Psychosomatics. Why are diseases born in the head?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Sometimes our illness carries us this or that symbolic message - you just need to learn to understand the language in which it speaks to us through its symptoms. Moreover, it's not so difficult …

Unsuccessfully treated for stomach ulcers? Aren't you too often engaged in "self-criticism", "gnaw yourself"? Tortured by neck pain? Isn't it time to throw off those who sit on it? Does it hurt your back? Have you taken on an unreasonably heavy burden? Do you suffer from asthma attacks? Think about what or who does not allow you to “breathe deeply”, “cuts off the oxygen” … The causes of our illnesses are often psychological, that's the point …

“Just as one cannot start treating the eye without thinking about the head, or treating the head without thinking about the whole organism, so one cannot heal the body without treating the soul,” Socrates said.

The father of medicine, Hippocrates, also argued that the body is a single structure. And he emphasized that it is very important to look for and eliminate the cause of the disease, and not just its symptoms. And the reasons for our bodily ailments are very often explained by our psychological distress.

No wonder they say: "All diseases are from the nerves."

True, we often do not know about this and continue in vain to beat the doorsteps of doctors' offices. But if some problem exists in our head, then the disease, even if it subsides for a while, soon comes back again. There is only one way out in this situation - not just to eliminate the symptoms, but to look for the roots of the disease. This is what psychosomatics does (Greek psyche - soul, soma - body) - a science that studies the influence of psychological factors on bodily diseases.

Psychotherapist Sergei Novikov:

"Psychosomatics is not just the relationship of the physical and mental, it is a holistic approach to a patient who ceases to be a bearer of some organ or symptom of a disease, but becomes a full-fledged personality with his own internal problems and, as a result, bodily ailments."

Back in the 30s of the last century, one of the founders of psychosomatics, Franz Alexander, identified a group of seven classic psychosomatic diseases, the so-called "holy seven". It included: essential (primary) hypertension, gastric ulcer, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism, bronchial asthma, colitis and neurodermatitis. Currently, the list of psychosomatic disorders has expanded significantly.

Sergey Novikov: “According to the World Health Organization, 38 to 42% of all people visiting somatic doctors are psychosomatic patients. Although, in my opinion, this figure is much higher."

Stresses, prolonged nervous tension, mental trauma, suppressed resentments, fears, conflicts … Even if we try not to notice them, forget, force them out of our consciousness, the body remembers everything. And it reminds us. Sigmund Freud wrote about it this way:

"If we drive a problem out the door, then it climbs out the window as a symptom."

Sometimes she "climbs" so persistently, speaks to us so eloquently that it would seem impossible not to understand. Nevertheless, we manage to …

Bronchial asthma occurs when certain allergens enter the respiratory tract, it can be caused by an infection, as well as by emotional factors.

If we talk about the psychological underpinnings of this disease, then they are considered to be the impossibility of a person "to breathe deeply." Asthma often catches up with us when our life situation develops in such a way that we are looking for and do not find an "outlet", we live in a "heavy, oppressive atmosphere", not getting a "breath of fresh air" …

The trigger mechanism for the development of this disease can also serve as an unfavorable working environment, where a promising employee is “cut off oxygen”. Or, for example, the invasion of distant relatives who have firmly settled in our apartment - so that "do not breathe." Breathing problems often arise in people whose loved ones literally "strangle" them with their care, especially in children whose parents "squeeze them too tightly in their arms" …

The famous doctor, psychotherapist and writer Valery Sinelnikov, author of the book "Love your disease", believes that it is difficult for most asthmatics to cry:

“As a rule, asthmatics do not cry at all in life. Such people hold back tears, sobs. Asthma is a suppressed sob … an attempt to express something that cannot be expressed in any other way …"

And the doctor of medical sciences, professor, head of the Wiesbaden Academy of Psychotherapy (Germany) N. Pezeshkian, is convinced that many asthma patients come from families where achievements were highly valued, too high demands were made. “Pull yourself together!”; “Try!”; "Get a hold of yourself!"; "Look, don't let me down!" - these and similar calls they heard too often in childhood.

At the same time, the manifestation by children of dissatisfaction with their position, aggression and other negative emotions in families was not welcomed. Unable to enter into open confrontation with the parents, such a child suppresses his feelings. He is silent, but his body speaks the language of bronchial asthma symptoms, it “cries”, asking for help.

It is believed that a stomach ulcer can be provoked by smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, hereditary predisposition, a high concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, as well as an aggressive bacterium with the beautiful name Helicobacter Pylori.

Meanwhile, these unfavorable factors do not cause illness in all people. Why is this happening? Most scientists agree that, among other things, prolonged stress and character traits inherent in many ulcer patients play an important role in the development of ulcers.

So, psychologists are inclined to believe that often stomach ulcers occur in people who are anxious, vulnerable, insecure, but at the same time making excessively high demands on themselves, hyperresponsible. They are always dissatisfied with themselves, prone to self-flagellation and "self-criticism." This is the aphorism dedicated to them: "The cause of the ulcer is not what you eat, but what gnaws at you." Often, peptic ulcer disease occurs and those who are "stuck" in a particular situation, unable to accept the new circumstances of their lives. “I need time to digest it,” such a person explains his position. And his stomach, meanwhile, digests itself.

"All this makes me sick!" - we are talking about a disgusted job, with which, however, for one reason or another, we do not quit. Or we can not refrain from constant sarcastic remarks addressed to others. As a result, at some point, our body begins to reflect, as in a mirror, what is happening in our soul.

Back pain occurs for a variety of reasons. These are injuries, and physical overload, and work in an uncomfortable position, and hypothermia … Meanwhile, it is believed that our back can hurt as a result of a strong emotional reaction. And also - because of the chronic stress in which we find ourselves.

