Psychosomatic Disorder
With only 4 acupuncture treatments, I saw a tremendous improvement in my bronchial asthma that has been bothering me for years, my period improved after a year and my cholesterol dropped to normal levels. Efthymios, thank you again.
– Alexandra A.
What are psychosomatic disorders?
We all know that our body is inextricably linked to our feelings and minds. Often, people experience symptoms in the physical body that seem to be affected by emotional states and there is no medical cause. Then we say that the disease is psychosomatic.
The symptoms may vary, but in any case, they are true, although findings do not always appear in the relevant medical examinations. As the word betrays, the causes are usually hidden in the psychology of the person, that is, their feelings.
Stress, anxiety, bereavement, sadness, anger, jealousy, envy, frustration or some psychological traumas are just some of the possible causes of our symptoms.
Common psychosomatic symptoms:
Sleep Disorders
Digestive System Disorders
Dyspnoea
Anxiety/Panic Attacks
Heart Problems
Dry skin
Itchiness
Headache
Tension and Pain in the Neck, Waist or Shoulder Blades
Weakening of the Immune System
Many of these pains can be explained by the increased secretion of cortisol or adrenaline, hormones needed for situations where it is necessary to fight or flee (fight or flight response).
Our mind does not understand the difference between a real and an imaginary threat. Therefore, as long as something remains mentally unresolved, we continue to feel unpleasant and stressful emotions, to which our brain reacts by secreting the aforementioned hormones.
Trauma is often the cause of many emotional or physical symptoms that make life difficult for us. In fact, it is our body that tries to convey a message to us, because the trauma is stored there, even though it has an emotional root.
Therefore, a synthesis of therapeutic methods, techniques and tools is needed, addressed to the mind, emotions and the physical body. Chinese Medicine and acupuncture work with the energy (Qi) of the person, restoring it to a smooth and balanced flow.
My training in psychotherapy and the experience of more than 10 years of working with people offer a solid and safe foundation in the treatment of people with psychosomatic problems.
A plethora of research supports the positive effects of acupuncture in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases. The research of Wild et al. in 2020 showed that acupuncture has the potential to reduce stress while in 2002 the ability to suppress the activation of the sympathetic nervous system was shown (Middlekauff et al., 2002). A study completed in 2013 showed that acupuncture had extremely positive results in veterans suffering from insomnia related to post-traumatic stress syndrome ( Prisco et al., Group Auricular Acupuncture for PTSD-Related Insomnia in Veterans: A Randomized Trial).