Mind Body Experience

32 84
Avatar for JonicaBradley
3 years ago

Psychosomatic Disease

When I hear people say psychosomatic disease I think that means it's all in their head. And it does in a sense

What it really means is of the mind.

When my mind feels anxiety, stress, depression, or negative emotion of any kind it expresses itself in my body. I get aches. I get pains. Headaches, stomach aches, body aches. But when I go to the doctor, there is nothing wrong.

This is psychosomatic pain.

There's an entire specialty in psychology dealing with somatic pain. I've seen a somatic psychologist. It was intense.

The basic theory behind it, as I understand it, is when we experience trauma and don't deal with it, our body stores it up. Our bodies hold on to the emotional trauma. Then, later in life, when we perceive danger, our bodies react to the original trauma.

This is a very basic explanation of a very complex situation.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because I suffer from psychosomatic pain. Usually when I'm thrown into emotional flashbacks.

What is emotional flashback?

It is a situation of perceived danger, physical or emotional, that triggers an emotional response. The emotions that are triggered by whatever situation are the same emotions experienced at the time of original trauma.

Most of us have heard of fight or flight. But did you know there are two other limbic responses to danger? Freeze and faun.

Fight - stand up against the danger

Flight - run away

Freeze - hold still and hide

Fawn - bow down; people please

My particular brand of psychosomatosis is fight and freeze.

My somatic therapist explained to me that nobody can fight and freeze at the same time. So my body holds onto the trauma my mind wants to fight against and hide from.

This time around, this has been happening to me since March 16.

March 16 was my father's birthday. My dad had been very much on my mind this year. He died in 2007 and, according to my therapist, I've never grieved him. I've never grieved anything. I've always just escaped (hid) and suppressed my grief.

Thinking about my dad, trying to write about him, has caused my mind to go into emotional flashback and my body to feel pain.

I'm still attempting to write about him. But the writing has also dredged up other memories, other supressed emotions.

And I feel myself freezing. My brain that composes articles is freezing. My fingers that type the words are freezing. My mouth that speaks to ask for help is freezing.

I can feel myself withdrawing from the world. I want to find a cave and I want to hide in it forever.

I obviously cannot do that.

I cannot stop talking.

I cannot stop typing.

I cannot stop composing.

I cannot stop thinking.

I cannot stop feeling.

Instead, I type up this cheesy little explanation and hope my readers will understand; will forgive.

Lead image license free from Unsplash

23
$ 3.94
$ 2.27 from @TheRandomRewarder
$ 0.50 from @Pantera
$ 0.50 from @fantagira
+ 13
Sponsors of JonicaBradley
empty
empty
empty
Avatar for JonicaBradley
3 years ago

Comments

It's okay. You don't have to apologize. Sharing this must cost real courage. Others find it hard to do, in fact. But you had the strength to bring it up, even it may have trigered traumatic past and emotions, and you are amazing for doing that. I have researched these kinds of conditions are hard to get rid off, or even impossible to. I hope you will still get by fine despite all the shts thrown by world at you. Keep fighting, ma'am. :)

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Sorry for hearing this one.. I sometimes feel something unusual myself. I felt a sudden pain without knowing the reasons. It kept my emotions struck me and feel so pathetic, thinking deeply and doing something without a goal.

As for you Ma'am, I just want to say, It may be hard from the start but soon enough I know you can overcome it.

Thank you for sharing this one to us.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I am so sorry Momma. I am also happy you are seeking help and you are also intentional about it which made me appreciate the walk and your observation of nature earlier in the day.

Yes, unexpressed feelings are not healthy. I learnt about it when I was told to cry when I lost my mum and I was just there, staring blank and lost.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. 🤗🤗🤗

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Some broken feeling make you psychology patient. I have read a very good real story about a loves, who after decieved turned into psychological patient. I have tears when i see him. Yeah! Stress, emotional torture and depression are signs of this. But when we go to doctor he/she replies their is no wrong with you. A psychiatrist and neurologist can better treat such a patient. Your life story is full of sad emotional feelings that always broken me and my heart into tears. Ma'am every time you get happiness and every time you smile because of your good works.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Sorry to hear about what you're going through. The emotional wounds that we keep deeply inside us sometimes don't let us move forward. But at the same time, it's hard to let them go out. It's like being caught in a circle. I hope you'll find the strength to be able to write that painful writing that freezes you. And thank you for all that information about psychosomatic disease. Hugs!

