Emma had been suffering from physical pain and other symptoms for a couple of years. She reported feeling fatigued even after getting a full night’s sleep, she experienced headaches, and complained about pain in her neck and chest often, but tests upon tests found nothing wrong with her body. This only caused her more frustration and stress.
After talking to Emma at length, I found out that these symptoms started appearing shortly after a particularly traumatic event in her life.
She was experiencing what we call “psychosomatic pain.”
This type of pain isn’t caused by an underlying medical condition, rather it is caused by unresolved mental issues. In the case of Emma, it was the untreated trauma that was causing her these mysterious physical symptoms.
What Is Psychosomatic Pain?
Psychosomatic pain is pain that has its origins in a person’s mind and psychological state but manifests itself in the form of physical pain in the body.
During the late 1800s, it was believed that pain was only caused due to tissue damage. So, when doctors encountered patients who described symptoms of physical pain, they assumed there must be a source in the body, a part which was injured or hurt that caused pain.
It wasn’t until 1895 when Sigmund Freud and Josef Breuer published their Studies on Hysteria, suggesting that psychological problems could cause physical pain.
Since then, we’ve come quite far. Plenty of research has been done on psychosomatic pain and we also know that it’s quite common.
Somatic symptom disorders are a group of disorders that refer to any mental illness that presents physical symptoms that cannot be explained fully by an underlying medical condition or the use of some substance.
Studies estimate that somewhere between 5% to 7% of the general population suffers from somatic symptom disorder and it may occur during any stage of life—childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.
The pain that patients suffering from this disorder feel is real and in many cases, debilitating.
Psychosomatic pain makes it difficult for people to carry out their daily activities and is often a source of great distress to them.
What Are the Signs of Psychosomatic Pain?
The signs and symptoms of psychosomatic pain vary on an individual by individual basis. Two people can be experiencing psychosomatic pain but one’s symptoms may differ from the other.
However, there is one thing common in all types of psychosomatic pain—it cannot be explained fully by a legitimate health condition. You will need to visit your healthcare provider to rule out any serious medical condition to confirm that your pain is psychosomatic.
What Are the Causes of Psychosomatic Pain?
Often the psychosomatic pain one is experiencing has something to with underlying emotions and our past. When your emotional problems are left unresolved, they might show up in the form of physical pain.
Past trauma, anxiety, depression, and stress can all lead to psychosomatic pain too.
If you have experienced trauma in childhood or recent past, your ability to deal with stress may be impacted. This makes you more susceptible to psychosomatic pain.
Some people may be genetically predisposed to be more sensitive to pain than others.
Whatever be the cause of psychosomatic pain, it makes a person’s life much more difficult to live. Your relationships could be affected as well your professional life.
Hence, it’s important to not ignore the symptoms and seek out help from a qualified mental health practitioner or therapist.
Treatment Options for Psychosomatic Pain
If you’ve been suffering from psychosomatic pain, disappointed with not being able to find the right direction, fret not.
As scientists and researchers delve deeper into finding more about psychosomatic illnesses, new treatment options have emerged. These are highly effective in treating the underlying emotional problems and providing relief from psychosomatic symptoms.
Some popular treatment options that have come up recently are:
1. EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps you process your emotions and past trauma through bilateral stimulation. It was initially developed to treat PTSD, but over the years, it was found that EMDR is effective in treating a number of disorders such as depression, anxiety, and phobias.
In a nutshell, EMDR helps you recognize the sensations you feel in your body while you recall a stressful or traumatic event. While recalling, your attention will be directed to a rhythmic movement so that the patterns in your brain in relation to the event change. This lowers the intensity of emotions you feel associated with the event and leads to feelings of calmness.
EMDR is proven to be an effective treatment for psychosomatic pain, especially if the symptoms are caused due to unresolved trauma such as childhood trauma.
2. EFT
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is another effective treatment for psychosomatic pain. It helps with chronic pain by tapping on various acupuncture points while relaxing your mind and body. This technique is focused on rewiring neural pathways in the brain.
Its efficacy is high and once you learn it, you can administer it yourself.
EFT is effective in all kinds of settings—one on one sessions, a group setting, or a large conference setting. This makes it a very versatile intervention.
3. Hypnosis
Hypnosis, also known as hypnotherapy, is a rather new form of treatment that is becoming widely popular. During hypnotherapy, you enter a calm, trance-like state and become more open to suggestions.
Studies have shown that hypnotherapy is efficacious in reducing symptoms of pain in a variety of conditions.
A meta-analysis of 21 studies showed that modern hypnotherapy techniques are especially useful in treating psychosomatic disorders.
One of the ways hypnosis relieves symptoms is through the improvement of immunological functioning. So, you become better equipped to handle stress and thereby, can cope with the psychosomatic pain.
Want To Find Relief From Psychosomatic Pain? Get in Touch Today
While your symptoms may be of psychosomatic nature, the distress and discomfort they cause you is real.
You deserve healing.
As a certified psychologist and hypnotherapist, I pick an approach that is best suited for your individual situation. Your treatment plan is customized as per your needs and designed to reduce your suffering, while letting you experience the joys and freedom of life.
Start your healing journey today by signing for an assessment session with me.
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