Hey, quick Q – How’s your neck? Whilst we're at it – how are your shoulders feeling? How is your head? If you were to do a quick scan of your body, would you be able to pin-point the wear and tear that stress has taken on your body recently? I can always feel the stress in my neck and shoulders, how about you?
Do you see where I am going with this? Stress impacts our bodies, right? I mean it just does. We know that stress starts in our minds, and I bet that you can feel it manifesting in your body, just like I can in my neck and shoulders. I want you to take an intuitive leap with me here as what happens in our noodle may well be affecting the old doodle. Noodle being your mind and doodle – well that's just nonsense really; but let’s take it to mean our body, our system. Let's consider how these two link into the field of psychosomatic medicine.
Psychosomatic illness is a term used to describe physical symptoms that are caused, or worsened, by psychological and emotional factors. This type of illness is not solely caused by psychological factors, but rather, it is a complex interaction between physical, psychological, and social factors. I talk about this a lot in my workbook.
Some common examples of psychosomatic illness include:
Migraines
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Fibromyalgia
Hypertension
Skin disorders such as eczema or psoriasis
Tension headaches
Chronic pain
But what about long-term stress or even how about trauma and the effect that has on our bodies? When events from our past lay unacknowledged and unprocessed – a sort of executive dysfunction can occur in the body, causing an array of auto-immune disruptions. In my mind, this is where I find explanations to medically unexplained infertility.
When there isn’t a biological reason, psychology can help.
And yes, maybe at a conscious level you feel fine – but your body may be telling us something else. When events that have caused emotional pain and suffering in the past lay dormant – the consequence is very much in the present, perhaps trapped in our unconscious. What’s trapped in the there I call 'blocks'.
It's important to note that psychosomatic illness isn't about blame and it isn't a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower. Seeking treatment is a sign of strength. In fact, it could be the answer…..
It's our job to collaboratively connect your mind to your body and find any blocks. Once any block is identified, acknowledged, and processed a form of healing can take place. The body can then return to home. I do this with my patients over time and in person, I want to invite you to do the same with me in my workbook which is available here and also on Amazon here.
Take care of those aches and pains we found earlier, won’t you? Have a think about what self-care can you do this weekend.
Lots of love,