Psychosomatics of frequent colds. Psychosomatics of colds in adults

Colds and psychosomatics - is it possible to combine these two concepts? Colds in everyday life are usually called respiratory infections and flu. That is, viral or bacterial pathologies. If a virus or bacteria enters the body, the person gets sick; if it doesn’t, the person doesn’t get sick. It's simple, what does the psyche have to do with it? It turns out that every day we “swallow” millions of viruses and bacteria, we are surrounded by all kinds of parasites and fungi. But fortunately, we don’t get sick so often. Why is it that sometimes our immune system “allows” the attacking microorganism or virus to infect us, and sometimes it actively suppresses it? It is this question that such a field of knowledge as the psychosomatics of infectious diseases undertakes to answer.

Psychosomatics of a cold

For evidence-based medicine, the concept of “psychosomatics” is almost an abstraction. How well the diagnosis will be depends on the level of the specialist - psychologist or psychotherapist. This “operator dependence” makes it difficult for a group to analyze the situation. But even “hardened” clinicians recognize the influence of psychological factors on the development and course of the disease.

The main cause of colds

For example, for so-called colds, the most common cause is fatigue. That is, you:

• Tired.
• Dissatisfied with themselves and life.
• You don’t want to go to work (university, school and kindergarten also fall into this group).
• You want to lie in bed with your phone turned off.
• Dreaming of breakfast in bed.

Think about the order you are giving to your body. You are obligatory, and you cannot break away from work. But you are human and you can get sick. Your body happily grabs the nearest virus/bacteria. And allows him/her to reproduce.

In the best case, you have to take sick leave, and the body (the subconscious, if it’s easier to think about it) “considers” the task completed. In the worst case, you have to take immunomodulators, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, but still go to boring work, despite a cold. But in the latter case, the body considers the task unfulfilled, the disease drags on, and sometimes becomes chronic.

This is, in brief, the mechanism of development of ARVI and influenza, from the point of view of knowledge, with an emphasis on psychosomatics. A legitimate question arises as to why colds become more active during the autumn-spring period. Doctors clearly explain everything by the change in weather (cold temperatures, sometimes sharp), increased workload (after vacation you need to go to work, after vacation to school/university) and hypo-vitaminosis that developed during the winter period without vitamins.

In their own way, the doctors are right. But are there psychological reasons for the intensification of bacterial and viral diseases in autumn and spring? Psychology can also provide its own justifications. For example, a decrease in daylight hours in the autumn leads to a deterioration in mood, dissatisfaction, and the so-called autumn spleen (melancholy, depression, loss of taste for life) develops. And this, in turn, leads to the body succumbing to influenza infection.

In spring, a person is tired and exhausted by long winter nights, the monotony of colors, his body is “exhausted,” including psychologically. Spring has arrived and cheerful colors have appeared, albeit a little. And the body relaxed. It bravely survived the winter, waited for the warmth, got tired and, please, a viral disease is on the doorstep.

Although not all doctors agree with this theory, the psychological aspect plays a role in the development of diseases. Depression, dissatisfaction with life, physical and moral fatigue undermine the immune system, and then infections have the opportunity to “seize power.”

Additional causes of acute respiratory infections and influenza

In addition to the basics - fatigue - other negative emotions can also play a role in the mechanism of development of viral infections. For example, L. Hay considers the flu to be the body’s response to the negative mood of the environment. In addition, we can highlight:

• Suppressed anger.
• Fury.
• Fear (of a test, a significant event in life, a decision, the possibility of not being able to do something, etc.).
• Negative self-hypnosis.

If a person has a sore throat as a result of a cold, most likely the cause lies in pent-up anger. Such a patient was very angry with someone, but was forced to “swallow” the angry words. They literally “fell” like a stone on the immune organ (in this case, the tonsils) or their remains, if a tonsillectomy was performed at one time, and caused inflammation. In the absence of tonsils in such a situation, bronchitis will most likely develop. And if the anger was very strong, so that you were literally suffocating, it could cause bronchial obstruction and the development of asthma or pneumonia.

According to psychosomatics, a person may well become ill with an acute respiratory infection if he is suggestible, and especially if he believes:

• Your immunity is weak.
• Seasonal diseases are a must for yourself.
• That she will definitely get sick, because everyone around her is sneezing and coughing.

