The symptoms of conversion disorder – such as paralysis of an arm or leg or loss of sensation in a part of the body – suggest nervous system dysfunction.
Other symptoms may resemble a seizure or involve problems with thinking, difficulty swallowing, or loss of one of the special senses, such as vision or hearing.
Often, symptoms begin after some distressing social or psychological event. Symptoms are not consciously produced.
That is, individuals are not faking their symptoms. Symptoms are severe enough to cause substantial distress and to interfere with functioning.
Individuals may have only one episode in their lifetime or episodes that occur sporadically.
Usually, the episodes are brief.
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