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We talk about a psychosomatic disease when psychological factors are involved in the development of the disease. The most common and typical of these diseases are classified as the Chicago seven. The mechanisms of the development of these disorders are different, but one thing is certain - there is a relationship between the psyche and human he alth. The causative factors of psychosomatic diseases include, first of all, stress, but also other psychological problems.
Psychosomaticsis a science dealing with determining the relationship between the human psyche and emotions experienced by him and the occurrence of somatic (body) diseases. It should be emphasized that psychosomatic diseases are problems in the case of which it is possible to objectively confirm the presence of symptoms of such diseases in patients, and to which they lead, inter alia, psychological problems. It is this aspect that distinguishes psychosomatic disorders from various neurotic disorders (including hypochondriacal disorders), in which the symptoms experienced by patients are caused by mental disorders, not organic dysfunctions.
The term "psychosomatic" in the medical terminology of visitors from the first half of the 19th century, was introduced by a German psychiatrist, Johann Heinroth.
Psychosomatics deals with man holistically, i.e. as a whole. Specialists in this field notice a direct relationship between the state of the human mind and the activity of individual organs of the body. The occurrence of a psychosomatic disease may be a reason to reflect on your mental state. It happens that people do not realize that they experience some unresolved emotional conflicts, and only the occurrence of a psychosomatic disorder makes them aware of their existence.
The mechanisms causing psychosomatic diseases are not entirely clear to this day. However, scientists were able to make some observations about their pathogenesis. An example is the effects of chronic stress on the human body. Stressful situations cause the adrenal glands to increase the release of their hormones, which are glucorticosteroids. An excess of these compounds in the blood (especially if the factorstress-inducing is long-lasting) it is conducive to the occurrence of many he alth problems, including hypertension or diabetes.
Psychological disorders can affect virtually any organ. Scientists dealing with psychosomatics, however, distinguished several diseases, in which the most common is the relationship between their occurrence and the state of the human psyche. This group is referred to as the Chicago seven (in English-language literature, these diseases can be referred to as Holy Seven Psychosomatic Diseases).
Worth knowingThe Chicago Seven - the creator of the theory
The list of seven diseases in which the emotions experienced by the patient play a significant role, was created by F. G. Alexander in 1950. Alexander de alt with both the purely somatic aspects and the human psyche - he was a doctor and a psychoanalyst. He is considered one of the people who contributed the most to the development of psychosomatic medicine. Alexander was not, however, the only man who was interested in the connection of mental conflicts with the state of human he alth - this aspect was also de alt with, among others, by Sigmund Freud.
Chicago Seven - the most common psychosomatic diseases
The Chicago seven includes:
- gastric ulcer,
- hypertension,
- bronchial asthma,
- rheumatoid arthritis,
- inflammatory diseases of the colon,
- hyperthyroidism,
- atopic dermatitis.
It is assumed that in the case of the aforementioned diseases, the link between their appearance and psychological disorders is the most clear. The concept of the Chicago seven, however, was created quite a long time ago, now - most likely - this list could be extended to include other problems that are often considered psychosomatic units. Examples of other diseases, the occurrence of which may be strongly related to the functioning of the human psyche, include:
- obesity,
- sleep disorders,
- appetite disorders,
- migraines,
- ischemic heart disease,
- tic disorders,
- addiction to various substances,
- autoimmune diseases (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus).
Chicago seven - why make it stand out?
The problems identified in the Chicago seven are entities for which the biological mechanisms that cause these diseases are known. There are also known methods of treating these diseases - or inin that case, the existence of the described classification has any justification?
ProblemIt turns out that it is probably worth considering the role of stress and other psychological factors in the pathogenesis of the aforementioned diseases. An example of this is gastrointestinal ulcer disease. In the vast majority of situations (even in 8 out of 10 patients), the ulcer is caused by infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Interestingly, however, the majority of people infected with this pathogen do not develop peptic ulcer disease during their lifetime. Another aspect is that 20% of patients with ulcers do not have an infection with Helicobacter pylori. The above data may indicate that factors other than bacterial infection are also involved in the development of peptic ulcer disease - according to the aforementioned F.G. Alexandra and other people involved in psychosomatics, psychological disorders can be considered as such factors.
In the case of the remaining diseases included in the Chicago seven, it is sometimes possible to notice a fairly direct relationship between the psychological aspects and their course. For example, patients with asthma may have attacks of this disease, manifested, among others, by significant breathlessness. Such seizures may be triggered by an infection or inhalation of polluted air in the patient, but may also be caused by the experience of extreme stress. According to psychosomatics, attacks of breathlessness in asthmatics may be caused by unresolved childhood problems related to the relationship with the mother, and from this perspective, these attacks would be the equivalent of suppressed crying.
The same happens in the case of hypertension - after all, experiencing strong emotions can lead to a significant increase in blood pressure. Arterial hypertension is most often an idiopathic disease, i.e. the disease whose direct, single cause cannot be found. Of great importance in the development of this problem are inherited family burdens (an increased risk of hypertension occurs in people whose relatives struggle with this disease), but other factors certainly also play a role - psychological aspects are potentially important among them.
It is also fairly easy to classify atopic dermatitis among the seven most common psychosomatic diseases. Skin changes (such as eczema and significant skin dryness), usually accompanied by severe itching, may appear in a patient after experiencing some stressful events. In turn, in the case ofinflammatory bowel diseases (such as e.g. ulcerative colitis) their pathogenesis is not clear so far. It is suspected that their occurrence may be affected by disorders of the immune system, and such disorders may occur as a result of exposure to strong stressors.
Taking into account the influence of the psyche on the development of somatic diseases is so important that it could guide the decision about the methods of treating his problem that would be appropriate for a given patient. In a situation where psychological problems were responsible for the appearance of the disease, solving them could alleviate the course of these diseases. The reduction of the stress experienced by the patient could be achieved, for example, by using relaxation exercises, but also by using the help of a psychotherapist.
It should be emphasized that using the help of mental he alth specialists should not be tantamount to stopping visiting a doctor who previously treated a given disease in a patient. The influence on the psyche is supposed to play a supporting role - neglecting, for example, taking previously prescribed medications, could lead to a deterioration of the patient's condition.