General Practitioner, Patients and Their Feelings : Exploring Emotions Behind the Physical Symptoms

The explosion of knowledge in the fields of neurobiology, psychology and genetics has made it no longer helpful to discuss whether or not a particular illness is psychosomatic. This title provides an introduction to psychosomatics for counsellors and psychotherapists who want to learn about the psychologically informed management of their patients' physical symptoms. It is also intended for general practitioners who are interested in the role of emotions in the formation of physical symptoms. The author, an experienced general practitioner with psychotherapeutic skills, discusses the attitudes that allow the doctor and patient to learn from their emotions and develop a greater tolerance of them. In a number of detailed and often moving case histories he presents his interaction with patients who suffer from various clinical conditions such as cancer, herpes, hyperventilation syndrome, asthma, skin disorders, panic disorder, obesity, eye disorders and somatisation disorder. He demonstrates how his psychosomatic attitude helps improve these patients' illnesses.