Psychosomatic Ailments: Are They Real? - part 1

Articles In This Section:

· Psychosomatic Ailments: Are They Real? - part 1

· Psychosomatic Ailments: Are They Real? - part 2

· PLACEBO FOR SEASICKNESS

· IS DEATH EVER PSYCHOSOMATIC? - part 1

· IS DEATH EVER PSYCHOSOMATIC? - part 2

· IS DEATH EVER PSYCHOSOMATIC? - part 3

THE WORD "psychosomatic" is so new, only the most recent editions of the popular dictionaries include it. Psychosomatic ailments are those which are physical manifestations of emotional disturbances. Although a psychosomatic ailment results from an emotional disturbance, nevertheless it is a physical disease. Those with this disease are actually suffering from a physical disease and not a mental one.

Are these emotionally caused ailments real? Yes, and the pain they produce is real. Some of the emotions responsible for psychosomatic illnesses are fear, anger, disgust, grief, surprise, yearning, etc.

Dr. John A. Schindler's fine book How to Live 365 Days a Year, (Prentice-Hall) has a partial list of complaints which suggests that the common things people complain of are often emotionally induced. But any doctor can tell you that most of the uncommon, bizarre symptoms are also caused by emotional troubles.

COMPLAINT	PERCENTAGE
Pain in the back of the neck	75
Lump in the throat	90
Ulcerlike pain	50
Gall bladderlike pain	50
Gas	99
Dizziness	80
Headaches	80
Constipation	70
Tiredness	90

Since psychosomatic ailments are usually so painful, the average patient would not be satisfied merely to be told his trouble was in the mind. He feels he must have a prescription of some kind. Frequently, in such cases, the doctor will prescribe a placebo, which, as you undoubtedly know, is a pill without any medicinal value at all.

When I lived in New York I was frequently visited by a friend of mine who lived in Pennsylvania. This man suffered from a psychosomatic heart condition. He always carried a small box of pills with him which his doctor had prescribed. Whenever this man would feel a heart spell coming on, he would take one of these pills and in no time at all the pain would leave.

One time when my friend was visiting me, he had one of his heart attacks and when he discovered that he had left his pills at home, he was frantic. He phoned his home and had the pills rushed to him air mail special delivery. As soon as he received the pills and took one, his pain vanished.