The ten most common psychogenic pains: are you suffering from body pain but can't find the reason? Search our list of possible causes
Psychosomatics is a word composed of two parts - psyche and soma. The former means our mind, the latter means the body. If we are suffering from psychosomatics, then our body is responding to some psychological stress that has already permeated us to the point that it has begun to manifest itself in physical ways. Psychogenic pain is then diagnosed in the sense that there is simply no physical reason for the pain, but something sensible is happening nonetheless. It may surprise you, but such discomforts are not always short-term (like a stomach ache before a big event, or a pounding headache from an argument) - there are some people who are devastated by psychogenic pain over the long term.
As such,psychogenic pain is hard to treat. Simply suppressing the symptoms is not the ideal way to go. If the doctor has found no signs of a problem on the body, it is still necessary to face the situation and start with psychotherapy. For some, medication will help, for others even just coming out of the problems, airing them out properly, or at least understanding them. An alternative approach can also help - meditation, yoga, hypnosis, or even acupuncture.
A situation where the body is simply in pain for no real reason is easier to handle if we try to take at least three basic first aid steps:
- Talk to someone, confide and discuss all possible causes. Support is sometimes the most miraculous medicine.
- Exercise: Try to get the blood flowing, stretch, get some fresh air, get the hormones going and get some relief through physical exertion. Even that can really help a lot.
- Practicing Full Awareness: Sometimes you simply need to stop and learn to practice perceiving your current reality. Stop focusing so much on the scary future or the painful past.
The 10 most common physical pains caused by psychological suffering according to Lora Hoffstetter:
Sore throat
Did you know that a sore throat can be linked to a problem forgiving someone (maybe even yourself)? It's in the throat that we supposedly hold guilt. If you've been scratching your swallowing for a long time, feeling pressure or other discomfort in that particular area, try to think about whether you're struggling with something you can't swallow.
Shoulder pain
This area of the body is associated with exertion. If you have pain in your shoulders, you may be carrying too much weight, even though you've realistically only picked up the phone at most in the last month. The load on the soul that we carry around with us can really put a strain on the body too.
Zdroj: Giphy
Elbow pain
Aren't you experiencing big changes right now leading up to a goal? Maybe you don't actually believe in that goal that much, and so your soul is resisting changing the direction of your life path.
Upper back pain
Maybe you don't know how it is possible that your upper back hurts all the time - after all, you have started exercising, you are trying not to sit hunched over, but somehow you don't, and not to change something for the better. Then think about whether you feel loved, or even worthy of love. Pain in these places can indicate that you don't have enough emotional support, you are withdrawing your emotions because you don't feel like anyone else is giving them to you. And you may even worry that you can't find someone because you're "not worth it". Of course that's stupid! Help your back and yourself and try going on a date!
Lower back pain
Is your wallet empty? Worried about the roof over your head? Not sure how you'll manage your commitments? Maybe it's a hidden survival concern.
Pain in the hips
Maybe you need to move and you don't know how: Maybe at work, in a relationship, or in a project. This uncertainty may be reflected in your hips, which would like to swing into action but have no guidance or idea when their chance will come.
Knee pain
Stubborn and unbreakable! Does that sound like a description of your personality? Then perhaps you are now facing pressure that is forcing you to give in, but you know that you will not kneel at any cost just because it is expected of you. Not only you, but your knees have decided to harden!
Pain in the ankles
Our ankles support our entire body in walking and even just standing. If you don't feel that you have a strong foundation, it may have started to affect your entire body. You are probably worried about depending too much on something or someone else. But maybe it's the other way around: Your ankles - just like you - can no longer handle the weight of everyone relying on you and you alone for strength, and you're the only one keeping everything from collapsing. And that's a huge chore to manage!
Foot pain
If you're in pain when you step, maybe you need a change of terrain. Your feet may be telling you that you are now walking on hot coals or broken glass in your life too. And you want to go somewhere else - somewhere where every footfall won't hurt.
Pain in the hands
Hands symbolize touch, getting close to others. If they hurt, it may be a sign that you're experiencing too much of someone else's troubles and are too involved in it. Support and empathy is one thing, but taking on all the suffering is another!
