Somatoform disorder is characterized by complaints of physical problems or symptoms that cannot be explained by physical cause.

Somatoform disorder expects that the physical symptom reflect psychological factors or conflicts. There are five types all together of somatoform disorder which comprise conversion disorder, hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder, pain disorder and also somatization disorder (Kroenko, 2007). The author found that, there are many ways of treatment can be done for somatoform disorder for instances Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), primary care physician and anti depressants. In addition, there is also psychotherapeutic treatment, psychodynamic therapy (Fritzsche, el at., 2004) and the most interesting one is found in a research article by Okamoto, et al. (2011) is herbal medicine named Kampo medicine. Thus, regarding types of treatment, the author was not really satisfied on one of the treatment that used for this disorder which is, anti depressants. For author, anti depressants is not really suitable to give to the patients who are suffered from somatoform disorder. This is because, somatoform disorder is a group of conditions characterized by unexplained physical symptoms that are or assumed to be of psychological origin. People with somatoform disorder are actually not sick, but they tend to be sick because of their own thinking actually. So, it is not really suitable to give anti depressants medicine to them in order to control their mind and also behavior. Anti depressants is categorized under clinical medical which contains chemical substances that may give some side effect to our body especially. It is possible that anti depressants works directly by affecting nerve circuits that influence not only patients mood but also fatigue, pain perception and other symptoms that occur in somatoform disorder. In addition, there are also some of the chemical substances in anti depressants that cannot be adapted in our body and this is actually might lead to some bad effect for our body. In author opinion, giving anti depressants the patient is not really work and not efficient way to patient. Besides that, research also provides less support for the effectiveness of anti depressants. The author gets confused too, how can anti depressants can be used as one of the treatment for somatoform disorder. This is because after reviewed some of the article, the author found that, all somatoform disorders involves the presence of physical symptoms that suggest a medical condition but that are not fully explained by a medical condition. So, why not if we replacing giving anti depressants to the patient to another treatment that more effective to treat somatoform disorder..

The author also makes comparison between anti depressants and herbal medicine, which is Kampo medicine. In author opinion, Kampo medicine should be considered as an alternative treatment for somatoform disorder especially when physically existing illnesses and psychologically caused somatoform disorders are difficult to distinguish. In Kampo medicine, there is one of the Kampo prescriptions named (keishikajutsuboto) which composed of seven herbs and has a characteristics function of warming up the body with a mild relaxing effect, which results in strengthening the immune system, lubricating skin and joints and also improving blood circulation in joints thus have a pain-relieving effect (Okamoto, et al., 2011) In author opinion, research have to concentrate more on herbal medicine, Kampo medicine in order to reduce the using and giving anti depressants to the patient. It may give potential benefit to the sufferer of somatoform disorder. Another treatment that the author found after reviewed these articles is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Most of the research supports Cognitive Behavioral Therapy even many others options exist. In a research by Kroenke (2007), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps patient find ways to reframe and gain control of their situation and break what can become a self-fulfilling cycle of pain and the despair. There are many techniques include in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which are relaxation training, problem solving, visualization, biofeedback, exercise and also breathing techniques. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is the most consistently supported treatment for the full spectrum of somatoform disorder. In research Edwards, at al. (2010) stated that, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been by far the most extensively researched psychological intervention for medically unexplained system and related disorders. Thus, regarding type of treatment, the author disagrees on the usage of anti depressants for patient. Research also proves that, the number of anti depressant trials was small. It can be proven that, in a research by Kroenke (2007), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was the treatment studied in 13 trials, whereas anti depressants in 5 and other treatments in 16. So, giving the anti depressants to those who suffered from somatoform disorder is not really suitable. The author found that the strongest and most consistent treatments for somatoform disorder are Kampo medicine and also Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Research should focus more on these two types of treatment. It is important that further controlled research is imperative and the great clinical diligence needs to be exercised in treating somatoform disorder.

References: Kroenko, K. (2007). Psychosomatic Medicine: Efficacy of treatment for somatoform disorder: A review of randomized controlled trials, 69, 881-888. Okamoto, H., Sekiya, N., Chino, A., Iyo, M., & Terasawa, K. (2011). Alternatives and Complementary Medicine: A suspected case of somatoform disorder successfully treated with an herbal medicine, 17 (2), 171-173 Edwards, M.T., Stern,A., Clarke, D.D., Irbijaro, G.,& Kasney, M.L., (2010). Mental Health in Family Medicine: The treatment of patients with medically unexplained symptoms in primary care, 7, 209-221 Fritzsche, K., Larish, A.,Crepka, M.,& Wirching, M. (2004). Families, Systems & Health: Improving the Biopsychosocial competence of German primary care physician in diagnosis and treating somatoform disorder, 22 (3), 352- 364

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