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Psychosomatic symptoms
Pronounced sy-koh-suh-MAT-ik
Also known as Somatisation, Functional symptoms, Somatic symptoms, Psychosomatic
Real physical symptoms — pain, dizziness, stomach upset, weakness — that are driven or worsened by stress and emotion rather than by damage to an organ. They are not imagined.
In Psychology
Psychosomatic symptoms are genuine physical symptoms in which the mind and nervous system play a major part: headaches, chest tightness, stomach pain, dizziness, tiredness, numbness, even weakness. The symptoms are real; tests simply do not find organ damage that explains them.
They are very common. Stress switches on the and hormones such as , which change heart rate, breathing, gut movement and pain sensitivity. In many Pakistani families distress is easier to voice as a body complaint — dil ghabrata hai, aches all over — than as sadness or worry.
Doctors use several names: functional symptoms, somatisation, or somatic symptom disorder when worry about the symptoms becomes excessive and takes over daily life. Good care rules out physical disease sensibly, then stops endless repeat testing and treats body and mind together — often with , graded activity and treatment of any or . See psychosomatic symptoms.
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Related terms
- Fight-or-flight responseFight or flight, Stress responseThe body's automatic alarm reaction to danger: adrenaline makes the heart race, breathing speed up and muscles tense, ready to fight or run. It can also fire when there is no real danger.
- CortisolStress hormone, HydrocortisoneA steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that helps the body respond to stress and regulates blood sugar, metabolism and inflammation. Levels peak in the morning and fall at night.
- Anxiety disorderAnxiety disorders, AnxietyWorry or fear that is stronger than the situation calls for, lasts for weeks or months, and gets in the way of daily life. Anxiety disorders are common and treatable.
- Nocebo effectNocebo, Nocebo responseWhen negative expectations about a treatment cause real unpleasant symptoms — the opposite of the placebo effect. It explains many side effects people feel after reading a medicine leaflet.
- Cognitive behavioural therapyCBT, Cognitive behavioral therapyA structured, time-limited talking therapy that helps you notice and change the thoughts and behaviours that keep a problem going. It is a first-line treatment for depression and most anxiety problems.