Psychosomatic illnesses or disorders are physical disorders caused or aggravated by psychological factors. How do they manifest?
- It is estimated that 26% of men and 38% of women are affected by a psychosomatic illness at some point in their lives.
- In France, 1 person in 5 is affected each year by a mental disorder, i.e. 13 million people.
What if it was your mental health that was causing your diminished physical condition? This is the principle of psychosomatic illnesses, the physical symptoms of which are linked at least in part to the mental state. It is the bodily expression of psychological tensions. They are more frequent in people with depressive states or with a high level of anxiety, stress, tension or moral distress over a long period. This is a phenomenon that can occur without the patient being aware of this link between his emotions and his health.
What are the causes of a psychosomatic illness?
Various psychological and emotional factors can affect an organ or weaken the natural defenses and make the body more vulnerable, thus triggering a psychosomatic illness: stress and chronic anxiety, emotional shocks linked to events such as bereavement, a breakup, loss of a job or assault. More minor events (daily hassles, annoyances) can also cause psychosomatic disorders when they accumulate. Finally, psychic conflicts, often unconscious (repression of past events, frustrations, unexpressed fears or anger), can also be the cause.
What are the symptoms of this disease?
A psychosomatic illness can manifest itself through various physical symptoms: pain, cramps, spasms, paralysis, seizures, anxiety, fatigue, asthma, sleep or appetite disorders, muteness, mood or character disorders, etc. Migraines or arterial hypertension are also frequent symptoms, as are sexual disorders (erection disorders, vaginismus, etc.) and generalized states of fatigue. The symptoms of psychosomatic illnesses are very different depending on the person, some can even combine several.
These conditions also affect children. Infants in particular, unable to express their discomfort verbally, can do so in another way with insomnia or eczema.
List of Examples of Psychosomatic Disorders
It is difficult to list all somatic diseases, but generally gastrointestinal disorders (such as stomach ulcers) are the most common psychosomatic diseases. Skin diseases, if they are not the consequences of an affection or a virus, would also have a psychic origin. Psoriasis, warts, herpes, rosacea, scabs, canker sores appear especially during peaks of anxiety or emotionality. Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, arthritis or lupus, but also angina, bronchitis or nasopharyngitis can also be aggravated by our mental state.
Somatic disorders must be treated with appropriate medication and psychological monitoring. Before diagnosis and management, the doctor must verify that there is no physical cause for the origin of the symptoms. This notably involves a complete physical examination as well as additional examinations.
