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It's no secret that the mind and body can influence each other, or, more simply, the mind and body are interconnected. But how strong can this connection be? IN Lately We often hear the term “psychosomatics” from television screens, newspapers, articles on the Internet, and sometimes from doctors. “Sometimes from doctors” not because doctors do not know about it, but rather because of the obvious difficulties in understanding cause-and-effect relationships by patients themselves. We are not ready for the pediatrician’s conclusion “Your child is sick a lot because he doesn’t want to go to kindergarten and misses his parents” or the words of the ENT specialist “You have a sore throat because you forbid yourself to express the grievances that have accumulated against your parents/children/relatives.” Doctors simply treat, cure diseases - often the consequences...

“Tell me what your character is, and I’ll tell you what you’re sick with” or “Tell me your illness, and I’ll tell you who you are” are the main postulates of modern psychosomatics.

The term “psychosomatics” itself comes from the ancient Greek words psyche - soul and soma - body. This is a direction in medicine (psychosomatic medicine) and psychology that studies the influence of psychological factors on the occurrence and course of somatic (physical) diseases.

Psychosomatics is considered alternative medicine and explores the connections between personal characteristics person (character traits, personality, behavior style, emotional conflicts) and physical (somatic) diseases. The basis of psychosomatics is considered characteristic of people a psychological defense mechanism called repression. A person tries with all his might not to think about troubles, to distance himself from problems, and not to analyze his life. But problems do not go away, and such repression transfers them from the level of their origin (social - relationships, psychological - desires, aspirations, suppressed emotions, internal conflict, spiritual) to the level of the physical body.

These are not just interpretations and assumptions of people “not of this world,” as many may think, there is scientific evidence obtained through research. The most studied psychological factors of the following diseases and symptoms: bronchial asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, essential arterial hypertension, headache, tension, dizziness, autonomic disorders such as panic attacks (often called “vegetative-vascular dystonia”). There is also Feedback- in medicine, the influence of somatic diseases on the psyche is also studied.

And these are not conjectures of our time; the theory about the influence of the soul and spirit on the body was relevant in Greek philosophy and medicine. And the Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher Claudius Galen believed that in 60% of his patients the symptoms were of emotional rather than physical origin. He said: “The human mind is special art, which can replace all other drugs." Even the famous Hippocrates stated, “ The human brain contains the cause of many diseases" Many authors find the roots of psychosomatic medicine in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates.

Officially, the term “psychosomatic” appeared in 1818, it was introduced by the German doctor Johann Christian August Heinroth. Further his follower - German philosopher, the writer Novalis announced the following point of view: “All illnesses should be considered as bodily insanity.”

New round modern history psychosomatics began with Freud's concept. The Austrian psychologist, psychiatrist and neurologist Sigmund Freud wrote: “If we drive a problem out the door, then it climbs out the window in the form of a symptom.” Together with Breuer, Freud proved that “repressed emotion”, “psychic trauma” through conversions can manifest themselves as a somatic syndrome. Freud believed that what was needed was “somatic readiness,” a physical factor that was relevant for “organ selection.”

Some researchers believe that even such a phenomenon as stigmata is a psychosomatic disease, which is based on identification with the biblical torment of Christ.

The eminent scientist and psychotherapist Leslie Leckron proposed his classification of the causes of development psychosomatic diseases, which is considered reliable by many researchers and doctors:

Conflict

This refers to the internal conflict between in different parts personality. As a rule, one such part is conscious, and the other is hidden in the unconscious. An internal battle between two opposing desires or tendencies can lead to the superiority of one of the parts, but in this case the second begins to actively act, and psychosomatic symptoms become manifestations of such a war.

A simple example: a person has a job that he considers worthy and brings income, let it be some kind of work with his hands. But in fact, in his soul a person loves and dreams of singing, but this does not seem to be a completely rational desire and there is no time for it. And then at one point the person’s joints in his hands begin to ache wildly, and he cannot continue to work for some time. Sitting at home, a person realizes that he has time to sing...

Language of the body

This happens when our body reflects our condition, which we would describe in words as: “this is like a headache for me,” “my heart is in the wrong place for him,” “it ties my hands.” And this causes pain or illness in certain organs, difficulty breathing, migraines, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Motivation or conditional benefit

It is important to note that in this case the person does not simulate or deceive anything. Health problems are very real, but they bring certain benefits, “lead” to specific purpose.

Experience of the past

In this version, the traumatic experience of the past ( childhood experience) which continues to influence a person long time becomes a trigger for a new “processing”. That is the real reason Many chronic or constantly recurrent diseases can be looked for in the distant past.

Identification

A real physical symptom may arise if identification occurs with a person who has the same disease or symptomatology. This is often caused by a strong emotional connection with that person. This is especially true when a person is terminally ill or has already died. Fear of loss or actual loss plays a role here.

Suggestion

This may be a consequence of self-hypnosis, when the thought of one’s own illness materializes on an unconscious level. Also, of their own free will or involuntarily, symptoms can be suggested by people who have authority or who happen to be nearby at a moment of emotional intensity.

