Butterflies in the stomach. Racing heartbeat. Sweaty palms. Shortness of breath. Almost all of us have, at times, experienced these types of psychosomatic symptoms, often in reaction to stress or anxiety. But what happens when these symptoms become a daily occurrence and begin to interfere with our lives? What if we become fixated on them? And, maybe most importantly, how do we distinguish psychosomatic symptoms from serious medical issues?

Let’s take a look at the phenomenon of psychosomatic symptoms and illnesses, and what you need to know if you are experiencing them.

What Are Psychosomatic Illnesses?

What Is Somatic Symptom Disorder?

At times, people who experience frequent psychosomatic symptoms may become fixated on them and develop somatic symptom disorder, which theAmerican Psychiatric Association (APA) definesas when one has “a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, that results in major distress and/or problems functioning.” Experiencing psychosomatic symptoms from time to time, however, doesn’t mean you have the disorder. In order to be diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder, you must experience “excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors relating to the physical symptoms,” the APA explains.

What Causes Psychosomatic Symptoms and Illnesses?

What is the role of stress in somatization?

But when excessive amounts of stress hormones are released, they can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as digestive issues, heart issues (including increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, and chest pain), as well as a host of other psychosomatic symptoms. Stress hormones can also cause fluctuations inserotonin levelsas well as a weakening of your immune system, both of which can exacerbate or worsen physical ailments.

Risk Factors for Psychosomatic Symptoms and Illnesses

All of us experience psychosomatic symptoms occasionally, but some people are more prone to these symptoms than others. There are certain risk factors that might make you prone to more frequent psychosomatic symptoms or make you more likely to experience a psychosomatic disorder, including:

While none of these factors are directly tied with psychosomatic symptoms, there is a strong correlation and a licensed therapist can help work with you to better understand what might be contributing to your experience.

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Psychosomatic Illnesses?

There are many different signs and symptoms that are psychosomatic in nature. It’s important to understand two basic principles about psychosomatic symptoms and illnesses:

Some of the most common psychosomatic symptoms include:

Are Psychosomatic Symptoms Harmful?

In and of themselves, psychosomatic symptoms are not harmful. However, if you experience chronic stress and your symptoms become ongoing, you may experience a decline in your quality of life, you may find that other health problems are exacerbated, and your symptoms may lead to increased feelings of anxiety or depression. That’s why it’s important to take psychosomatic symptoms seriously and seek treatment for them just as you would for any medical condition. In the case of true psychosomatic symptoms, you would likely seek the care of a doctor, licensed therapist, counselor, or someone who can help you with stress management and mental health issues.

How Are Psychosomatic Illnesses and Symptoms Treated?

If you have seen your healthcare provider and your symptoms or illnesses have been diagnosed as psychosomatic in nature, there are a couple of things you can do.

First, if your doctor feels that you are dealing with significant mental health challenges or could just use some help managing your stress, depression, or anxiety, they will likely refer you to a mental health professional. A therapist or counselor would be able to help you pinpoint what is causing your stress and suggest methods for managing your feelings so that they become less intense and less likely to exacerbate your symptoms.

Therapy and counseling services can be in-person, or via telehealth services like Talkspace. In addition totalk therapy, your therapist may recommend psychiatric medication, which can help you manage your anxiety or depression and also decrease your psychosomatic symptoms.

Still, tackling the stress and emotions triggering your psychosomatic symptoms may not be enough. In some cases, it’s important to treat your psychosomatic symptoms medically. For example, if you are experiencing chronic pain as a result of stress, taking painkillers should not be ruled out. The same is true for digestive issues and nausea symptoms — medications for digestion discomfort and nausea may be appropriate . Just because you don’t have a virus or disease doesn’t mean you should suffer; not only that, but experiencing high levels of discomfort often only makes stress worse, creating an ongoing cycle of stress and psychosomatic symptoms.

How To Cope With the Stress That Causes Psychosomatic Illness

Besides speaking to a therapist or a mental health counselor who can help you identify the thought patterns, relationships, life circumstances, or other dynamics that may be causing you stress, there are some simple lifestyle changes you can implement yourself to decrease stress and also quell symptoms.

The main idea here is to calm down your nervous symptom, express your feelings so that they don’t stay “bottled up,” and learn how to recognize the first signs of stress so it doesn’t spiral out of control.

Here are some activities that may help:

The Bottom Line

Experiencing psychosomatic symptoms can make you feel powerless, especially if they become chronic or disrupt your life. If you are in a place where your symptoms are making it hard to function — for example, if you experience chronic pain or chronic digestive issues — you may feel desperate to feel better. You may also feel upset if healthcare professionals seem dismissive of your symptoms because they are not indicative of a physically diagnosable medical condition.

Remember that even though your symptoms are psychosomatic in nature, they should be taken seriously, and you should feel empowered to receive the care that you deserve. Your symptoms are real, and treatment is out there to help you manage your stress, decrease your symptoms, and live a healthy and balanced life. If you’re looking for help with psychosomatic symptoms consideronline therapy— a convenient, inexpensive way to get started.

Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.

Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.

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