When a battery of medical tests for physical symptoms of illness turns up nothing conclusive, you might begin to wonder if the complaints your partner has are all in their mind. After all, if nothing can be proved medically, what other option is there?
It’s not quite that simple.
When a condition is psychosomatic, it means that the illness involves both the mind (psycho) and the body (somatic). A psychosomatic illness originates with emotional stress or damaging thought patterns, and progresses with physical symptoms, usually when a person’s immune system is compromised due to stress.
A common misconception is that a psychosomatic condition is imaginary, or “all in someone’s mind.” Actually, the physical symptoms of psychosomatic conditions are real, and should be treated like any other illness. It’s thought that maybe as much as 50% to 80% of all the complaints treated by physicians are psychosomatic in nature. Your partner is not faking it!
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 24 May 2013
|
