A patient comes to the ED stating that he suddenly became deaf.It is determined that his wife has recently asked for a divorce.What is the basis for the possibility that this patient is experiencing a conversion disorder?

Question

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The scenario suggests that the patient is experiencing symptoms of conversion disorder,an anxiety disorder in which the symptom affects voluntary sensory or motor function and mimics a neurological disorder as a result of extreme anxiety,such as learning of his wife's desire to divorce him.There is no organic basis for the hearing loss but it is not under the patient's voluntary control.Most traumas are not dealt with by developing a mental illness but by rather coping effectively.Males are as likely as females to display conversion disorder symptoms.

A Patient Comes to the ED Stating That He Suddenly