It is not surprising that often a person with "unbearable loads", tired of "carrying their heavy cross", taking on an "unbearable burden", reacts to nervous overloads with back pain. After all, it is this part of our body that serves to carry weights. But there is a limit to everything. Because even the strongest of us can be “run over”, the most “unbending” run the risk, in the end, “to bend under a heavy burden”, “hunch over”, “break our backs” …

Diabetes mellitus, from the point of view of psychosomatics, does not appear at all from a sweet life. Quite the opposite … This disease, according to psychologists, is provoked by conflicts in the family, prolonged stress and resentment. But the main psychological cause of diabetes is considered to be an unmet need for love and tenderness.

Experiencing a chronic "hunger for love", wanting to "taste" at least a little of the joys of life, a person begins to satisfy his emotional needs with food. It is food that becomes for him the main source of pleasure. And, first of all, sweet. Hence - overeating, obesity, high blood sugar and a disappointing diagnosis - diabetes. As a result, sweets - the last source of pleasure - are prohibited.

Valery Sinelnikov believes that the body of diabetics tells them literally the following:

“You can get sweets from the outside only if you make your life“sweet”. Learn to enjoy. Choose in life only the most pleasant for yourself. Make everything in this world bring you joy and delight."

Dizziness can be a common manifestation of seasickness or transport sickness, or it can be a symptom of various diseases, including quite serious ones. Which ones are up to doctors to decide. But if endless trips to medical offices do not bring results, and the doctors' diagnosis sounds unambiguously: “healthy,” then it makes sense to look at your ailment from the point of view of psychosomatics.

Perhaps the circumstances of your life lately are developing in such a way that you are forced to "spin like a squirrel in a wheel." Or there is so much going on around you that "your head is spinning." Or maybe you have so dramatically and successfully moved up the career ladder that you were literally at "dizzying heights"?

But if you, meanwhile, are a calm, solid person, accustomed to a measured pace of existence, then such a "cycle" of affairs and events can greatly strain you. In this case, you should think about what is really important for you, focus, first of all, on the main thing. And then health problems will disappear. By the way, an interesting fact: Julius Caesar suffered from constant dizziness - a famous lover of doing several things at the same time.

Hair loss has many causes too. This is a genetic predisposition, hormonal disorders and, of course, stress. Often we begin to lose hair after severe experiences or a nervous shock. It can be the loss of a loved one, parting with a loved one, financial collapse …

If we blame ourselves for what happened, desperately regretting that the past cannot be returned, we literally begin to “pull our hair out”. The rapid thinning of the hair in this case suggests that our body tells us: “It's time to discard everything that is outdated and superfluous, to part with the past, to let it go. And then something new will come to replace it. Including new hair."

Trigeminal neuralgia causes pain, which is rightfully considered one of the most excruciating pains known to mankind. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, and is responsible, among other things, for facial sensitivity. How is this terrible attack explained from the point of view of psychosomatics?

That's how. If we are not satisfied with the shape of our legs or the size of the waist, then these imperfections can be easily hidden by choosing the appropriate wardrobe, but the face is always in sight. Moreover, all our emotions are reflected on it. But, to be honest, we do not always want to show the world our "true face", and we often try to hide it. The very last thing is “to lose face”, this is especially well known in the East. There they say so about a person who has committed some unseemly act, who has lost his reputation.

Sometimes, wanting to make a good impression, trying to appear better than we really are, we "put on masks": "glue" a smile, pretend to be serious or interested in work … In a word, "make a good face in a bad game."

This discrepancy between our real face and the mask we hide behind leads to the fact that our facial muscles are in constant tension. But at some point, our eternal restraint and smile turns against us: the trigeminal nerve becomes inflamed, the “ceremonial” face suddenly disappears, and a grimace distorted by pain forms in its place. It turns out that, restraining our aggressive impulses, courting those whom we would really love to punch in, we "slap" ourselves.

A banal sore throat - and that sometimes has psychological prerequisites. Who among us in childhood did not get sore throat or SARS on the eve of the test in mathematics, which we were "fed up with." And who did not take sick leave due to the fact that at work we were "taken by the throat"?

But, first of all, one can think of psychosomatics if the problems with the throat are chronic, hardly amenable to both treatment and explanation. They often torment those who want, but for some reason cannot express their feelings - they “step on the throat” of themselves and “their own song”.

And also those who are accustomed to silently endure an offense, "swallow" it. Interestingly, such people often seem cold-blooded and insensitive to those around them. But behind the external coldness, a stormy temperament is often hidden, and passions are raging in the soul. They rage, but do not go outside - they "get stuck in the throat."

Of course, illness is not always the literal embodiment of a phrase. And not every runny nose is necessarily a sign of fate, not everything is so simple. Of course, for any disease, first of all, it is necessary to consult a doctor of the appropriate profile and be thoroughly examined.

But if the ailment does not respond well to treatment, the state of health worsens against the background of stress or conflict, then it is worth considering whether your health problems are the result of unreacted emotions, suppressed resentments, worries or fears. Do not our unshed tears make our body “cry”? A psychotherapist can help figure this out.

Sergey Novikov:

“Sometimes physicians dealing with body problems still refer patients to psychotherapeutic treatment (even less often patients themselves come to understand the need to see a psychotherapist) and here we are faced with another problem - the patient begins to fear that he is considered insane.

It is because of this fear that many do not go to the doctor. This fear is absolutely not justified: a psychotherapist is a doctor who can work with absolutely mentally healthy people. Those people who nevertheless managed to overcome their fear and come to the psychotherapist's office, begin to work on themselves, begin to learn to see, analyze and solve their problems, become the very “happy patients” who got rid of the “incurable, chronic disease”.

The connection between the physical and mental is undeniable, and only harmony between these two components of our health can make a person truly healthy."