Psychosomatic is a condition where the mind affects the body’s physical health, showing that mental disorders can manifest as physical symptoms.
Psycho means “mind,” and soma means “body” in Greek terminology. Let’s learn the psychosomatic meaning from the perspective of a mental disorder.
You might have had years of digestive issues, and whenever you go to doctors, they say, “Go home, you are all okay, there is nothing to do with your stomach.”
But stomach problems are one major issue that is visible in this condition.
There are other physical conditions like chronic pain, headaches, rapid heartbeat, shoulder pain, back pain, insomnia, dizziness, and others. These physical symptoms are the cause of poor mental health, stress, anxiety, and internal mental conflicts.
According to the definition of the Oxford English Dictionary,
Psychosomatic refers to physical symptoms and illnesses that are caused or worsened by mental factors, such as internal conflicts or stress.
Psychosomatic Disorders and Somatic Symptom Disorder
Do Mind And Body Have A Connection?
Many people think that their physical health and mental state are separate. But this is not the case. Because when you feel a lot of stress, your body often reacts. You might get a headache before a presentation, or a stomachache when you feel nervous. These experiences are common in human beings when facing an anxiety situation. However, for some, these connections between the mind and the body are more intense and constant.
To understand your health, you must know the difference between a psychosomatic response and somatic symptom disorder (SSD). Both conditions connect your body and mind, but they describe different experiences. For some, these mind-body connections manifest as symptoms experienced almost daily over months, highlighting their more intense and constant nature compared to those with less frequent occurrences.
The Difference Between Psychosomatic and Somatic Symptom Disorder
The main difference is focus. Psychosomatic focuses on how stress impacts a physical illness. SSD focuses on how a person thinks, feels, takes stress, and acts due to their physical illness.
The word psychosomatic describes a broader concept. It describes any physical condition that worsens due to mental factors. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers. For example, if a person has irritable bowel syndrome, a stressful week at work might cause an outburst of pain.
In this case, the illness is real, but the level of pain or the frequency of the flare-up changes based on the person’s mood or stress level.
Somatic symptoms disorder is a more specific medical diagnosis. It is a term used by doctors in the DSM-5. In this condition, a person has one or more physical symptoms that cause them great stress. These symptoms are real and are not made up. However, the person’s reaction to these symptoms is extreme.
They might spend an excessive amount of time and energy on their health. They might have high levels of anxiety about their symptoms, even if a doctor says that there is no cause for alarm.
How Does The Mind Affect The Body?
When you face a difficult situation, your brain sends signals to your body. This process, involving the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, results in a cascade of stress hormones like cortisol that prepare the body to respond to stress. These hormones can cause physical changes. If this heightened state of alert persists over a long period of time, it can lead to health problems or make existing health conditions more difficult to manage.
Common examples,
- Skin Issues: Conditions like eczema or psoriasis often worsen when a person feels anxious or stressed.
- Heart health: high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate are common because of chronic stress.
- Digestive problems: stress can cause stomach ulcers or lead to indigestion and nausea.
- Respiratory issues: Anxiety can trigger asthma attacks or make it harder to breathe.
Types of Psychosomatic Disorders & Illness
Types of Psychosomatic Disorders & Illness
There are several ways that mind-body distress can appear. Understanding these different types is important because it helps to tailor specific treatment options according to the needs of the person. Here are a few common types.
- Somatic symptom disorder: As mentioned,this involves an extreme focus on physical pain or fatigue.
- Functional neurological disorder: This was called conversion disorder earlier, and has now changed its name to functional neurological disorder. It involves neurological symptoms like tremors, weakness, or even paralysis that do not have a clear physical cause in the brain or nerves.
- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES): These are events that look like seizures but are a physical reaction to internal mental distress rather than electrical issues in the brain.
- Chronic pain or fatigue: sometimes, long-term pain or tiredness is tied closely to a person’s mental health or stress history.
What Are The Symptoms Of Psychosomatic Disorder?
