WebMD explains the symptoms and treatment of a somatoform disorder -- a mental disorder in which patients experience pain that can't be traced to any physical cause. Somatoform disorders, now primarily classified as somatic symptom and related disorders in modern diagnostic manuals, represent a group of mental health conditions characterized by physical symptoms that cause significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition in which you feel significantly distressed about physical symptoms. You may have excessive thoughts, emotions and/or behaviors in response to the symptoms, which disrupt your daily functioning. A person with somatic symptom disorder has one or more somatic (physical) symptoms over a long period of time (usually half a year or more). Symptoms may or may not be explained fully by another medical diagnosis. The person may be reacting to normal bodily sensations or a minor illness. Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms that can’t be explained by medical conditions, often believed to be linked to emotional or psychological distress. Somatic symptom disorder involves focusing too much on physical symptoms such as pain or tiredness. This focus causes major emotional distress and makes it hard to function. Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms suggesting illness or injury that any medical condition cannot fully explain. Symptoms are real and cause significant distress or impairment, but psychological factors like stress or trauma are likely involved in their manifestation. Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is a mental disorder characterized by an excessive focus on physical symptoms—such as pain or shortness of breath —that cause significant distress or impairment. Individuals with SSD experience disproportionate thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to their symptoms. Somatic symptom disorder is diagnosed when a person has a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, to a level that results in major distress and/or problems functioning. Somatisation means that physical symptoms are caused by biological, social, or psychological factors, not a specific disease. These symptoms, like pain or fatigue, can also be caused by medical conditions. Functional disorders are more complex and persistent forms of somatisation.