If you tend to bring yourself to white heat, literally boiling from the inside, most likely, bacteria will begin to attack you. With your anger, you can say that you heat up your own core of the body.

A slight increase in temperature, which is not considered a pathology, creates a favorable environment for the development of opportunistic bacteria (staphylo-, streptococci), which live in large numbers in the human oral cavity. In this case, a respiratory viral infection will most likely be complicated by a sore throat.

Psychological causes of colds in adults

Scientists and doctors in everyday life are increasingly beginning to investigate the psychosomatic causes of colds, especially if a person is often sick and the illness is protracted. The causes of persistent colds of a psychosomatic nature traditionally include:

• chronic fatigue;
• dissatisfaction with one's position;
• inability to achieve certain goals;
• low self-esteem;
• doubts in one's abilities;
• dissatisfaction with your appearance, height, figure;
• insufficient level of communication, lack of friends;
• frequent conflicts in the family or at work;
• unexpressed anger, frequent negative emotions.

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There can actually be many such reasons. One or more of them can lead to decreased immunity, weakened body, and, as a result, a lingering cold or the development of any other disease.

The psychosomatics of colds in adults is studied individually for each person; getting rid of the problem is possible only if the causes are correctly identified and their effect on the body is eliminated; there is a greater chance of a positive treatment outcome. You can look for the reasons on your own, or you can turn to a psychologist and together analyze the possible influence of negative psychological factors.

The influence of the degree of emotional shock on the disease

From a psychosomatic point of view, peak emotions are an important point. A sharp surge of fear or an unexpected attack of anger will most likely cause flu with high fever or acute illnesses: laryngo-tracheitis, pharyngitis with rapid development of symptoms.

Prolonged fatigue or suppressed fear often becomes the cause of sluggish respiratory pathologies of a bacterial nature, occurring without fever or with low-grade fever.

Psychosomatics also claims that if you kept back a rude word that you wanted to “spit out” in your opponent’s face, the next day you may find stomatitis on your lower lip. If you suppress an attack of very strong anger, the illness will be more serious and lasting.

How to treat psychosomatic illness

First of all, you need to pull yourself together and start working on yourself. You need to completely or at least partially reduce the influence of negative psychological factors, learn to enjoy life more, communicate with pleasant people.

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For women, going to a beauty salon or spa, getting a new haircut, a beautiful manicure and shopping helps improve their psychological state, lift their mood, and, accordingly, improve their health. If you are a true connoisseur of such things, treat yourself, give yourself a few pleasant days spent with your loved one. You will immediately feel better.

Psychologists recommend that men start doing what they love, go fishing with friends, find time for that pleasant activity that has been put off all the time due to lack of time or other reasons.

Health to you!

Who gets psychosomatic flu more often?

Why do some people often get colds and others not? Mothers caring for children remain on their feet. Medical personnel serving viral patients do not always become infected. This is explained not only by the presence of antibodies in their blood, but also by the peculiarities of the psychological make-up of the individual. If prolonged fatigue “forces” the body to accept the pathogen and allow it to multiply, then the understanding that someone must stay on their feet and that someone turned out to be you, forces the body to “root” the infection.

From the theory described above, we can conclude that the following are more prone to psychosomatic colds:

• Emotionally labile children.
• Children with a history of hyperactivity syndrome.
• Adolescents in puberty with a history of VSD and NCD.
• Adults with unstable mental health.

It doesn’t matter whether the car of tenderness presses on your soul or the car of rage. This pressure becomes the cause of neurosis, and it, in turn, contributes to the development of many diseases that seem to be unrelated to either the psyche or the nervous system. If you are balanced and have a “Nordic” character, you are unlikely to get sick with a psychosomatic cold, at least not often.

Psychosomatic causes of ARVI

ARVI is a viral disease of the upper respiratory tract, a constant companion of which is a runny nose. It is known that, being in the same room with a sick person, not everyone present will get sick immediately, but some will remain healthy. The frequency and severity of respiratory diseases largely depends on the emotional background of a person. Lack of respect for oneself, betrayal of one's own ideas and principles, low self-esteem - each of these conditions increases the risk of illness. The immune system weakens and cannot fight the virus. On the one hand, a person gets sick so as not to solve accumulated problems, on the other hand, the body is completely exhausted by illness and stress. So the circle closes, and respiratory diseases become more and more severe.

