Study Says Pandemic Led Psychosomatic Disease Cases to Rise

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – An individual experiences specific pain or discomfort and, after seeing a doctor and undergoing medical exams, finds that the problem has an emotional cause. These are psychosomatic illnesses, which present physical symptoms, with no laboratory or imaging exam detecting any physical features that could cause the affliction.

The origin of psychosomatic illnesses is always emotional, “but the symptoms manifest in the body, that is, a symptom that can not be explained by organic cause or medical exams, but that is real and is harmful to the individual. It’s quite common in anxious people who tend to place their mental pains on the body and in more practical people, who are unable to connect with their affective and emotional side,” explains Danielle H. Admodi, psychiatrist at the São Paulo Federal University School of Medicine and specialist at the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP).

The relationship between physical and emotional diseases is quite common, but with the pandemic, the trend has worsened. A survey conducted in May by the ABP showed that some 89% of the 400 psychiatrists noted the worsening of mental health conditions in their patients because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The psychiatrist highlighted that, during the pandemic, several psychosomatic illnesses had a higher incidence, mainly those that resemble Covid-19 symptoms. “Symptoms that may appear to be Covid-19 worsened, that is, people are very afraid of contracting the disease, they become anxious and worried, and begin to have symptoms similar to those of the disease they fear, further aggravating their anxiety,” she reported.

According to the doctor, the main psychosomatic symptoms are:

– Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
– Gastrointestinal disorders (nausea or diarrhea)
– Tachycardia (accelerated heart rate);
– Fatigue (tiredness and indisposition)

To address psychosomatization, therapy is the way, explains the psychiatrist. “Psychotherapy is always a good ally in these cases, but it is difficult to determine it before symptoms emerge, that is, by treating anxious conditions, the chance of them evolving into a somatization condition is lower.”

The psychiatrist lists the most common psychosomatic illnesses. “Feeling unspecific and generalized pain is common, or symptoms that can be part of any illness such as tiredness, gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea or constipation), itching, trembling of the extremities, skin spots and shortness of breath. But these symptoms can not be explained by any organic etiology, as in the diagnostic confirmation tests no disease that causes these symptoms is detected.”

More severe diseases, such as cancer, do not emerge from psychosomatization, says the psychiatrist. “Today it is known that neoplasms have well-defined etiologies, but what can be said is that very concerned and anxious people (with a profile towards psychosomatic diseases) may indeed develop a worse condition in relation to some diseases due to the rise in cortisol (stress hormone that leads to a decrease in immunity) and the negative and pessimistic way of seeing situations, often worsening the symptoms of the disease or treatment,” she concludes.

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