Prevention

Little is known about how to prevent somatic symptom disorder. However, these recommendations may help.

• If you have problems with anxiety or depression, seek professional help as soon as possible.
• Learn to recognize when you're stressed and how this affects your body — and regularly practice stress management and relaxation techniques.
• If you think you have somatic symptom disorder, get treatment early to help stop symptoms from getting worse and impairing your quality of life.
• Stick with your treatment plan to help prevent relapses or worsening of symptoms.