Which disorder is described by patients complaining of physical illness over six months affecting multiple systems?

Somatization Disorder is characterized by the experience of physical symptoms that affect multiple systems and persist for an extended period, typically over six months. Patients with this disorder often report a variety of physical complaints that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition. This condition highlights the complex interplay between psychological factors and physical symptoms, where emotional distress manifests as physical problems. Such presentations can significantly impact patients' daily functioning and quality of life, leading them to seek medical care frequently.

In contrast, while anxiety disorders can involve physical symptoms, they primarily center around excessive worry and fear rather than the persistent experience of unexplained physical illness across multiple systems. Conversion disorder, on the other hand, involves neurological symptoms that cannot be attributed to a medical condition but typically arise following psychological stressors. Personality disorders focus on pervasive patterns of behavior and inner experience that deviate significantly from cultural expectations, which do not encompass the extended period of multiple physical symptoms characteristic of somatization disorder.