psychosomatic
ADJECTIVE:
1. of or relating to a physical disorder that is caused by or notably influenced by emotional factors.
2. of, relating to, concerned with, pertaining to or involving both the mind and the body.
the psychosomatic nature of man. —Herbert Ratner.
3. of or relating to disorders, such as stomach ulcers, thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress.
4. of or relating to a disorder having physical symptoms but originating from mental or emotional causes.
5. relating to or concerned with the influence of the mind on the body, especially with respect to disease.
6. a descriptive term for the relationship between the mind and body.
7. of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbance:
psychosomatic symptoms; psychosomatic medicine.
Example:
The doctor told her that her stomach problems were psychosomatic.
Note from Dictionary.com:
“Psychosomatic” disorders have definite physical symptoms but are thought to be caused by emotional or psychological factors.
Anorexia nervosa is an example of a psychosomatic illness.
Note from Merriam-Webster:
Since the Greek word soma means "body", psychosomatic suggests the link between mind and body.
Since one's mental state may have an important effect on one's physical state, research on new medicines always involves giving some patients in the experiment a placebo (fake medicine), and some who receive the sugar pills will seem to improve.
You may hear someone say of someone else's symptoms, "Oh, it's probably just psychosomatic", implying that the physical pain or illness is imaginary—maybe just an attempt to get sympathy—and that the person could will it away if he or she wanted to.
But this can be harsh and unfair, since, whatever the cause is, the pain is usually real.
Origin:
First recorded in 1860–65; psycho- + somatic. —Dictionary.com. // First Known Use of psychosomatic: circa 1834. History and Etymology for psychosomatic: International Scientific Vocabulary. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Added: 12 June 2020 {8:52 AM}
1. of or relating to a physical disorder that is caused by or notably influenced by emotional factors.
2. of, relating to, concerned with, pertaining to or involving both the mind and the body.
the psychosomatic nature of man. —Herbert Ratner.
3. of or relating to disorders, such as stomach ulcers, thought to be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as stress.
4. of or relating to a disorder having physical symptoms but originating from mental or emotional causes.
5. relating to or concerned with the influence of the mind on the body, especially with respect to disease.
6. a descriptive term for the relationship between the mind and body.
7. of, relating to, involving, or concerned with bodily symptoms caused by mental or emotional disturbance:
psychosomatic symptoms; psychosomatic medicine.
Example:
The doctor told her that her stomach problems were psychosomatic.
Note from Dictionary.com:
“Psychosomatic” disorders have definite physical symptoms but are thought to be caused by emotional or psychological factors.
Anorexia nervosa is an example of a psychosomatic illness.
Note from Merriam-Webster:
Since the Greek word soma means "body", psychosomatic suggests the link between mind and body.
Since one's mental state may have an important effect on one's physical state, research on new medicines always involves giving some patients in the experiment a placebo (fake medicine), and some who receive the sugar pills will seem to improve.
You may hear someone say of someone else's symptoms, "Oh, it's probably just psychosomatic", implying that the physical pain or illness is imaginary—maybe just an attempt to get sympathy—and that the person could will it away if he or she wanted to.
But this can be harsh and unfair, since, whatever the cause is, the pain is usually real.
Origin:
First recorded in 1860–65; psycho- + somatic. —Dictionary.com. // First Known Use of psychosomatic: circa 1834. History and Etymology for psychosomatic: International Scientific Vocabulary. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
Added: 12 June 2020 {8:52 AM}