My mother has just been diagnosed with Severe Somatoform Disorder. She is 64 years old and in her words has been sick as long as she can remember (she tells stories of being sick when she was 3 years old), so basically her entire life. She has been in and out of hospital for so many years, as long as I can remember and I am in my mid-30s. She complains of gastro/digestive issues, she has terrible balance and will just fall down, so can't leave the house unless in a wheelchair, and she suffers from what she calls "attacks" but what the Dr tells us are "false seizures." My sister and I have felt for some time that her medical problems were related to stress, as there seem to be cycles of very bad periods usually around the time that something major is going to take place (my wedding, and I'm her only son), a trip overseas, moving out of the house she has lived in for over 30 years etc.
I guess my question is what does this diagnosis mean for her and our family? For the last year and a half she has been solely focused on her illness and finding a cure for it, to the point that she has barely spent any time with her new grandson, and now to find out that the diagnosis is Severe Somatoform Disorder ... I just don't see her accepting this diagnosis .. she has pushed for so many years against the idea that it is not a mystery illness that just can't be diagnosed. Please help me.