We failed her. Big time. Boston Children’s was experimenting on Justina Pelletier,

[pnwmom]

269. They used to think asthma was psychosomatic, until they figured out it wasn't.

When I was a kid I didn't bother telling my parents about my breathing problems at night because I was well read enough to know it was all in my head.



There is a controversy in the field about the disorder. The latest version of the psychiatric manual greatly expanded the number of patients who could end up with the disorder, and the editor of the previous manual has spoken up strongly against the new diagnosis, saying that it could sweep up many people with common diseases like cancer and diabetes. (You can be diagnosed with a somatic disorder if you appear to be overly concerned with your symptoms, in the opinion of a doctor.)

One of the Boston Globe articles from a few months ago quoted a doctor at BC who said they no longer were finding the term somatic disorder to be useful -- they preferred the term somatic symptoms, which could apply in connection with other diseases. So the doctors at BC eventually began to reject the general diagnosis, even as they kept the label on Justina.