Who treats psychosomatic complaints

Psychosomatic complaints are treated by specialists in psychiatry, so-called psychiatrists. In addition, psychologists and general practitioners can also treat a psychosomatically caused illness. Especially at the beginning of the diagnosis, patients often consult their family doctor.

To a certain extent, the family doctor can often already help the patient. In more severe cases, however, it is absolutely necessary for a patient with psychosomatic complaints to be treated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The treatment can be either outpatient or inpatient.

This means that the patient either comes to the psychologist’s or psychiatrist‘s practice repeatedly for appointments (outpatient) or is treated in the hospital on a special ward for psychosomatic disorders. In some cases, so-called rehabilitation centers (REHA for short), where the patient is accommodated for a few weeks, are suitable. Such centers then offer various group therapies as well as individual treatments with a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Especially for patients with eating disorders or addictions this concept of treatment can be very useful. In such centers the patient also meets occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other auxiliary staff, who also provide a small part of the psychosomatic treatment. However, psychiatrists are the ones who mainly treat psychosomatic complaints.

The psychosomatic clinic

The psychosomatic clinic is part of a psychiatric clinic. Depending on the range of treatments offered by the clinic, it is either an inpatient clinic where patients are completely accommodated for several days to weeks or an outpatient clinic. In this case, the patients can go home in between.They either come to the psychosomatic clinic only on agreed dates or every day, but spend the night at home (so-called day clinic).

Each psychosomatic clinic is somewhat differently structured and designed for different patient groups. For example, there are special clinics that only specialize in eating disorders. Other clinics, on the other hand, deal exclusively with addiction.

Take the test here: Do I suffer from an eating disorder? Often psychosomatic clinics and rehabilitation centers are treated equally, although it is often difficult to make a precise distinction. In general, acutely ill patients should rather visit a psychosomatic clinic, whereas a rehabilitation center is more suitable for patients who are no longer acutely ill. Often, however, the transition is so fluid that hardly any differences can be made between the two facilities, especially when it comes to addictions or eating disorders. Depression or post-traumatic stress disorders, on the other hand, should be treated in a psychosomatic clinic, as here the possibility of medical consultations is often more frequent, as the doctors often visit the patients every morning.