Psychosomatic illness

Sigmund Freud

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

## Overview

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Psychosomatic disorder, now more commonly referred to as psychophysiologic illness, is an illness whose symptoms are caused by mental processes of the sufferer rather than immediate physiological causes. If a medical examination can find no physical or organic cause, or if an illness appears to result from emotional conditions such as anger, anxiety, depression or guilt, then it might be classified as psychosomatic.

## History

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Sigmund Freud famously studied psychosomatic illnesses, which informed his theories of the unconscious mind and repression. Many identifiable illnesses have previously been labelled as 'hysterical' or 'psychosomatic', for example asthma, allergies, false pregnancy, and migraines. Some illnesses are under debate, including multiple chemical sensitivity, Gulf War syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some people suggest that stigmatics suffer a psychosomatic illness based on identifying with the biblical crucified Jesus.

#### Modern connotations

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The term "psychosomatic" has developed a negative connotation in modern medicine, being confused with malingering, mental illness or outright fakery. Psychosomatic pain is difficult to differentiate from the above conditions but actual psychosomatic pain is real pain caused by unconscious mind rather than symptoms of illness or injury. Psychosomatic illness can result from problems with relationships, stress or other non-physical causes, often influenced by external factors or individuals.

## Treatment

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Various types of psychotherapy and alternative therapies are used to treat psychosomatic disorders. In some cases, psychosomatic problems may improve or disappear following suggestion by a recognized authority.

Treatment is typically anti-anxiety medications and/or anti-depressants in conjuntion with therapy of some kind. Unlike hypochondria (which some mistakenly think is the same thing as psychosomatic illness), sufferers of a psychosomatic illness are experiencing real pain, real nausea, or other real physically felt symptoms, but with no diagnosable cause.

## Related Chapters

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* Illness as Metaphor
* Theory of Deadly Initials
* Placebo

* Nocebo
* Placebo (origins of technical term)

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