Introduction
Problems of the psyche or anxiety-laden situations are often reflected in stomach aches. Everybody knows the unpleasant gut feeling, for example before exam situations. This is particularly common in children.
Causes
The term “psychosomatic” is used to describe mental and psychological complaints/worries and/or inner-psychic conflicts, which manifest themselves in physical complaints, often including stomach aches. Psychosomatic abdominal pain is not based on a physical illness. The most common cause of such psychologically caused abdominal pain is stress.
Everybody knows that it can literally strike the stomach. Since such a physical reaction can be observed in many families as a result of stressful situations, a genetic component that contributes to the development of psychologically caused abdominal pain is being discussed. It is suspected that the autonomic nervous system is more reactive to situations that seem to put the body on alert, such as lectures or examinations.
The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling numerous organ systems and its function can be influenced by various hormones. In addition to this genetic component, it is above all the nature of a person, his or her social environment and the support he or she receives, and a frequently accompanying unhealthy lifestyle, that play an important role in the development of psychosomatic abdominal pain. A person with a healthy self-confidence and a stable social environment, for example, is less likely to suffer from it than those who are in a difficult phase of life and receive little support.
In addition to stress, other frequent triggers of psychologically caused abdominal pain are anxiety, depression, sadness, excessive demands and nervousness. Positive stress can also lead to “stomach aches”, the famous “butterflies in the stomach”, which are more likely to be experienced as pleasant. Here, too, the sensitisation and irritation of the vegetative nervous system plays an important role in the development of the flabby stomach feeling.
Therapy
The therapy of psychologically caused abdominal pain is often very complex and lengthy. First of all, it must be ensured that the pain is not caused by a physical illness or infection, which often takes a long time itself. One of the most important goals of the therapy is to avoid a chronification of the pain and, above all, to avoid further psychic secondary diseases such as depression or anxiety disorders.
The foundation of the treatment is formed by two approaches. The first one serves primarily to relieve the abdominal pain, also to prevent an additional stress reaction of the body as a consequence of the complaints. This is achieved with the help of various medications adapted to the person affected and should not be carried out at the patient’s own discretion, but in consultation with a doctor. The second important approach is psychotherapeutic treatment with the aim of eliminating the actual cause of the complaints. A recurrence of the pain in renewed stress situations is frequent, which is why a therapy can take years until the patient is finally free of symptoms.
