A psychological disorder is an imaginary physiological disease.

A psychosomatic disorder is an actual physiological disease, but the “cause of its cause” is the mind (with minimal assistance from heredity and the environment).

“For the contemporary clinician, the patient who somatizes is a pressing practical problem. Here there is distress, dysfunction, and disability of great magnitude and intransigence. Patients diagnosed with the most severe form of somatization, somatization disorder, have been shown to incur healthcare expenses that are nine times the U.S. average and consume disproportionate amounts of the time and energy of healthcare providers (Smith, Monson, & Ray, 1986a). In addition to the extensive direct costs, somatization disorder creates enormous indirect costs to the economy in the form of lost work productivity. Individuals diagnosed with somatization disorder report being bedridden for 2-7 days per month (Keton et al, 1991; Smith et al, 1986a). Somatization disorder is not only costly, but also difficult to treat successfully. In a longitudinal study following patients with somatization disorder who were receiving standard medical care, only 31% recovered after 15 years (Caryell & Norten, 1981). Typically, patients with somatization disorder are dissatisfied with the medical services they receive and reportedly change physicians (Lin et al, 1991). These ‘treatment-resistant’ patients frustrate healthcare providers with their frequent complaints and dissatisfaction with treatment (Lin et al, 1991).”

I beg to differ. These patients are the “bread and butter” of the mainstream medical juggernaut.

These patients typically get passed from physician to physician like a baton in a relay race.

Swami Nitty-Gritty said …

“You’re entitled to your runny nose. You’re entitled to placebo yourself till Midnight Eternity.”