$ 0.50
3 years ago

I have not heard of all the terms you have written but I can certainly relate to them. I think I freeze and fawn most times. Thank you for sharing. It takes a lot to try to overcome it and the mind plays tricks most times. For now, I shall give you a big virtual hug 🤗

$ 0.50
3 years ago

I love the hugs! They do help.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I am sorry to read this from you and your experience so far. I think your Psychologist is right by saying you cannot fight and freeze at the same time.

When you stand up against the danger, it is impossible to still hide it.

I hope going for therapy will heal your pain. Sorry about your Dad. Though he has long been dead, but you still remember him and feel his presence.

$ 0.50
3 years ago

Am still attempting to write the "difficult article." It's about him.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

I will be waiting to read from you then. Thank you for the tip ma 🙏

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Sorry to hear that.. I guess I somewhat experience this too.. I have a lot of emotions kept in my mind and can't be expressed... And I guess that made my body in pain sometimes.. Weird pain.. Do you know body pain is also one of the symptoms of depression? I learned about it when I searched during the times that I was depressed. i have this pain that kept on coming back for almost a year already.. That's why I want to rest.. To find out what causes this pain and how I can deal with it.

$ 0.50
3 years ago

Do a quick Google about "somatic pain" and "psychosomatic pain". Also, you might look into learning about PTSD as well as depression.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Sorry for what you are feeling right now....hoping for you to be okay faster than sooner. Maybe I also did experience something like that or I think so, when I had an incident that I can't get it out my head until it was forgotten by the world aside from me only.

$ 0.50
3 years ago

That sounds a lot like PTSD.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

PTSD??? what is that maam?

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It can happen when something bad happens to you. Like a car accident. You will relive the accident over and over in your mind. You will keep seeing it. And you might become afraid to get into a car or be around cars. This is just an example. It can develop after any traumatic incident.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

oohhh I see thank you for the info..it seems right ..the cause of my phobia might be because of that

$ 0.00
3 years ago

It's just something to look into. Obviously, a stranger on the internet can't diagnose you. But you could do a Google search. You might even be able to find some helpful resources.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

okay maam thank you

$ 0.00
3 years ago

The 4f can also help in other phase of physiological disease

$ 0.50
3 years ago

Definitely. And you landed them correctly! I guess you are knowledgeable of these limbic reactions.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Really am motivated by you today

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Why i feel the pain while reading this one :( maybe because ive been there to. But thanks for sharing about what psychosomatic disease is. It takes time to heal the wounds that left by our loveones. Just keep on praying and cheer yourself up :) virtual hugs for you.

$ 0.50
3 years ago

I take all hugs. Virtual or otherwise.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Hope you are getting well now. Facing and hiding your fear is not that easy.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

This is similar to PTSD. I also tend to hide and deceive myself that something didn't happen. Especially Death of a Loved one. I refuse to look at their pictures or even weep because to me I'm not ready to accept that they are gone by mourning. Instead i hold the tears back .once in a while when the memories flow back i feel like coiling hiding again

$ 0.50
3 years ago

I am diagnosed with C-PTSD. That stands for Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It differs from PTSD in the sense that it stems from long term trauma rather than just one incident.

$ 0.10
3 years ago

Oh! I now know the difference.

Thanks for the huge upvote ma🙏

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Of course!

$ 0.00
3 years ago

Very sorry to read what you are experiencing. Do take time to grief, and from there to heal. Take any amount of time you need to feel better. You owe this to yourself to be well, mentally and physically.

$ 0.05
3 years ago

Well, I'm working with a psychologist. I have been seeing her for 5 years and am just now to the point of trusting her enough to open up. Lol. Thank you for your kind words.

$ 0.00
3 years ago

It's great that you acknowledge the issue and that you need professional help to overcome it. It's a great positive step. Hope it will be smooth sailing from here onward. Hugs

$ 0.00
3 years ago