However, ARVI does not always have a psychosomatic basis. The genetic predisposition of the patient plays a significant role here. Only a relapse of the disease signals a deterioration in the emotional state.

Sometimes an illness helps satisfy a person’s unfulfilled needs, such as outside care, communication with loved ones, doing what he loves (hobbies), rest and sleep, which, due to their high importance, cannot be constantly ignored. In this case, it is worth exploring the problem rather than running away from it. Take time for yourself and your desires.

The science of psychosomatics considers a runny nose to be a consequence of a person’s emotional problems, and not a sign of a cold. Taking medications when experiencing an unreasonable runny nose is a mistake that most people make. Based on the postulates of psychosomatics, a runny nose and allergies can be external manifestations of a person’s internal psychological problems.

Psychosomatics as a science began to take shape at the beginning of the 18th century. The goal of this scientific direction is to identify the relationship between psychological problems and body diseases. The main idea of ​​this scientific movement is that most diseases arise from nervousness.

Scientists have identified causal connections between deep personal psychological problems and such serious diseases as:

• bronchial asthma;
• allergy;
• cardiopsychoneurosis;
• autoimmune diseases of unknown (idiopathic) origin.

Analysis of pathological processes developing in the body allows us to track their causal relationship with the patient’s personality, its type and characteristic manifestations. Any emotions (irritation, anger, fatigue), without finding a way out, can transform into one or another painful state of the body.

In traditional medicine there are no explanations for the causes of such pathologies.

The doctor may declare the patient a malingerer or prescribe treatment that is not beneficial. With prolonged psychological discomfort, painful conditions can lead to chronic disease. The main task of psychosomatics is to identify the psychological causes of physical illness.

Psychosomatics of respiratory system diseases

The respiratory system suffers in children and adults. Conventionally, a number of diseases can be considered childhood diseases, while others more often occur in adult patients.

Of course, respiratory pathologies have their own root. But the psychological side should not be excluded either. For example, there are cases where psychotherapists helped cope with frequent bronchitis in adults and children, identifying the psychological aspect. After all, if this is the underlying cause of the disease, the drugs do not help.

Childhood psychosomatic illnesses

If adults are more likely to suffer from influenza and pneumonia, then among young patients there is an increase in bronchitis and asthma. The psychological background of this phenomenon is not difficult to understand:

• Firstly, modern parents are busy “getting” money. Many of them have no confidence in the future, no reliable prospects. They try so hard to give their children everything they need (clothing, putting on shoes, feeding, teaching) that in the midst of all this they forget to just hug the baby. This does not cause passing resentment, but malaise - the child’s way of attracting the attention of his parents.
• Secondly, today the trend towards family breakdown is growing. According to Sinelnikov, if a child is not seen as an individual or for some reason cannot express his emotions, he “inhales” them deeply, physically holding his breath. This causes bronchitis. If the baby cannot accept the situation in the family, obstruction develops. If he often holds back his crying because his menacing dad swears, he may end up with allergic rhinitis and asthma. Bronchitis, which is not treated with medication, is usually of a psychosomatic nature.

There is a version that if a child often has nosebleeds, he does not feel parental love. If you love him, show it, otherwise his nose will bleed regularly until the baby “outgrows it.” Some never outgrow this and suffer from nosebleeds in adulthood.

The feeling of lack of recognition, that people important to him do not notice him, make such a child susceptible to blood pressure fluctuations and bleeding. Blood is the quintessence of life. For our body it is life itself. And if the body throws it out even from the nose, it is trying to solve a very serious problem. You should take a closer look at your child.

Please note that a child, if his psychosomatic feature is high emotionality, a noticeable predominance of excitation processes over inhibition, must be taught to express all emotions, both negative and positive.

For lively children, swallowed joy and unexpressed love can become no less a problem than hidden resentment.

Adult psychosomatic ailments of the respiratory system

In adults, the lungs are more often affected. The disease is preceded by deep emotional wounds (according to Sinelnikov), which could not be healed either over time or with the help of work. Adults who are deeply disappointed in life, despairing and tired of ups and downs, who do not see joy in every day, often suffer from lung pathology.

