Phobic Postural Vertigo & the Implications of a Pyschogenic Disorder

Psychological disorders can lead to significant reductions in the quality of life when not managed effectively. For many adults, the development of a psychological disorder often results in the desire to seek mental health treatment in an effort to improve emotional, cognitive and physical functioning.

For individuals who suffer from psychogenic disorder, however, the complications can be quite difficult to manage. For some individuals, the development of a psychogenic disorder known as phobic postural vertigo leads to a profound reduction in the quality of life. Considered distinctly different from a phobia, but not yet a panic disorder, phobic postural vertigo may be the most prevalent form of vertigo among adults from age 20 to age 50.

If you suffer from vertigo, your first inclination may be to seek treatment from a medical practitioner who specializes in disorders of the ears, nose and throat. In many cases, the ENT specialist will order a variety of tests in an effort to diagnose your vertigo complication and resolve a treatment plan to manage symptoms. However, if your symptoms related to the psychogenic disorder known as phobic postural vertigo, an ENT specialist may not be the sole specialty to be involved in your treatment plan.

Symptoms of this phobic postural vertigo include dizziness and feeling unsteady, especially when walking or simply standing. For many sufferers, the symptoms are described as having a numbing effect. Often, there is a fear of falling and many patients find they develop an extreme fear of even moving when the complication arises. If you suffer from these complications, your symptoms may also reveal that you, as a general rule, carry a personality trait that is very introverted, with high demands upon yourself, and somewhat controlling. As a result, when life events do not follow your path of control, and you feel you have failed in your actions or events, the symptoms of phobic postural vertigo may ensue, often leading to reactive depression and feelings of irritation and anxiety.

Phobic postural vertigo has a cyclical effect. While the physical symptoms may be brought about by a particular event, a person who suffers from this complication may simply find the feeling of dizziness can lead to the physical symptoms.

In treating this psychogenic disorder, it is important to understand the deep connection of mind to body. Because you may be an individual who places high pressure upon yourself, and takes even the slightest pitfalls or setbacks as a defeat, you can expect there will be a psychological component to arise that is adverse, even resulting in the feelings of vertigo. Therefore, upon examination by an ENT, if no organic complication is found to be connected to your vertigo disorder, it may be necessary to seek evaluation from a psychiatrist.

While many individuals who suffer from vertigo insist their complication is a direct result of a physical ailment, there are many cases where the complication is actually psychogenic. When suffering from the psychogenic disorder known as phobic postural vertigo, no amount of medical attention will resolve your symptoms until you seek attention for the underlying psychological complication.