Why does the body hurt when the organs are healthy?
The brain constantly receives signals from internal organs, but filters out most of them so that they do not interfere. With chronic stress and anxiety, this filter works differently: ordinary sensations - heartbeat, bowel movement, muscle tension - begin to reach consciousness and are interpreted as signs of danger. Anxiety increases muscle tension and activates the autonomic nervous system, which makes sensations even more noticeable. A stable circle is formed in which the symptom is real and there is no organ failure. That is why the doctor’s phrase that everything is fine does not bring relief.
- Reduced threshold for perception of bodily signals
- Constant muscle tension
- Activation of the autonomic nervous system
- Focusing on the symptom
- Avoiding stress and perpetuating weakness
- Searching for evidence of illness on the Internet
How it manifests itself
Complaints are varied and can concern any system. Most often these are pains: headaches, in the back, in the stomach, in the chest, in the joints. Palpitations, a feeling of lack of air, a lump in the throat, dizziness, nausea, bloating, bowel problems, and frequent urination are common. Symptoms change over time and often move around. Also characteristic are constant concerns about health, frequent visits to various specialists, listening to the body and the conviction that the disease simply has not been found. The quality of life suffers no less than with many physical diseases.
- Chronic pain of various localizations
- Palpitations and feeling of shortness of breath
- Dizziness and weakness
- Nausea, bloating, bowel movements
- Lump in throat and difficulty swallowing
- Sleep disorders
- Constant anxiety about health
- Multiple visits to doctors and repeated examinations
Causes and what supports symptoms
The development of the disorder is facilitated by chronic stress, psychological trauma, the habit of not noticing and suppressing emotions, as well as the experience of a serious illness in oneself or loved ones. Sometimes the trigger is a real illness: it goes away, but the anxious attention to the body remains. Behavior that perpetuates the problem plays a big role: constantly checking pulse and blood pressure, searching for symptoms on the Internet, refusing physical activity for fear of harm, repeated examinations and searching for a new doctor. All these actions provide short-term calm, but increase focus on the symptom.
- Chronic stress and psychotrauma
- Alexithymia - difficulty recognizing your feelings
- Serious illness in yourself or in the family
- Anxiety and depressive disorder
- Constant self-checks and searching for information on the Internet
- Avoidance of physical activity
- Repeated examinations if results are normal
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is not made by simple exclusion: in addition to the absence of physical illness, what is important is the characteristic pattern - multiple changing symptoms, significant health concerns, duration of more than a few months, disruption of daily life. Therefore, the examination should be reasonable: the doctor prescribes what is really needed, taking into account complaints and age, and conducts it once. Further repetitions without new symptoms only increase anxiety. At the same time, depression, anxiety disorders and panic attacks are assessed, which are often comorbid and require treatment.
- Examination by a therapist and targeted examination
- General blood test
- Thyroid hormones
- ECG for heart complaints
- Refusal to repeat tests if results are normal
- Anxiety and Depression Assessment
- Clinical conversation with a psychotherapist
Treatment
The basis is psychotherapy, most often cognitive-behavioral: it helps to change the interpretation of bodily sensations, abandon self-tests and gradually return to normal activity. Regular moderate physical activity is important: it reduces muscle tension and restores confidence in the body. It is useful to have a single attending physician, to whom a person comes according to plan, and not every time with a new symptom. Medicines, primarily antidepressants, are used for severe anxiety, depression and chronic pain as prescribed by a doctor. The goal of treatment is not the immediate disappearance of symptoms, but a return to a full life.
- Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy
- Refusal to self-test and search for symptoms on the Internet
- Regular moderate physical activity
- Routine visits to one doctor instead of emergency ones
- Dealing with sleep patterns and stress
- Antidepressants as prescribed for anxiety and chronic pain
- Relaxation techniques and breathing exercises
- Gradual return to work and normal activities