Which condition involves experiencing physical symptoms with no medical explanation?

The condition that involves experiencing physical symptoms with no medical explanation is somatoform disorders. Individuals with somatoform disorders present with various physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition or substance use. These symptoms can cause significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Somatoform disorders fall under the broader category of psychological conditions where psychological factors manifest as physical symptoms. Common examples include somatic symptom disorder, conversion disorder, and illness anxiety disorder. The crucial aspect is that these individuals genuinely feel the physical symptoms, even though tests and examinations do not reveal an underlying medical issue.

In contrast, obsessive-compulsive disorder primarily involves intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors rather than unexplained physical symptoms. Panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks, which include physical sensations linked to intense fear, and phobias involve irrational fears of specific objects or situations. While these other conditions can cause significant distress and have physical components, they do not fit the definition of experiencing unexplained physical symptoms as seen in somatoform disorders.