Are you or someone you care about struggling with unexplained neurological symptoms that don’t seem to have a clear medical cause? At Crownview Psychiatric Institute, we offer specialized conversion disorder treatment in San Diego designed to help individuals find clarity, stability, and healing.
Through comprehensive residential care and evidence-based approaches, our team tailors treatment to each person’s unique symptoms and experiences, guiding them toward lasting recovery and improved well-being.
What Is Conversion Disorder?
Conversion disorder is a complex mental health condition characterized by severe physical or neurological symptoms that have no identified physiological cause. A person may suddenly develop blindness, paralysis, or hearing loss, but medical experts cannot identify physical reasons for these difficulties.
Conversion disorder is extremely rare, affecting only 0.00002%-0.00014% of the population annually.
Who Benefits from Our Conversion Disorder Treatment in San Diego?
We provide customized conversion disorder treatment for adults whose lives have been disrupted by acute symptoms of complex mental health concerns. We provide these services within the context of a welcoming and supportive community.
We employ the Unified Protocol along with a variety of additional methods and modalities to help clients overcome maladaptive thought patterns, acquire skills in mindfulness and distress tolerance, and regain control of their thoughts and actions.
Signs & Symptoms of Conversion Disorder
The signs of conversion disorder can vary considerably from one person to the next. Here are a few examples of how the symptoms of conversion disorder may feel to the person who has the condition or appear to someone else:
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Tics or tremors
- Diminished ability to walk
- Tunnel vision, double vision, or blindness
- Partial or complete loss of hearing
- Persistent sense of lump in one’s throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Speech difficulties, which can include problems forming words, inability to speak with appropriate volume, or loss of the ability to speak
- Frequently fainting or passing out
- Extended periods of unresponsiveness, which can make it appear as though the person is in a coma
People who have conversion disorder also have an increased risk for the following dissociative symptoms:
- Depersonalization, or the sensation that the individual is no longer directly connected to their own body and/or mind
- Derealization, which is the sense that the environment is distorted or distant, or that one has become detached from their surroundings
- Dissociative amnesia, or sudden and severe memory loss, which can include the inability to remember personal information such as one’s name or significant events from one’s past
The presence of dissociative symptoms or episodes are not a requirement for a diagnosis of conversion disorder. However, a December 2004 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that nearly half (47.4%) of patients with conversion disorder had a co-occurring dissociative disorder.
What Causes Conversion Disorder?
Experts have not identified a sole cause or precursor for conversion disorder. However, many mental health experts believe that the symptoms of this disorder represent physical manifestations of emotional distress. (The name of the disorder reflects this belief. It alludes to the conversion of psychological pain into physical symptoms.)
The following factors may increase a person’s risk for developing conversion disorder:
- Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect
- History of stressful life events
- Maladaptive personality traits
- Having an anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or personality disorder
- Developing a neurological disease that causes similar symptoms
- Having a close relative who has a neurological disease or disorder
Gender can also be a risk factor for conversion disorder. Experts estimate that this diagnosis is two to three times more common among girls and women than it is among boys and men.
Effects of Untreated Conversion Disorder
The effects of conversion disorder can vary a great deal depending on factors such as which symptoms a person develops, how often these symptoms occur, and how severe they are. The following are possible effects of conversion disorder:
- Disrupted friendships
- Being unable to find and keep a job
- Financial difficulties
- Onset of co-occurring mental health concerns
- Substance use
- Social withdrawal and isolation
Treatment for Conversion Disorder at CPI
At Crownview Psychiatric Institute, treatment for conversion disorder often includes therapy, medication, education, adjunct services, and wraparound support.
Therapy
A 2015 article in the journal Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience reports that “[t]he cornerstone of treatment for conversion disorder is psychotherapy aimed at elucidating the emotional bases of symptoms.”
CPI clients take part in several types of therapy, including individual, group, and family sessions. These sessions may incorporate the practices and principles of several therapeutic approaches, including:
- Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization & reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Strengths-based therapy
Medication
A psychiatrist conducts regular meetings with all CPI clients. This professional can prescribe medication when necessary and clinically appropriate. Antidepressants and anxiolytics have proved to be effective for some people who have conversion disorder.
Education
To prepare our clients for successful independent living after they transition out of our care, we offer instruction in both life skills and work skills.
- Life skills education addresses a variety of topics related to basic self-care, such as diet and nutrition, grooming and hygiene, time management, and household finances.
- Work skills education is designed to help clients get and keep a job after they have completed training. Services and activities include personal coaching, job search sessions, and mock interviews.
Adjunct Services
We offer a wide range of adjunct services that may augment a client’s treatment for conversion disorder. Our adjunct options include services such as psychological testing, GeneSight testing, and SPRAVATO® (estketamine) treatment.
Wraparound Support
Each CPI client is matched with an experienced case manager. Our case managers help coordinate our clients’ care and communicate with their family. They also help our clients with fundamental life skills such as connecting with community-based resources, getting a driver’s license, learning to use the local public transportation system, and applying for benefits.
Community & Connection
We understand the social challenges that our clients have faced, and we work diligently to help them feel welcomed, valued, and supported while they are in our care. We also make a concerted effort to help our clients improve their communication and socialization skills, so that they’ll be better prepared to successfully reintegrate into their community after they’ve completed their time with us.
Areas We Serve in San Diego County
Located in Oceanside, our anxiety treatment services are accessible to residents throughout North County San Diego and surrounding areas. We welcome clients from:
- Oceanside
- Carlsbad
- Vista
- Encinitas
- Solana Beach
- Del Mar
- San Marcos
- Escondido
- La Jolla
- All of San Diego County
- Orange County
Our Oceanside location provides convenient access via Interstate 5 and public transit connections. We can help coordinate transportation for clients traveling from outside the immediate area.
Begin Treatment for Conversion Disorder
We understand that seeking specialized treatment for conversion disorder is a significant decision. Our admissions coordinators are experienced in assessing complex cases and can help determine if our program is the right fit for your individual needs and recovery goals.
Contact us today to learn more and take the first step toward healing.
Gianna Melendez
Jodie Dahl, CpHT