In the past, one separated diseases in which one suspected psychological triggers and in which one could detect a physical change, e.g. under the microscope, from diseases in which no physical damage could be diagnosed despite all examination methods. Today, this classification has been abandoned, so that the field of psychosomatic diseases has broadened considerably.
Classical 7 of pychosomatics
As early as the middle of the last century, the psychoanalyst Franz Alexander was of the opinion that certain diseases have psychological causes and are rooted in the basic psychological structure of the individual: The classic seven of psychosomatics included bronchial asthma, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic colitis ulcerosa, neurodermatitis, hypertension, chronic polyarthritis, and hyperthyroidism. Later, diseases such as the intestinal disease Crohn’s disease, coronary heart disease, allergies and some autoimmune diseases were added.
Today, however, we know that this theory is not correct: On the one hand, the discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori showed that a pathogen is indeed responsible for the majority of stomach ulcers. In addition, a wide range of research did not reveal any specific personality traits or conflicts from which a specific psychosomatic disease could be inferred.
On the other hand, it is now well known that in many diseases – not only those mentioned above, but also eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia, sleep problems, many gynecological or urological problems, anxiety, addiction and even cancer – the psychological condition of the individual has a significant influence on the course and severity of the disease. It is not known exactly why this is so – however, over the past 100 years, famous psychoanalysts have formed different theories about this.