Self-punishment

There is also self-punishment, and it is also unconscious. The reason for this is real or imagined guilt that torments a person.

Several cases from medical practice tell when misdiagnosis of cancer provoked the development of symptoms of this terrible disease, the person literally died before our eyes. But after finding out that the tumor was benign and there was no reason to worry, recovery occurred rapidly.

Expert opinion:

Psychosomatics in in a broad sense This concept is the influence of a person’s mental sphere on his physical state. This includes, among other things, those symptoms and diseases that are caused by psycho- emotional condition.

On the one hand, it would be completely wrong to believe that all diseases come from nerves, but at the same time, according to various sources, up to 30% of physical disorders are caused by psychogenic factors.

However, for the development of diseases of a psychogenic nature, there must still be some organic weakness, which is the foundation for further development violations. Thus, psychosomatics is not so much the cause of the disease as its catalyst, a provoking factor.

However, psychosomatics often causes individual symptoms rather than entire diseases. The most common of them are: diarrhea and abdominal pain with excitement, tension headaches, discomfort and a feeling of tension in the shoulders, heart pain and much more. Such symptoms do not always pose a threat to a person’s life, but they cause discomfort and significantly affect the quality of his life.

In any case, if complaints arise, you should first contact a somatic doctor to rule out physical causes of the disease. Sometimes this may require a more thorough study, since the human body is very a complex system and the reasons for disruptions in the operation of this system can be extremely diverse. And only when all possible physical causes of the disorder have been excluded, does it make sense to consult a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

Treatment of psychosomatic disorders is usually complex and includes: drug support, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.

Anton Yurievich Pokalyukhin, psychologist at the Ukrainian Tomotherapy Center

The main thing to remember is that all existing information must be perceived high level consciousness, so as not to rush to extremes - the role of medicine and psychology is equally important for our full, joyful life. Each person is a unique individual, and everyone has their own share of the conscious and unconscious. Be attentive to yourself and your body, learn to understand and analyze all signals and tips and be healthy, in harmony with yourself!

In the scientific understanding, psychosomatics is a direction at the intersection of medicine and psychology, studying the relationship between diseases at the physiological level and psychological state. The concept itself has existed for about 200 years. However, recently, in addition to psychosomatic specialists themselves, more and more doctors and psychologists say that the origin of many human diseases lies in psychological and emotional factors, for example, personality traits, attitude towards one’s illness, and traumas suffered.

Psychosomatic diseases include bronchial asthma, allergies, headaches, including migraines, some diseases of the heart and gastrointestinal tract, dermatitis, radiculitis, infertility with the exception of pathologies of the reproductive system, obesity and many others. To achieve the highest results in the treatment of psychosomatics, it is necessary in addition to medical intervention. It's also possible that psychological techniques will be the main method aimed at improving the patient’s health.

Psychological causes of psychosomatic diseases

How do psychological factors influence the occurrence of physical diseases? According to the classification of one of the specialists in the field of psychosomatics, Leslie LeCron, there are several main sources of psychosomatic disorders.

• Self-punishment. A person, experiencing a feeling of guilt, falls ill, and his illness becomes, in a way, an unconscious punishment of himself. This situation can alleviate feelings of guilt. But, as we understand, the disorder can significantly affect the quality of life of an individual and lead to irreversible consequences.
• Conflict. The basis for the appearance of malaise can be an intrapersonal conflict, which will consist in the struggle of two opposing interests of the individual and will lead, relatively speaking, to the victory of one of them. At the same time, the “losing” part of the personality begins to “defend its rights,” which will manifest itself in the form of psychosomatics, that is, symptoms of diseases.
• Identification. A person identifies himself with a close person who is or has been ill. In this case, similar symptoms or the same disease appear. More often we're talking about about a strong emotional connection, and there is a possibility that he will die or has already died, so there is a fear of his loss, and in fact this has already happened.
• Language of the body. Sometimes illness becomes a means of expression internal state. As illustrative examples one can cite the following statements: “it only causes a headache”, “I can’t digest it”, “my heart aches for it”, “my hands are tied”. At the same time, a specific organ begins to hurt, migraines or digestive system disorders appear, breathing becomes difficult or the heart hurts.
• Experience of the past. Traumatic situations from the past can also be the basis of ill health. Usually this is a negative childhood experience - a single traumatic episode or systematic exposure and prolonged stay in an unfavorable situation. Despite the fact that a lot of time has passed, the person continues to worry. It is this emotional state that leaves its mark on the body, contributing to the occurrence of symptoms. And the illness will not go away until there is an opportunity to process and let go of the situation of the past and the experiences themselves.
• Motivation (conditional benefit). Malaise occurs with the aim of bringing some benefit to its owner. But this cannot be called a simulation; the symptoms appear unconsciously. And it becomes a means to achieve a certain goal, for example, a child gets sick in order to get the attention of his parents.
• Suggestion. In this case, the symptoms of the disease appear through suggestion, then the person unconsciously accepts the thought of his disturbed condition. The suggestion of a symptom occurs under the influence of people who have authority or who simply happen to be nearby during a difficult period.

