by the way, I don't have these symptoms anymore.

Information on DSM 5 criteria can be found here.
Conversion Disorders Clinical Presentation: History, Physical, Causes

Hope this helps.

 

[asadafagahajakal]

Thank you! I was actually going to rant about this. It also isn't something that develops later in lif...

South Park had a character in their show with Tourette's and the show actually got recognition from some Tourette's society for accurately portraying it.

 

[Suzetig]

What makes you think it's conversion disorder rather than PTSD or anxiety etc? All of the symptoms you're describing could easily fit with a PTSD diagnosis - conversion disorder is a bit different and yes diagnosticians now wouldn't tend to diagnose both PTSD and conversion disorder.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Here is my reply to the other conversion disorder thread (so I don't type things twice"):

"did you ever think it could be conversion disorder?"

I have MANY physical symptoms caused by mental reasons. Parts of my body going numb, physical pain in parts unexplained by physical reasons, one hand or arm going ice cold, a physical inabilty to talk (no matter how hard I try), saying things that are inapprorate. I never thought of it as pseudo-tourrette's but rather saying thoughts that I should keep to myself. I had zero social boundries on what is and isn't approprate and when. I had to learn that as I went through my adult years. I still do that though and have been talked to at work in both my last job and my current one already in training class (I started this job on 6/16 so that took no time to happen). I freeze and cannot move no matter how hard I try. I disocissate and go from point A to point B having no idea how I got there and will also hurt myself having no idea how I did so. I will get "lost" in a store having no way to find an exit. I will have an inabilty to eat. Have issues swollowing. I also have the weirdest sensation down there that feels like stimulation but it is SUPER uncomfortable but it will cause muscle spasms, an inabilty to walk. Basically like I am having an hour long orgasm but it has ZERO pleasure in it, is super uncomfortable, hurts, and whatnot. I made a thread about that in the annoymous area some time ago.

All sorts of stuff. Thats just what i can think of off the top of my head. I am a big example of physical issues caused by mental reasons. But, I have not been diagnosed with conversion disorder but rather PTSD. Its one or the other. All of that can be explained by PTSD issues, symptoms, or just by mental reasons. I see no reason to place all of that into a disorder. Why? It is all caused by trauma and my mental reasons. All medical reasons have been factored out. Thats important as medical issues can be causing it. But thats all been factored out. On my medical record it states "has physical abnormalities being caused by trauma and mental reasoning" (or something like that). So, something new pops up, I go get that one checked out. All clear on the medical side. Then it goes into that "bucket" and then my therapist and I speak of it. Usually we do so before and while a medical Dr is checking it anyway. My therapist knows all of my physical issues both medical and non-medical and its all on my medical health chart too.

So, not sure where I am going with this post other then to say you do not need another disorder to explain all of this. Medically check it out then bring it up to your therapist. In my experience, much of starts to disapate and resolve itself as my trauma/PTSD/BPD symptoms get better and are managed. Some new ones popup and I deal with those accordingly. But I don't want to try to fit that into a new disorder. If that all makes any sense.

Hope some of that helps.

 

[cat-lady]

What you described as "Tourette's" is not Tourette's

Thank you! I was actually going to rant about this.

I was already aware of those differences, which is why I phrased it as "pseudo-tourrette's" rather than Tourrette's, because the average person dealing with me doesn't realize they're not dealing with someone with Tourrette's. Thanks for the other info though.

 

[cat-lady]

Thanks everyone for all the info! I'm going to look at all that stuff and then hopefully get my insurance worked out soon to see a therapist again.

My SO used to say that my shaking, trembling, muttering No, No, No all seemed Tourrettes like. Oh, and by the way, I don't have these symptoms anymore.

Thanks for sharing! Can I ask what got rid of these symptoms? Was it generally time to heal and therapy or did you find anything else had a more direct or immediate impact?

 

[cat-lady]

But then again for me this is trauma related as my mom hung me over a bridge threatening to drop me when I was 5.

This is very similar to my situation. My mother used to keep people from being willing to listen to me whenever it looked like I was about to get up the courage to ask an adult for help getting me out of my abusive family situation by convincing them I had said the most hurtful stuff possible about them. Like clock work, whenever I was getting close enough to asking for help suddenly that person would be furious with me because she had convinced them that I had said something to her about whatever their hot button issue was. Now I fear actually saying this stuff to people and sometimes it comes out. It's not stuff I actually mean, just stuff that I fear because it would get that reaction again.