Psychosomatics

What is psychosomatics?

Psychosomatics is a field that explores the connections between our psyche and our body. We can think of the psyche as a vast space that encompasses everything we think about or experience. All of this is stored within us, even if we are not thinking about it or even remembering it.

If such experiences are or have been threatening, they may have caused extreme stress to our organism. We may subconsciously try to suppress such experiences, but that's where the body comes in and reacts all the more strongly the more we resist the natural reaction.

What are the causes of psychosomatic illnesses?

Perhaps you have been ill at the worst possible time. It only takes a trivial virus to interrupt our work routine for a week. In the language of psychosomatics, we have escaped from the unbearable pressure we have put on ourselves or allowed to be put on us. Like other organs and organ systems, the immune system works under the influence of our emotions. Stress, for example, is responsible for its weakening. Sometimes our thoughts can also play a role. It also depends on how we interpret difficult situations. How we talk to ourselves, how we interpret what is happening around us. This can reduce or intensify stress.

The cause of psychosomatic illnesses is often an internal conflict. This is the result of what we desire and what we expect of ourselves (how we should be). In the example above, it may be the desire to be a child again and not have to do anything for a while, which conflicts with the fear of what will happen if I don't manage. In general, most psychosomatic problems are caused by a combination of different difficulties that together cause us long-term psychological strain.

The most common causes of psychosomatic problems include:

• lack of rest and sleep
• problems in relationships
• excessive stress at work or school
• long-term anxiety or depression
• feelings of guilt

How can I tell if my condition is psychosomatic?

You may have suffered from headaches for years. Sometimes your distress worsens, sometimes it seems to subside. Over the years, you've undergone many examinations, always with negative findings. You may even be doubting yourself. You're supposed to be perfectly healthy. So where does this persistent pain come from?

Typical signs of psychosomatic illness:

• the problem lasts for a long time (it is chronic) - the symptoms may diminish, only to intensify again
• specialist medical tests do not come back positive - if your doctor is not sure what is causing your problem, psychosomatics may be to blame

But to make things less clear, psychosomatic illness can also manifest itself in exactly the opposite way. The first thing that is detected may be a symptom without consciously experiencing it ourselves. Such an example might be a cancer patient or a couple confronted with infertility.

What are the most common psychosomatic problems?

To varied degrees, the origin, development, and course of most diseases are linked to our psyche. At the same time, any illness will have an impact on our lives on all levels.

Pain in numerous sections of the body is common, for example (migraines, limb pain, joint pain, painful movement, tooth pain, back pain, and so on). Asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic eczema, allergies, and Crohn's disease are examples of chronic psychosomatic disorders.

The location of the symptom in the body may be related to its function, but it may also be related to a symbolic likeness that is linked to a specific memory or previous experience. A grain of barley, for example, may suffice when we don't want to see anything, such as adultery or a situation we'd rather avoid.

Pain and psychosomatics

Psychological problems - mental stress, strain or anxiety - can cause different kinds of pain, especially long-term ones. We call these causes of pain psychosomatic and they manifest themselves throughout our bodies. We've listed some of them:

Back problems

It's not just physical causes behind back pain, but psychological ones too. Back pain can be the result of internal tension or stress.

The back is often a dumping ground for our feelings, emotions and conditions that have caused us pain.

Skin problems

Skin problems are usually brought on by increased stress, but lack of self-confidence can also contribute. This case of psychosomatic illness can also manifest itself in a baby who may develop eczema after stopping breastfeeding.

Atopic eczema can arise for a variety of reasons, including long-term psychological difficulties. Often eczema occurs in children.

Other skin psychosomatic complaints include:

• acne
• atopic eczema
• eczema around the eyes
• psoriasis
• cold sores

Breathing difficulties

Breathing difficulties of psychosomatic origin can be a sign that something in our lives is stifling us. It could be an unhealthy relationship, a job we don't like, or something we've been dreading for a long time.

Psychosomatic breathing problems include:

• asthma and asthma attacks
• cough
• bronchitis
• chest pressure

Digestive disorders

A number of digestive problems can also be attributed to mental discomfort. These problems can be caused by prioritising the needs of others over one's own, trying to meet the demands of others, fear of presenting or speaking in front of a crowd, and general nervousness.

Psychosomatic digestive problems may include:

• heartburn
• flatulence
• constipation or diarrhoea
• gastric neurosis
• stomach or gallbladder pain
• Crohn's disease

Problems with low blood pressure

Mental illness can affect your heart rhythm, blood pressure and a range of physical symptoms associated with your bloodstream.

Many people associate stress with high blood pressure, but it can also cause low blood pressure.

Hyperventilation (rapid breathing) is one of several links between psychological distress (e.g. anxiety) and low blood pressure
it is important to focus more on psychological problems - some people only deal with low blood pressure and do not see this link
of course, it is also necessary to measure your blood pressure from time to time

Chest pain

The physical symptoms of psychological problems vary for everyone and chest pressure can be one of them.

Everyone feels chest pain or pressure to a different degree and frequency. In general, we can summarize them as follows:

• sharp, shooting pain
• persistent chest pain
• unusual muscle twitching or cramping in the chest
• burning, numbness or dull pain
• stabbing pressure
• tension or pressure in the chest

Trouble with heartburn

According to research, up to 10-20% of the population in the Western world suffers from a disease called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Not every reflux has to be considered a disease, but when it occurs for a long time, this disease is an unpleasant companion that additionally damages the lining of the esophagus.

Psychological problems (e.g. stress or anxiety) can aggravate or trigger heartburn. This is associated with various reasons:

• anxiety can reduce the pressure in the lower oesophageal sphincter, which keeps the stomach closed and prevents acid from escaping into the oesophagus
• stress reactions and anxiety can cause prolonged muscle tension - this can affect the muscles around the stomach, increasing pressure on the organ and pushing acid up
• high levels of anxiety can increase stomach acid production

A cold or viral illness

The fact that the body is tired and needs rest can be signalled to us by a sudden cold or viral illness. It's a cry for help to slow down for a while and think about ourselves and our health too.

Fatigue can signal us psychosomatically:

• a cold
• cough
• sore throat

How can psychotherapy help me in the treatment of psychosomatic illnesses?

Psychotherapy helps to connect the client's life story with their physical being. If emotional wounds permeate our lives and we feel that we need to be constantly on guard in our relationships with others, for example, then our bodies can take advantage of the ability to store fat and create a protective armor that puts a safe distance between us and our surroundings.

Finding connections through life story then opens up useful possibilities for change. In this case, we would probably be dealing with relational patterns and our own self-worth. The relationships in which we live are also reflected in the relationship with the therapist, and one of the therapist's tasks would be to help us gain insight into them.

Other tools of psychotherapy include body-oriented techniques such as autogenic training, body-oriented perception therapy or focusing. Online therapy offers similar possibilities for working with psychosomatic illness.