Depression and Somatic Symptoms in a Non-Western Physician

Because of the high prevalence and association of somatic symptoms in depression, a holistic treatment plan that also targets the associated somatic symptoms can be the cornerstone for such patients. In this paper, we present the case of a 53-year-old male physician with depression associated with the somatic symptoms of dysphagia. The initial failure in treating his swallowing defect led to the deterioration in his condition. Moreover, his unique history, complicated by multifactorial life stressors, also raises the attention that there are a variety of presentations of depression.