In presenting my lecture last month in four US states and two European countries, one story always got a big reaction. A woman of about 60 years of age had unexplained chest pains (requiring narcotics) for nearly two years that were linked to finding a letter from her emotionally abusive mother. She found the letter in the family Bible just after her mother’s funeral. Among other things the letter had a list of “10 Reasons Why I Hate You.” The woman’s chest pains faded rapidly after we uncovered this connection and she wrote her mother an emotional and cathartic reply.
Posts Tagged ‘PTSD’
Stress and Disease of Body Organs (2)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Continuing on the theme of stress and disease of body organs, a recent study* of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from Hamburg, Germany begins by citing research by others that war veterans with PTSD have been shown to have more illness of the heart, lungs, nerves and digestive system than war veterans without PTSD.
Stress Illness Brochure (5)
Friday, December 18th, 2009Concluding with Part 5 of the Stress Illness brochure:
IV. Stress From A Traumatic Experience
Linking Stresses and Symptoms (3)
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009It comes as a surprise to many, that mental health conditions like Depression, the Anxiety disorders or Post-Traumatic Stress may manifest themselves predominantly as a physical illness. As a result, people suffering from these conditions may have no idea what is causing their symptoms. Many people with Depression, for example, don’t feel particularly depressed. So what are the clues that point us toward these diagnoses? I usually ask the following questions: (more…)
The Stress History
Monday, November 16th, 2009Negative life events that persist for more than a short time sometimes can cause physical symptoms. We can divide the wide range of issues that can do this into five major categories, which simplifies the diagnostic process considerably. In evaluating medically unexplained symptoms, I inquire into each category in a process called taking the Stress History. I do this after having acquired a clear chronology of the patient’s illness. I know when and where symptoms began and their pattern over time. This often enables me to find links between symptoms and stresses. For example, I often ask if anything stressful occurred just prior to the onset of the illness. When I find these connections in timing, it increases the likelihood that the stress is responsible for the symptom.
