Distress and the body: An exploration of the history and meaning of psychosomatic disorders

The idea of “psychosomatic disorders” represents a link between the mind and the body, in which bodily ailments are thought to be exacerbated or caused by psychological conflicts or distressing social situations. This essay will explore some of the history, philosophy, and scientific approaches to this family of phenomena. The first section will explore in more detail some definitions and conceptions of the term “psychosomatic”. The two following sections will describe the history of the psychiatric family of somatoform disorders and the non-psychiatric functional somatic disorders respectively. The last three sections will explore some frameworks used in the interpretation and explanation of psychosomatic phenomena, including the cultural approach of “idioms of distress”, neo-Janetian theories of dissociation, and the role of trauma and attachment.