Psychosomatics: How to treat diseases "from the nerves"
In psychology, "psychosomatics" is understood the influence of psychological factors on the occurrence and course of somatic, that is, bodily diseases. Psychosomatic disorders are conditions in which lies the psychological cause, the body's reaction to experiences; the list of such disorders is constantly expanding. True, in some cases, in order to recover, you really need to stop “winding yourself up”, while in others it is worth sounding the alarm and not delaying treatment. Why this happens, we find out from experts: a psychotherapist, a leading specialist of the Israeli center "Doctor Isayev's Cabinet" Dmitry Isayev, a neuropsychologist, a researcher for the service for the development of cognitive brain functions "Wikium" Nikolai Frantsuzov and a candidate of medical sciences, an integrative psychotherapist, director of the Institute of Integrative Psychotherapy and coaching Olga Lukina.
What is psychosomatic disorders
Psychosomatic disorders are symptoms or diseases that develop as part of the body's response to stress. These may be individual manifestations - for example, pain in the neck, head or abdomen, convulsions, tics, nausea, weakness, dizziness - which are not based on the disease itself. Neuropsychologist Nikolai Frantsuzov notes that most often psychosomatic manifestations occur as a result of an “unhealthy” adaptation of a person to life circumstances, when the nervous system is unable to “swallow” the flow of data.
There are whole psychosomatic diseases - pathologies that develop under the influence of psychogenic factors: stress, psychological trauma, internal conflicts. In this case, a violation in the work of the organs arises as a response of the body to emotional experiences. Stress factor in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, bronchial asthma, endocrine disorders, lesions of the musculoskeletal system, disorders of the cardiovascular system - although, of course, their development cannot be explained by stress alone. For example, in Russia, a surge of psychosomatic diseases occurred at the beginning of the nineties: the number of cases of ulcerative bleeding almost doubled, coronary heart disease became more common in young people, and women overtook men in the incidence of complaints of high blood pressure.
Why get sick because of stress
Stress - a protective reaction of the body to potential danger. At the time of stress, the hormone production of “emergency response” of catecholamines increases (this is adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine) - and all processes are accelerated: heartbeat and respiration increase, gastric motility and kidney function increase. The body is preparing for saving action - to run from danger or respond with an attack ("fight or flight"). To provide the muscles and organs with oxygen in this state, the vessels need to pump more blood than usual. For this, it is necessary to increase the speed of blood flow, which will reduce the lumen of the vessels and increase the pressure in them. When the action is completed and there is a discharge (splash of emotions), the work of the vascular system is normalized. If there is no discharge, the vasospasm is preserved, and this can lead to the development of arterial hypertension.
Dmitry Isaev notes that animals in the wild are under constant stress, but they do not have similar health problems. This is due to the fact that, in contrast to animals, in modern conditions a person is forced to restrain negative emotions, such as aggression. The accelerated mode of the body is "compensated" by changes in the organs - and as a result, diseases develop or escalate. The degree of stress and personality traits, their character, temperament - factors that also affect the risk of psychosomatic pathologies.
The psychotherapist Olga Lukina cites a case from her own practice: the patient complained of regular intense pain in the region of the heart, but he had no cardiovascular pathologies. The man used to work hard, doing his job well, and served as a top manager in a large international company. His new boss has become an aggressive leader who demands the impossible. As a result, the more subordinate exhausted themselves, the more often he made mistakes and listened to the discontent of the boss. Anxiety increased - and as a result, the circle closed: the exhausted body needed a full sleep, but when there was time to rest, the latter turned out to be impossible due to chest discomfort. According to the doctor, a little more - and her patient would “earn” a myocardial infarction or stroke.
The basis of psychosomatic diseases are internal conflicts that are not always easy to understand. A person from childhood can be accustomed to meet other people's expectations instead of pursuing their own goals. As a result, internal equilibrium is lost - it becomes difficult to express oneself, unexpressed emotions accumulate, internal tension grows. The body needs more and more strength, and even minor stress can provoke, for example, a violation of the hormonal mechanisms of blood pressure control. This will lead to a hypertensive crisis.
According to psychotherapist Dmitry Isayev, more and more research is emerging that one of the causes of many diseases, including cancer, is the body’s special reaction to stressful states. However, the popular expression that “all diseases from nerves” is not always true. In essence, a person’s life is a combination of stresses. Pathophysiologist Hans Selye, who studied the nature of stressful states in the second half of the twentieth century, found that stress is conditionally positive (eustress) or conditionally negative (distress). When confronted with difficulties, the body reacts to them in one of two ways: actively (struggle) or passively (flight from difficulties, trying to endure them). And if the first reaction helps the body to adapt to constantly changing conditions and the rhythm of life, the second often leads to the expenditure of internal resources, ailments and diseases. It turns out that the decisive factor is not the stress itself, but the reaction to it.
What to do to be less nervous
Nikolay Frantsuzov advises to recall techniques that help to relax. These include breathing and relaxation techniques, a positive inner monologue (self-hypnosis), a rational explanation of the current situation and the search for arguments in their favor ("I am able to solve this problem"). Competently go out of a stressful situation, using the methods of self-affirmation ("I can be proud of myself") is also important. The Frenchman adds that autogenic training, meditation, yoga, massage and active physical activity give a good effect. Sometimes switching attention is enough by reading a fascinating book, preparing a favorite dish, relaxing bath or going to the theater. But, as a rule, relieving stress does not mean solving the problem. It is very important to realize the reason for your experiences and create a new strategy of behavior (this will help work with a psychologist or psychotherapist).
Who are predisposed to psychosomatic diseases
There is no direct predisposition to psychosomatic diseases, but every person has developed certain behavioral stereotypes since childhood. Therefore, according to Dmitry Isaev, such diseases are not transmitted by inheritance, but rather according to the scenario - through unconsciously fixed methods of reactions in difficult life situations. Much depends on the temperament of the formed personality. The doctor notes that sometimes a person whose close relatives have psychosomatic symptoms gets used to looking for health problems in himself and as a result finds a whole "bunch of sores" (the latter are usually referred to as "family"). At risk are also those who do not cope with stress.
How to recover
What to treat in the beginning: a sick soul or body? Experts are sure - you need to work with the person and her settings. Psychosomatics creates a vicious circle: the disease increases the feeling of helplessness, and helplessness provokes the development or exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to apply an active strategy for overcoming life's difficulties. In the case of a psychosomatic illness, it is usually impossible to do without drug treatment (antidepressants will not solve the problem, however). So, for pain in the heart, you should first be examined by a cardiologist, and for skin problems, make a visit to a dermatologist. If the profile doctor confirms the influence of psychosomatics in the development of the disease, he will recommend to undergo an additional examination by a psychotherapist and / or consult a psychologist.
Psychological work should proceed in two directions: firstly, it is the search for an answer to the question of what the psyche “achieves” by provoking symptoms. For example, the body may signal that it is time to relax, or react with abdominal pain to an upcoming unpleasant meeting. Secondly, it is necessary to build a new strategy that allows you to accept the changes that will occur with the disappearance of the disease. The basis of the correction of psychosomatic conditions is psychoanalysis, and such studies require a lot of time. To accelerate recovery, psychologists advise to combine psychoanalysis with elements of massage and exercise; good effect can give body-oriented psychotherapy. But attempts to cope with a psychosomatic disorder that has not yet turned into a real disease, using only medical solutions, according to neuropsychologist Nikolai Frantsuzov, will not give the desired result: most likely, after passing the examination, such a patient will receive the conclusion that he is healthy, he doesn’t feel well.
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