Psychosomatics

Psychosomatics are two different things. On the one hand, this is a direction in medicine and psychology that studies the relationship between diseases and human psychology. On the other hand, in life, psychosomatics is more often called the actual health problems caused (apparently) by psychological reasons. It is more correct and strict to call it psychosomatic diseases and psychosomatic disorders, but in everyday communication it is called simply: psychosomatics.

That is what this article is about.

The disease, as a sharp decrease in working capacity, can occur both due to physiological and psychological reasons. Not every disease, despite the assurances of L. Hay, L. Bourbo and their followers, necessarily has psychological roots: any, the most mentally healthy person, can get sick with an infectious disease. Another thing is that if a person does not really want to be healthy, especially if there are certain benefits in the disease, diseases are much more likely to occur.

«Psychological» illnesses are more common in women than men, and more often in older people than in younger people. Children need to make a special effort to get sick. Older people need to make great efforts to be healthy and not get sick. To get sick, it is enough for an elderly person to stop caring about their health, to stop wanting to be healthy. However, children are also quite inventive, and if they wish, most children easily get sick when it is beneficial for them. Many adults do the same.

Practically no one today denies the psychological background, the psychological factor in the occurrence of diseases, the whole question is the specific weight of this factor. It’s one thing for a woman to get sick with the flu because of an influenza epidemic, albeit against the background of the “why not get sick” mindset. There is a psychological factor here, but it is not decisive. Another thing is when, for example, a woman falls ill with a severe form of asthma — for no apparent reason, without any seemingly physiological and social prerequisites — but just when her husband was about to leave her. If her asthma worsens each time when her husband again has a fantasy of leaving her, we can rather talk about psychosomatics — health problems caused primarily by psychological factors.

Psychosomatic diseases and disorders are those that are caused by psychogenic factors, the causes of which are to a greater extent the mental processes of the patient than directly any physiological causes.

If the medical examination fails to detect a physical or organic cause of the disease, if the disease is the result of such emotional states as anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, or if there is reason to believe the psychological benefits of the disease — in these cases, the disease can be classified as having a psychosomatic nature.

Unlike hypochondria, which is mistakenly considered by some to be a psychosomatic illness, those with psychosomatic illnesses experience real pain, real nausea, or other real physical symptoms, but without a diagnosable cause.

In modern medicine, the term «psychosomatics» has acquired a largely negative connotation: doctors often call «psychosomatics» anything that refers to simulation, mental disorders, or outright fraud.

Organic or psychosomatic?

If you have a cold, asthma, stomach ulcer or headache, a good doctor will recognize this as a somatic and most likely will treat with medicine. A psychologist or a psychologically oriented doctor will suggest that this is all psychosomatics and suggest psychotherapy. What to believe?

Concerning some diseases today there are fierce disputes among experts: it is somatics (organic), psychosomatics or in general simulation. First of all, these are “chemical sensitivity” (MCS), “Gulf War syndrome”, “chronic fatigue syndrome”. Many diseases at one time were considered psychosomatics — exactly until medicine found the physiological causes of these diseases and learned how to treat them. These are asthma, allergies, imaginary pregnancy and migraines. If you have similar health problems, you’d better see a doctor, not a psychologist.

The main rule: if we can assume both psychosomatics and medical problems, we go to the doctor, not to the psychologist. If you have a cold, bronchial asthma, a stomach ulcer or a headache, you should see a doctor, not psychologists. All health problems must first be treated by a doctor. Turning to a psychologist or psychotherapist, bypassing a doctor, means risking your health.

The essence of the claims to the passion for psychological methods of treatment is the same as the claims to treatment with the help of healers: the point is not that the operations of healers can directly harm the patient, but in a possible delay or even exclusion of conventional treatment, which is fraught with fatal consequences.

If, despite the efforts of high-quality doctors, the issue is not resolved, then it is possible and it makes sense to turn to a psychologist about psychosomatics↑.

Working with psychosomatics

Psychosomatics is most often treated with suggestions, tranquilizers and the removal of a problematic situation that allegedly caused somatic disorders. Sometimes it is promising to analyze the internal benefits of cash psychosomatics. Options for psychological work with psychosomatics, see →