Symptoms of this disorder translate into both mental and physical experiences. Rather than just thoughts, they manifest as tangible sensations that range in intensity. For instance, many people experience a dull, constant throb behind the eyes or a pervasive ache that never seems to fade, escalating to sharp, severe pain that can be debilitating.
Physical psychosomatic symptoms
- Pain: This includes tension headaches, migraines, back pain, and joint aches.
- Gut health: People often experience stomach pain, diarrhea, or a constant feeling of nausea.
- Energy levels: chronic pain and weakness in psychosomatic disorders are prevalent. Some people experience insomnia or poor sleep.
- Heart and lungs: people might feel their heart race, or they might feel a tightness in their chest. Dizziness and shortness of breath are also frequent.
- Nervous system: Some people experience changes in their muscles, like tremors, numbness in their limbs, or changes in their appetite.
Characteristics to look for:
These symptoms usually have a link to a person’s emotions. They might start after a traumatic event or during a period of high pressure. A key sign of this connection is that these physical problems do not always respond to standard medical treatment and often improve when the individual feels more relaxed or distracted from the main stress. For example, consider someone who experiences chronic migraines. On stressful days, they rate their pain as a 9 out of 10. Yet, when they engage in a calming activity like meditation, their pain level might drop to a 4 out of 10, illustrating how significantly mental relaxation can influence physical symptoms.
What are the Causes Of Psychosomatic Disorder
The cause of these conditions is usually a mix of different factors. It is rarely just one thing.
1. Emotional And Mental Factors
Chronic stress is a major cause of psychosomatics. If a person experiences trauma, especially during childhood, their body may stay in a state of high alert. This can eventually lead to physical symptoms. Some people also find it hard to express their emotions. When a person holds back specific feelings, such as unacknowledged anger or hidden grief, the body may attempt to communicate through pain or illness. Recognizing these emotions can be an essential first step in addressing the underlying psychosomatic symptoms.
2. Biological And Brain Factors
The body has a stress response system. When you are stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. If these hormones stay high for too long, they can damage the heart, the gut, and the immune system.
Stress also causes inflammation in the body. This inflammation can change how the brain perceives pain. It can also make a person more sensitive to physical sensations. The nervous system may shift out of its “rest and digest” mode and stay in “fight or flight” mode. This disrupts how the heart and stomach work.
3. Genetics And Environment
Some people are born with a more sensitive nervous system. They feel pain more intensely than others. A person’s environment also matters. If a person grew up in an intense environment or has limited resources, their risk for these disorders increases.
How To Treat Psychosomatic Disorders?
Treatment is most effective if it addresses both mind and body. A team of healthcare providers works together to help the person find relief.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a gold-standard approach that targets the interconnectedness of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions to reduce physical symptoms.
It helps patients to identify and challenge “catastrophic” interpretations of physical sensations like a racing heart as a symptom of anxiety rather than as a heart attack, which further reduces the physiological stress response.
Cognitive therapy also helps to teach practical techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and mindfulness to help patients self-regulate their nervous system and manage chronic pain.
Group Therapy
Group therapy provides a unique social dimension that individual therapy cannot replicate and makes it more effective for chronic conditions.
This type of therapy helps to share experiences with others who have similar symptoms. Also, the group therapy reduces the isolation that is often associated with psychosomatic disorders.
The group acts as a social laboratory where members can practice new communication and coping skills in a safe environment before applying them to the outside world.
The group therapy options encourage patients to recover faster by seeing others’ improvement. It gives hope to new patients, while peer feedback helps individuals to recognize self-defeating patterns that might be missing in individual therapy.
The Mind And Body Connection
The mind and body connection is a powerful driver of overall health. At Brainpower Wellness Institute, we recognize that physical symptoms are the root causes of stress, and they lead to somatic disorders. These conditions need expert care that bridges the gap between psychological distress and physiological relief.
If you are experiencing chronic pain, fatigue, or feeling stressed, you might be indulging in a psychosomatic disorder. Our evidence-based treatment provides a clear path toward a restored quality of life. Understanding the root of your symptoms is the first step towards lasting recovery. Contact us today to schedule your personalized consultation.
