Psychosomatic disorders: when the mind hurts the body.
Psychosomatic diseases are evidence of the power that the mind can exert on the body. In a psychosomatic episode, the patient experiences a series of real physical symptoms associated with an invisible disease. The permit does not exist organically, but is the result of mental conflicts or unresolved problems that the patient has on the inside.
It's hard to believe stories about students who lose the ability to see before a test because of anxiety. Or the story of a 60-year-old woman who lost the mobility of her legs because she thought she had a tumor in her spine.
But this is the reality for many.
"Your body tells you something is not right inside, and you do not see it."
-Suzanne O'Sullivan-
Is it real?
How hard it is to believe there is plenty of evidence that these episodes happen every day. They are playing all the time and worldwide.
As a result, neurologists and specialized psychologists have quickly learned to give these patients space to talk about what affects them. If they say they have pain, it's probably true, even if it's not visible on computer tomographs or in blood samples.
It is important to validate the patient's suffering. The same applies to patients with depression who say they have suicidal thoughts or a person with schizophrenia who are seeing and have hallucinations.
These realities exist in their minds and can be devastating. When our senses - traumatized and vulnerable to intense anxiety - take control are all possible.
Psychosomatic diseases - is everything really just in my head?
Psychosomatic diseases include all sets of symptoms that do not have physical or organic correlation. They are the pains and limitations that are entirely the result of mental processes. Now you may wonder - is everything really just in my head?
The truth is that this field is still full of mysteries. Something we know is that this spectrum of physical disorders associated but mental stresses has a cerebral correlation: the hyperactivity of the nerve impulses in the brain as they communicate with different parts of the body.
Who's affected?
Anything else that patients experience are high levels of adrenaline in the blood as well as altered biological parameters. An example of this is increased metabolism of glucose or amino acids.
At the same time, researchers have shown that some people are more susceptible to psychosomatic diseases. Patients who have a lot of anxiety or who have had traumatic childhood due to abuse or neglect tend to be at higher risk for these types of problems.
There is something more important than understanding or not understanding the cause of psychosomatic diseases. Imagine a doctor explaining to a patient that what she does not feel is real. That chest pain is not a heart attack, that she did not lose voice due to a problem with the vocal cords or that the horrific migraine is not caused by a tumor.
It's okay to tell the patient what she does not have, but how do we help her to heal what she actually has if everything takes place in her mind?
This is something that affects us all. But I can not say why this mechanism decides to create a pathology in some individuals. The thing is that we all have different ways to deal with stress. "
-Suzanne O'Sullivan-
Problems that are generated in the mind
Psychosomatic diseases can affect all organs, systems, tissues or structures. Their influence can be intense and we must not underestimate the power of psychology. Similarly, it is important to distinguish between somatic diseases and psychosomatic diseases.
In the former, there are never any physical symptoms. In the latter there is visible damage to the body (wounds for example). Here are some examples of the diseases:
The most classical of the psychosomatic diseases are skin problems such as eczema, rashes, infections, acne, etc.
Hypertonia, tachycardia, difficulty breathing and chest pain are other common symptoms.
Diseases in the digestive system are very common. The most common are irritable bowel (IBS) and ulcer.
Intensive headaches and migraines are also common.
Memory loss.
Bronchial asthma
Human pain, menstrual problems.
Alopecia.
In extreme cases, patients have experienced temporary blindness, paralysis in limbs, fainting, etc.
What is the treatment for psychosomatic diseases?
There are two approaches for the treatment of psychosomatic diseases. On the one hand, the first and most obvious method is to treat physical symptoms that the patient has (gastric ulcers, infections, eczema ...).
However, the most important thing is to find out what the cause of the problem is. In other words, understanding the psychological roots of the disease. This unresolved mental tension appears in the body to different degrees.
How to treat these cases varies. They always depend on the patient's specific circumstances. It is best to try different methods to see which one works for the patient. The therapists can try to observe which techniques have the most positive results.
Relaxation techniques are always very effective.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is extremely helpful in teaching patients new ways to deal with their problems. They will understand how their minds work, apply realistic goals and identify the thought patterns that need to change. It will help the patient to have a more positive lifestyle.
Another type of therapy that has similar positive results is psychoanalysis. This is effective in treating mental and emotional conflicts as well as anxiety disorders.
Group therapy, such as psychodrama (created by Jacob Levy Moreno), is another useful, stimulating and satisfying strategy.
Finding a solution for patients suffering from psychosomatic diseases is an important challenge for today's doctor. The reality of these patients is very difficult, and they deserve our attention and tactfulness.
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