Pneumonia usually develops against the background of:

• Lack of rest, when shouldering an exorbitant burden, a feeling of being trapped.
• After great grief and disappointment.
• In the absence of the desire/opportunity to influence your life or environment for the better.
• Forced renunciation of benefits that are considered deserved and even required like air.
• Inability to breathe deeply due to feelings of guilt or inability to forgive an offense.

Situations that are associated with the fact that a person “caught his breath” or “his breath got stuck in his goiter” are fraught with diseases of the respiratory system.

Frequent pneumonia in an adult patient can be a step towards bronchial asthma if rejection of the outside world joins despondency. Oddly enough, the qualities that we consider positive and cultivate in children can cause pulmonary pathology. These include:

• The ability to sacrifice one's own interests for the benefit of others.
• Conscientiousness.
• Commitment.
• Decency.
• Deep control of your actions.

Persons for whom the motto “I see the goal - I see no obstacles” are prone to inflammation of the respiratory system. In this case, we are not talking about neglecting the interests of other people, but about a lack of concern for one’s health.

Psychosomatic rhinitis in a child

The somatic causes of childhood rhinitis are based on several different bases. With a frequent runny nose, we can say that the child does not receive enough care, communication, or warmth from his family. At the first manifestations of a cold in a child, parents usually begin to treat him, take pity on him, and take care of him in every possible way. Often a runny nose in a child is the mental cause of frequent quarrels and insults. The psychosomatics of a runny nose in children is important, but a thorough examination by a doctor and medication are necessary.

Headings

Almost all of us have a stuffy nose. Psychologists look at the psychosomatics of a runny nose from different angles. All their opinions agree on one thing: the nose is the organ responsible for self-esteem. When he is free and works fully, a person lives in harmony with his feelings. Nasal congestion is a projection of internal feelings into the external world. At the same time, a person experiences heaviness, dissatisfaction with himself, his dignity is infringed.

The modern world puts pressure on people. Unloved work, loans and mortgages, discord in the family, hidden grievances - all this accumulates inside. The feeling of confusion becomes a constant companion. It seems that there is no way out of this situation, and we blame ourselves for everything. There are times when self-esteem is lowered by people around you, constantly paying attention to shortcomings, pointing out mistakes, and finding fault. It is not surprising that the body defends itself, because if you are sick, you can hide from problems at home.

Tuberculosis

In addition to pneumonia, with the accumulation of negative emotions, you can get sick with a very unpleasant chronic illness - tuberculosis. Most often it affects the lungs. Selfish people who are dissatisfied with life are prone to tuberculosis. Dickenson's Ebenezer Scrooge probably suffered from consumption before meeting the Christmas spirits.

What do doctors advise patients when tuberculosis is detected? Eat well, breathe clean air. This is exactly what you need to do - take a deep breath and enjoy life. The immune system can suppress the activity of Koch's wand. We inhale it regularly, but not everyone gets sick.

Quite often the chest suffers when a person is unable to survive an insult. Other negative emotions can also cause illness.

Therefore, try to control yourself and restrain yourself within reason. Look for positive moments in everything, do not be disappointed in life.

Psychosomatics of parasitic diseases

People encounter external and internal parasites almost every day. Worm eggs are swallowed if you eat a vegetable that has not been washed with boiling water. You can encounter scabies mites and lice in public transport, shops, and schools.

According to classical medicine, if a person’s immunity is normal and he follows basic hygiene rules, he will not suffer from parasitic diseases. Frequent infestations by worms, lice and mites indicate that the immune system has failed.

What will be the psychosomatic diagnosis if scabies or pediculosis occurs? Most researchers of the psychosomatics of various ailments (from L. Hay to V. Zhikarentsev) agree that infection with scabies mites becomes possible when thinking is “infected”. Someone or something obsessively irritates you, and you have allowed this object/subject to irritate you to the point of itching. If the body could not cope with this disease, and it turned into eczema, perhaps you are experiencing shame for something, rejection and rejection.

Also, skin diseases are a way of self-isolation. Someone is so annoying that there is a great desire to put an insurmountable barrier between yourself and this person. And what is better at alienating people than an unpleasant skin disease? Considering that the scabies mite often affects exposed areas of the skin, for example, the inside of the forearms (arms), when you have scabies, think about who you don’t want to say hello to, who causes the worst antagonism?