A somatoform disorder is the more modern name given to psychosomatic illness. When physical symptoms cannot be identified as resulting from physical problems, then it's possible the patient's physical illness is a result of mental or emotional stress. It's a recognition of the connection between one's mind and one's body.
When a patient can't get diagnosed, or if the doctor tells the patient her illness is "all in your head," then the true diagnosis may be somatoform disorder.
One type of somatoform disorder is called "conversion disorder." The mental and emotional stress or frightening event experienced by the patient is considered to "convert" to physical symptoms. Those symptoms are manifested as neurologic conditions such as numbness, paralysis, tingling, confusion, double vision and others.