In order to identify such causes, you will need an individual consultation with a psychologist specializing in psychosomatics and neuroses. Only classes with a psychologist will allow you to understand and work through the problem that led to the emergence of a psychosomatic illness and get rid of it.

Psychosomatics of diseases - how to treat?

As we already understand, psychosomatic diseases are based on psychological and emotional reasons for their occurrence, a kind of defense mechanism that helps a person achieve certain psychological goals at the cost of health. However, most diseases are reversible in nature, in other words, it is possible to completely recover and get rid of the disorder forever, both independently and with timely, professional help from a psychosomatic psychologist, taking into account an integrated approach.

The desire of the patient himself to cope with the disease and become healthy is of great importance. If you suspect that you or close person susceptible to psychosomatics, you can directly on the site. Professional assistance from a consultant with extensive experience and your desire to be healthy are a guarantee of effective work and obtaining maximum results in the optimal time frame!

In any case, if you have reason to believe that the illness is associated with psychological reasons, be sure to seek help from a psychosomatic psychologist. Most likely, already at the first consultation your assumptions will be confirmed or refuted.

It is not always possible to determine the exact cause of the disease. Often its roots are much deeper than it might seem at first glance.
"Psychosomatic" translated from Greek language means “psycho” - soul and “soma, somatos” - body. This term was introduced into medicine in 1818 by the German psychiatrist Johann Heinroth, who was the first to say that negative emotion, remaining in memory or regularly repeated in a person’s life, poisons his soul and undermines his physical health.

However, Heinroth was unoriginal. Even the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who considered the body and soul to be a single whole, voiced the idea of health depends on the state of mind . Doctors of Eastern medicine also adhered to this, and Heinroth’s theory of psychosomatics was supported by two world famous psychiatrists: Franz Alexander and Sigmund Freud, who believed that suppressed, unexpressed emotions will find an outlet, giving rise to incurable diseases bodies.

Causes of psychosomatic diseases

Psychosomatic diseases are diseases in the occurrence of which the main role is played by psychological factors , and in to a greater extent — psychological stress .

You can select five emotions on which the psychosomatic theory is based:

• sadness
• anger
• interest
• fear
• joy.

Proponents of the psychosomatic theory believe that it is not negative emotions as such that are dangerous, but their unspoken. Suppressed, muffled anger turns into disappointment and resentment, which destroy the body. Although not only anger, but any negative emotion that has not found a way out leads to internal conflict, which in turn gives rise to disease. Medical statistics show that at 32-40 percent cases, the basis for the emergence of diseases is not viruses or bacteria, but internal conflicts, stress and mental trauma .
Stress is a major factor in the manifestation of psychosomatic diseases, its a vital role This has been proven by doctors not only through clinical observations, but also confirmed by studies conducted on many species of animals.

Emotional stress experienced by people can lead to serious consequences, up to development oncological diseases .

Psychosomatics of diseases - symptoms

As a rule, diseases of a psychosomatic nature “masked” as symptoms of various somatic diseases , such as: stomach ulcer, hypertension, vegetative-vascular dystonia, asthenic conditions, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, etc.

If these signs occur, the patient seeks medical help. Doctors prescribe the necessary examinations, based on human complaints. After completing the procedures, the patient is prescribed complex of medicines, which lead to relief of the condition - and, alas, bring only temporary relief, and the disease returns again after a short period of time. In this case, we must assume that we are dealing with a psychosomatic basis of the disease, since psychosomatics is a subconscious signal to the body, which is expressed through a disease, and therefore cannot be cured with medication.

Sample list of psychosomatic diseases

The list of psychosomatic diseases is very large and varied, but it can be grouped as follows:

• Respiratory diseases (hyperventilation syndrome, bronchial asthma);
• Cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia, essential hypertension, myocardial infarction, cardiophobic neurosis, heart rhythm disturbance);
• Psychosomatics of eating behavior (anorexia nervosa, obesity, bulimia);
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers of the duodenum and stomach, emotional diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.);
• Skin diseases (skin itching, urticaria, atopic neurodermatitis, etc.);
• Diseases of an endocrinological nature (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus);
• Gynecological diseases (dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, functional sterility, etc.).
• Psychovegetative syndromes;
• Diseases associated with functioning musculoskeletal system (rheumatic diseases);
• Malignant neoplasms;
• Functional disorders of sexual type (impotence, frigidity, early or late ejaculation, etc.);
• Depression;
• Headache (migraine);
• Infectious diseases.

Psychosomatic diseases and character - who is at risk?

Unfortunately, only medications can be used to treat illnesses that arise during psychological level, it is impossible to cure. Try to take a different path. Do a new, exciting activity for yourself, go to the circus, ride a tram, ride an ATV, go on a trip, if funds allow, or organize a hike... In a word, provide yourself with the brightest, positive impressions and emotions , and look - all diseases will disappear as if by hand!