ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the concept of “somato–psychic” to “psychosomatic”, since this emphasises the primacy of physical conditions that affect the mind. The notion of “psychosomatic”, or “psychogenic” has some validity, but is often overused. It is all too easy for medical doctors to assume that if a physical cause of a patient’s symptoms cannot be found, then the cause must somehow be “psychological”. A common pattern in the group of patients is that of perfectionism and striving excessively prior to the somato–psychic breakdown. People displaying this pattern turn against their own nature, becoming “at war” with their bodies. Hatred and anger toward the body are common, or sometimes a kind of somatic indifference, broken only by intrusions of physical pain or overt collapse of function. One obvious therapeutic requirement for people with these kinds of somato–psychic fragility is stress relief, whereby the entire mind, brain, and body are calmed down.
