Sigmund Freud Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox WikiDoc Resources for Psychosomatic illness Articles Most recent articles on Psychosomatic illness Most cited articles on Psychosomatic illness Review articles on Psychosomatic illness Articles on Psychosomatic illness in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ Media Powerpoint slides on Psychosomatic illness Images of Psychosomatic illness Photos of Psychosomatic illness Podcasts & MP3s on Psychosomatic illness Videos on Psychosomatic illness Evidence Based Medicine Cochrane Collaboration on Psychosomatic illness Bandolier on Psychosomatic illness TRIP on Psychosomatic illness Clinical Trials Ongoing Trials on Psychosomatic illness at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Psychosomatic illness Clinical Trials on Psychosomatic illness at Google Guidelines / Policies / Govt US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Psychosomatic illness NICE Guidance on Psychosomatic illness NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Psychosomatic illness CDC on Psychosomatic illness Books Books on Psychosomatic illness News Psychosomatic illness in the news Be alerted to news on Psychosomatic illness News trends on Psychosomatic illness Commentary Blogs on Psychosomatic illness Definitions Definitions of Psychosomatic illness Patient Resources / Community Patient resources on Psychosomatic illness Discussion groups on Psychosomatic illness Patient Handouts on Psychosomatic illness Directions to Hospitals Treating Psychosomatic illness Risk calculators and risk factors for Psychosomatic illness Healthcare Provider Resources Symptoms of Psychosomatic illness Causes & Risk Factors for Psychosomatic illness Diagnostic studies for Psychosomatic illness Treatment of Psychosomatic illness Continuing Medical Education (CME) CME Programs on Psychosomatic illness International Psychosomatic illness en Espanol Psychosomatic illness en Francais Business Psychosomatic illness in the Marketplace Patents on Psychosomatic illness Experimental / Informatics List of terms related to Psychosomatic illness Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ## Overview[edit | edit source] Psychosomatic disorder, now more commonly referred to as psychophysiologic illness, is an illness whose symptoms are caused by mental processes of the sufferer rather than immediate physiological causes. If a medical examination can find no physical or organic cause, or if an illness appears to result from emotional conditions such as anger, anxiety, depression or guilt, then it might be classified as psychosomatic. ## History[edit | edit source] Sigmund Freud famously studied psychosomatic illnesses, which informed his theories of the unconscious mind and repression. Many identifiable illnesses have previously been labelled as 'hysterical' or 'psychosomatic', for example asthma, allergies, false pregnancy, and migraines. Some illnesses are under debate, including multiple chemical sensitivity, Gulf War syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some people suggest that stigmatics suffer a psychosomatic illness based on identifying with the biblical crucified Jesus. #### Modern connotations[edit | edit source] The term "psychosomatic" has developed a negative connotation in modern medicine, being confused with malingering, mental illness or outright fakery. Psychosomatic pain is difficult to differentiate from the above conditions but actual psychosomatic pain is real pain caused by unconscious mind rather than symptoms of illness or injury. Psychosomatic illness can result from problems with relationships, stress or other non-physical causes, often influenced by external factors or individuals. ## Treatment[edit | edit source] Various types of psychotherapy and alternative therapies are used to treat psychosomatic disorders. In some cases, psychosomatic problems may improve or disappear following suggestion by a recognized authority. Treatment is typically anti-anxiety medications and/or anti-depressants in conjuntion with therapy of some kind. Unlike hypochondria (which some mistakenly think is the same thing as psychosomatic illness), sufferers of a psychosomatic illness are experiencing real pain, real nausea, or other real physically felt symptoms, but with no diagnosable cause. ## Related Chapters[edit | edit source] * Illness as Metaphor * Theory of Deadly Initials * Placebo * Nocebo * Placebo (origins of technical term) Template:SIB Template:WH Template:WS