How to negotiate with the body #1.1
Today I would like to start a series of talks about psychosomatics. Many years of experience of my work with psychological problems of clients gives me a lot of evidence of the validity of psychosomatic approaches to the causes of many diseases. I'm not talking about those cases when a person got under the car or got on the head with something heavy. I'm against all extremes.
Before we turn to specific examples, I would like to say a few introductory words. Perhaps, this part will seem boring to somebody, then I invite you to join us about a week later, when we move on to concrete examples. Those who want to understand everything consistently, I invite you to join us today.
The term psychosomatics is derived from two Greek words ψυχή - the soul and σῶμα - the body. Psychosomatics is considered as a separate direction in medicine (psychosomatic medicine) and psychology, which studies the influence of psychological factors on the onset and flow of somatic (bodily) diseases. Psychosomatics examines the relationship between personality characteristics (constitutional features, personality traits, personality styles, behavioral patterns, types of emotional conflicts) and somatic diseases. There is an opinion (including in alternative medicine) that all human diseases arise because of psychological inconsistencies and disorders that occur in the soul, in the subconscious, in the thoughts of man (Wikipedia).
The doctrine of psychosomatics can’t be called new. Even 2400 years ago Socrates claimed that there was no bodily disease separate from the psychic. Later his pupil Plato said: "A great mistake is made where the physicians and mental illnesses are treated by different doctors, since the body is inseparable from the soul." In 1818 the German physician Heinrot published the conclusion that organic diseases are rooted in the psyche. At that time he was simply ridiculed by his colleagues, and not for the triviality of his view, but for what he considered possible to consider psychosomatics, as he then called his approach, as a division of medical science.
So the mistake, which lies in the inability to recognize the essence behind what we see, continues to be repeated from century to century. Instead of approaching the treatment in a comprehensive way, to study the body, soul and spirit in their totality and interrelations, the doctors increasingly deep the narrow specialization. Soon we will come to the point that for each organ of the human body there will be a separate doctor, but no one will regard the human body as a system. This is a disaster!
Simple observation is enough to state with certainty that our body reacts to our inner emotional state. We blush when we are embarrassed, we become pale when we are very frightened. All emotional experiences manifest themselves bodily. What worries the soul, worries the body. Such impacts can have both positive and negative consequences. Joyful experiences can promote recovery, and negative ones, on the contrary, can provoke the disease.
And yet many people deny psychosomatics, in the same paradoxical way that one doctor used to say: "As soon as I hear this nonsense about psychosomatics, I have spasms in my stomach ..."
Indeed, there are a number of well-established expressions that reflect the reaction of our organization to certain situations or people: "I'm sick of you!", "I get it under my skin!", "It is nerve-racking!" etc. By the way, it is believed that the frequent use of these speech cliches can provoke the disease: Ordered? Get it!
In conclusion of this little introductory part, I want to note that I do not in any way discourage you from contacting doctors! Address to a doctor is a must! Considering the issues of psychosomatic diseases, we will only learn to approach the understanding of their causes more consciously.
To be continued..
Very good and I believe true post.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that all illnesses or dis-ease are psychosomatic, but so many indeed develop due to outside influence.
So often the way we treat others, or even perceive others can progress and develop symptoms which translate into discomfort, even severe pain when they enter our thoughts.
A friend of mine left her mother to travel overseas to be with her love. Her mother became ill. Although my friend did visit her mother occasionally, she began to suffer from severe pain...so debilitating that she had to give up her employment and could no longer travel to visit her. When her mother died, my friend "miraculously" recovered from her crippling pain completely. She now thinks her pain was psychosomatic. Perhaps her mother's cancer was also brought on from losing her only daughter?
When my father was made redundant after working in his job for many years, he became very depressed and developed cancer. We are all certain that it was the stress that caused the cancer cells to flourish in his body.
Interesting post, will wait for your next article! One of the proofs of this mind-body connection in medicine would be Placebo effect - patients feeling better after taking a placebo pill.
Amazing. To be continued.
I so believe in this. I apply this to my life and that of my patients as well.
Thank you for such an interesting post.
Happy Tuesday!🌟
Great post, thank you for sharing this information with the community. :)
I think the mind is the most powerful tool in any person's toolbox, and thus is capable of creating dis-ease in the body if the mind itself is at dis-ease. I've read a lot of the power of the healing of the body through focused intentions and using the mind as the main support in the process. People who will never walk again learn to walk all because they visualized themselves healed. Miraculous really!