Psychosomatic medicine.

• Psychosomatic medicine


  Delves into the intricate interplay between psychological factors and physical health, emphasizing the impact of behavior and mental processes on bodily functions
• Psychosomatic symptoms


  Real and sometimes painful physical manifestations stemming from heightened physiological arousal triggered by psychological factors such as worry, stress, and anxiety
• Psychosomatic symptoms


  • Stomach symptoms
  • Muscle pain and tension
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Skin disorders
  • Eating problems
  • Insomnia
  • Asthmatic or allergic reactions
  • High blood pressure or heart palpitations
  • Weakened immune system
• Heinroth initially linked sleep disorders to mental states and moods

  1818
• Psychosomatic medicine


  Embodies a foundational medical approach that considers mental and social factors in both diagnosis and therapy
• Psychosomatic medicine


  Entails a research focus on understanding the role of mental and social processes in the onset, persistence, and treatment of physical ailments
• Psychosomatic medicine


  Treatment strategies often involve incorporating psychotherapeutic methods into patient care, recognizing the significance of addressing psychological factors alongside physical symptoms
• Psychosomatic medicine


  Adopts an individual-centric approach, acknowledging that diseases involve the entire bio-psycho-social unity of an individual
• Mind-body connection


  Thoughts, beliefs, and emotions can induce physiological changes that impact health and well-being, highlighting the profound influence of psychological factors on physical health
• Thinkers who contributed to the relationship between mind and body

  • Herakleitos
  • Plato
  • Descartes
  • Heinroth
  • Caruso
  • Schopenhauer
  • Nietzsche
  • Siebeck
  • Von Weizsäcker
  • Von Uexkull
• Conversion Model (by Freud)

  • Psychological conflicts can transform into bodily phenomena, with physical symptoms serving as secondary expressions of primary psychological conflicts
• Concept of F. Alexander

  • Distinction between conversion symptoms and symptoms of vegetative neurosis
  • Conversion symptoms involve the expression of psychological distress through physical manifestations
  • Symptoms of vegetative neurosis result from disruptions in the cooperation between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
• Alexithymia


  • Specific personality structure observed in psychosomatic patients, involving operational thinking and disorders of the structure of the Self
  • Operational thinking entails automatic, mechanical thought processes and a qualitative poorness in describing one's own psychic content
  • Individuals with alexithymia often exhibit impaired abilities to symbolize and may experience relationship emptiness
• Stress Model


  • Stress triggers physiological responses, including the fight or flight reaction, aimed at preserving homeostasis
  • Selye's concept of the general adaptation syndrome further elucidates the body's response to stressors
• Theory of Learning


  • Disorders stem from deficiencies or inaccuracies in the learning process, such as anxiety arising as a learned behavioral and emotional response
  • These disorders are closely linked to the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system
• Behavioural Medicine


  • Explores the bio-psycho-social model of health and disease, seeking to uncover connections between physiological responses to stress and the development of various health problems, particularly cardiovascular diseases
• Psychoimmunology


  • Investigates the interactions between mental experiences and the immune system
  • Psychological influences can either bolster or weaken the body's immune response, mediated by the hypothalamus, neurotransmitters, and hormones
• Classification of psychosomatic diseases

  • Conversion Neuroses
  • Functional Syndromes and Somatoform Disorders
  • Organic Diseases with a Psychosocial Component
  • Somatopsychic Disorders
• Conversion Neuroses


  • Characterized by the manifestation of physical symptoms that have no identifiable organic cause, often representing symbolic expressions of internal conflicts
• Functional Syndromes and Somatoform Disorders

  • Involve impairment of bodily functions without corresponding pathological findings in organs or systems, often presenting as syndromes affecting different bodily systems
• Organic Diseases with a Psychosocial Component


  • Organic diseases influenced by psychosocial factors in their onset and persistence, such as duodenal ulcer, asthma, atopic neurodermatitis, and high blood pressure
• Somatopsychic Disorders


  • Refer to the emergence of secondary psychosomatic symptoms and diseases, where physical ailments can impact mental health and vice versa
• Key risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CD)


  • Hereditary influences
  • Obesity
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Increased sympathoadrenal activity
  • Hostility
  • Aggressiveness
  • Suppressed internal conflicts
• Type A, Type B, and D-type personalities

  • Type A behavior, characterized by hostility, competitiveness, and a high drive for success, showed a higher prevalence among cardiac patients
  • Type B behavior reflects a calmer lifestyle characterized by cooperation and composure
  • D-type personality, or distressed personality, is associated with negative affectivity, social inhibition, increased emotional distress, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, independent of standard risk factors
• Intervention in cardiovascular disease management

  • Aims to reduce psychopathological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and hostility, while also addressing stress management to minimize its impact on the immune system
  • Focuses on promoting acceptance of the disease, disease awareness, emotional and social support, and fostering compliance with regimen measures
  • Targets both physiological and psychological factors to improve overall cardiovascular health and enhance patients' quality of life