Psychosomatic illnesses are physical symptoms caused by mental and emotional stress. They require proper diagnosis to rule out physical causes, and treatment for the underlying psychological root. Learning to manage stress and negative thought patterns can prevent and provide relief for these illnesses.
Psychosomatic illnesses are caused by mental and emotional stresses that manifest as physical illnesses without biological causes. This includes things like irritable bowel syndrome, stomach pain, body aches, tension headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, hyperventilation or panic attacks, colitis and ulcers, and even infertility. How well a person handles stress influences the potential appearance and severity of psychosomatic symptoms.
Before these conditions can be properly diagnosed, tests must be administered to rule out possible physical reasons for the disease. This step is often frustrating for both the patient and the doctor, as one test after another comes back negative. This has led some doctors to tell their patients that psychosomatic illnesses are “all in their heads.” Today, most doctors know better. While the root may be mental or emotional, the disease and symptoms are very real.
Psychosomatic illnesses are not fake illnesses, but patients often require treatment for the underlying psychological root. Unfortunately, many people with these diseases resist counseling as a form of treatment, believing it diminishes the disease. While these diseases respond to medications, pain relievers, and other medical aids, symptoms are likely to return unless the underlying cause is addressed.
If not chronic, psychosomatic illnesses could only arise when a person is going through a particularly stressful period. In these cases, symptoms subside on their own as stress levels decrease. These conditions could accompany the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or cyclical pressures at work or at home. In addition to creating an illness, emotional stress could also make an existing illness worse. Psychological stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, lower energy levels and exacerbate a weakened condition.
While psychosomatic illnesses are real, they can be prevented. Learning to manage stress and replace negative thought patterns through cognitive behavioral changes can provide relief. People with these types of illnesses do not intentionally get sick, nor are they aware that they are causing the illnesses. In the case of chronic patterns, it is likely that therapy will be needed to replace existing unhealthy patterns with new, healthier coping mechanisms.
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