Mental problems can lead to a wide variety of clinical pictures. The symptoms are correspondingly diverse.
They are widespread, for example:
Doctors assume a psychosomatic illness if they have not found a physical cause despite careful diagnostics.
Almost everyone knows that mental stress leads to physical problems: stress "hits the stomach", anxiety "gets to us" or "gets to our kidneys".
These expressions can sometimes be taken quite literally: Stress and other pressures can lead to stomach pain, neck tension or other symptoms.
80 percent of Germans experience physical problems in the course of their lives that stem from their psyche.
In many cases, the complaints pass by themselves. Patients pay little attention to them. For some people, however, the complaints persist for a long time.
They become chronic and take up more space in life, without the connection to the psychological cause being recognizable. This is referred to as a psychosomatic illness or somatoform disorder.
There are other illnesses that are not caused by emotional stress alone. However, they promote and aggravate them.
These include, for example
Modern medicine assumes that many organic illnesses also have a psychological component.
Children also often suffer from psychosomatic disorders @ HENADZY /AdobeStock
The causes of psychosomatic illnesses are varied.
Possible causes include, for example
- Stress
- Anxiety and worry
- grief
- unresolved conflicts
- traumatic experiences
- difficult life circumstances
- depression
These stresses lead to various physical reactions:
- Muscles tense up
- stress hormones prevent the body from being sufficiently nourished and relaxed
- Sleep is disturbed
- the metabolism changes
- Organs are not sufficiently supplied
If this condition persists, physical pain and other symptoms can develop. In the worst case, these can take on a life of their own.
The complaints usually lead to greater stress, which in turn exacerbates the symptoms. A vicious circle develops.
In the case of physical symptoms, doctors usually first look for a physical trigger. If this cannot be found, a psychological cause is generally suspected.
The next step is a psychological diagnosis to confirm this suspicion. Here, doctors primarily examine the patient's life circumstances and stress levels.
The important thing to understand about psychosomatic illnesses is that the symptoms are not "imaginary", but actually exist and are sometimes very stressful.
The fact that there are no physical causes is often even more unsettling for those affected. Clumsy statements such as "Nothing is wrong with you" give patients the feeling that something is wrong with their perception.
After all, they clearly feel the physical complaints and feel left alone.
Many patients cannot imagine that stress, worries, fears and other emotional burdens are the cause of their problems. And even in the healthcare professions, there is often not enough focus on the possibility of a psychosomatic illness.
Many doctors stilllimit themselves to physical examinations. This is despite the fact that modern medicine has long known that psychosomatic complaints are common.
Patients often consult many doctors or turn to alternative healing methods in order to find someone who can help them. This often takes years before the correct diagnosis is made and the appropriate treatment can begin.
Since the cause of the illness lies in the emotional sphere, this is where therapy must also begin. This is why psychotherapy is the main treatment option for psychosomatic illnesses.
This works with a wide variety of methods. The focus is usually on the psychotherapeutic conversation, which serves to recognize and reduce the patient's stress.
Many physical illnesses require psychotherapeutic co-treatment @ Pormezz /AdobeStock
Together with the person affected, the therapist works out solutions to help the patient reduce or better cope with stressful situations.
Relaxation techniques, occupational therapy, social therapy as well as movement and body therapy are also used.
At the same time, it can be helpful to improve the physical symptoms through medication, manual therapy or other measures.
In some cases, medication (psychotropic drugs) is used to improve the patient's mental state. Also to make treatment possible in the first place.
