Psychosomatics

Psychosomatics

• In the past, the term psychosomatics was used exclusively for ailments and illnesses for which no physical or organic cause could be found. It was believed that such illnesses were caused by psychological factors.
• Nowadays, psychosomatics is the branch of medicine which considers it to be both necessary and helpful for the healing and recovery processes to take into account the complex reciprocities and links between the body, emotions, and professional and private environments.
• Seen from this perspective, psychosomatics is the science and healing art of the reciprocal relationships between psychological, social and physical processes in their meaning for human health and sickness. It deals with bodily and mental processes in the sick and the healthy, manifests itself in a basic biological, psychological and eco-social attitude and is as relevant to general medicine as it is to all medical specialisations.
• The clinical specialisation of psychosomatics is a discipline which scientifically and in its care mandate addresses those illnesses in which physical, psychological, mental and social connections and interactions play a central role in the onset and perpetuation of the disorder and where they are also important for treatment. This concept of medicine is vital for the successful treatment of psychosomatic ailments.
• Psychosomatic medicine is an interdisciplinary approach in diagnostics and the treatment of illness, which goes beyond a pathophysiological perspective to include emotional factors and all the patient’s life experiences.