Unmasking Psychological Symptoms

More than 100 medical diseases—many common ailments—are capable of masquerading as mental disorders. This book shows clinicians how to identify patients who are most likely to have an underlying physical ailment and how to direct them to a targeted medical work-up. With guidance on working with patients during the referral process and afterward, as well as on integrating medical findings into ongoing therapeutic work, clinicians will benefit from the practical advice on recognizing signs, symptoms, and patterns of medical diseases that may be underlying a psychologically presenting malady.

Acknowledgments ix 1 The Nature of the Problem 1 2 Laying the Groundwork 11 3 Characteristics That Make Somatic Diseases Difficult to Detect 21 4 Patterns in Time 61 5 The Clinical Interview 83 6 The History of the Present Illness 97 7 Specific Physical Signs and Symptoms 103 8 Classical Presentations—Focal Signs, Dementia, and Delirium 129 9 Specific Mental Signs and Symptoms 149 10 Important Aspects of the Patient Assessment—A Second Look 223 11 Extended Clinical Vignettes—Working With Patients 241 References 277 Author Index 281 Subject Index 283