Psychosomatic Disorder Treatment in California
Dealing with a mental health disorder can prove challenging enough on its own. When paired with physical symptoms like pain or worsened illness, managing your mental health can feel even harder. The mind and body are closely connected. Stress and anxiety can sometimes lead to physical symptoms where no other cause is present or worsen symptoms of an existing illness or injury. At Advanced Psychiatry Associates, we offer psychosomatic pain treatment in California to help patients get to the bottom of unexplained physical symptoms and cope with related stress.
What Is a Psychosomatic Disorder?
A psychosomatic disorder or illness is any ailment caused or worsened by a person's mental state. A psychosomatic disorder may develop during a period of severe stress or due to a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. Because the sensations patients experience with psychosomatic illness mirror types of physical illness, you may find it difficult to tell whether your symptoms have a mental cause. You may visit the doctor's office for help with persistent symptoms only to find that no clear physical cause exists. Alternately, you may have a physical illness with a clear cause but experience more pain or discomfort than your doctor expects. Mental factors can even weaken the immune system and make the body more susceptible to colds and infections. All of these examples suggest a psychosomatic illness.
What Are the Symptoms of Psychosomatic Illness?
Some common symptoms people with psychosomatic disorders report include chest pain, headaches and stomach aches. Cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, skin conditions and gastrointestinal conditions can also worsen due to psychosomatic illness. Other signs of psychosomatic disorders include:
- Excessive worry about the seriousness of symptoms
- Spending excessive time and energy thinking about health concerns
- Continued concern about symptoms, even as they vary over time
While the discomfort or illness may not always have a physical cause that's easy to identify, the pain patients with psychosomatic disorders experience is still very real, and a result of increased nervous impulses originating in the brain. If you think your pain may have psychosomatic causes, a mental health professional can provide a diagnosis and recommend next steps.
Psychosomatic Illness Treatment in California
At Advanced Psychiatry Associates, we provide comprehensive treatment for psychosomatic pain and many underlying mental health disorders. First, a psychosomatic therapist will evaluate your condition and form a diagnosis. Then, we will recommend a combination of treatment strategies tailored to your needs. Talk therapy and medication are two of the most common strategies for treating psychosomatic illness. Medication helps manage the factors influencing your physical symptoms. Talk therapy, usually cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), helps you reduce stress, cope with physical symptoms and examine the beliefs you have about your health. All of our compassionate therapists and counselors work hard to create a safe, supportive environment for dialogue.
Learn More About Psychosomatic Pain Treatment
At Advanced Psychiatry Associates, we have more than 15 years of experience providing psychosomatic pain treatment and other mental health services to patients in California. We accept insurance from all major providers, including Medicare. To learn more about the services we offer or schedule an appointment, call one of our nine locations, or fill out our online contact form today.