Psychosomatic Medicine in District of Columbia

What is Psychosomatic?

Psychosomatics - this is the direction in medicine and psychology, studing the effect of character, features of behavior, emotional states on physical health human.

Psychosomatic Disorders - such conditions and diseases of the body, in occurrence of which great importance has any factors that traumatize the psyche, emotional experience or psychological trauma (acute or chronic), as well as individual psychological and emotional reactions.

The list of such diseases is quite extensive. There are the following group of diseases that can be caused by such factors:

• Diseases of the respiratory (hyperventilation syndrome, bronchial asthma);
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system (coronary heart disease, heart rhythm disorders, myocardial infarction);
• Gastrointestinal disease (stomach ulcer and a duodenal ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome);
• Eating disorders (anorexia, obesity, bulimia);
• Endocrine diseases (diabetes, hypothyroidism);
• Gynecological diseases (amenorrhea, functional sterility, dysmenorrhea);
• Skin diseases (urticaria, atopic dermatitis, pruritus);
• Psycho-vegetative syndrome;
• Diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• Oncological diseases;
• Functional sexual disorders;
• Infectious diseases;
• Depression.

Symptoms of Psychosomatic illnesses 

How to distinguish the psychosomatics from a diseases in which the psychological reasons are not playing the leading role? Psychosomatic disorders manifest themselves as and somatic illness. Therefore signs of such disorders may only be indirect.

1. The first sign may be called the ineffectiveness of drugs prescribed by your doctor.
2. Diseases without physiological overtones.
3. Onset of the disease provoked by psychological factors - stress, psychological trauma, neurosis.

• Gastritis;
• Diarrhea;
• Sensitive stomach;
• Peptic ulcer;
• Difficulty in breathing;
• High blood pressure;
• Headache;
• Pain in the joints and limbs.

Treatment of Psychosomatic Illnesses

In the treatment of psychosomatic patients apply the whole range of psychotherapeutic methods, each of which is chosen based on the nature of the somatic treatment of sick or arbitrarily.

These methods include:

• Psychotherapy - autogenous training, hypnosis, psychoanalysis and psychotherapeutic conversation;
• Support and training techniques;
• Treatment, concentrate on the body;
• Gestalt therapy;
• Drug therapy - the appointment of calming or stimulating drugs;
• Phytotherapy - the appointment of various herbal.