Psychotherapist’s opinion: “Every pathology is due to a complex imbalance.”

We often imagine that the mind is in charge of the body. True or False?

Jean-Benjamin Stora: Today, we know that humans comprise a psychosomatic unit and thus we cannot conflict the body and the mind. It is undeniable that there is, in all diseases, a participation of the psyche, but this does not mean it is responsible for all disorders that affect us.

Every disease is, thus, multi-causal?

J.B.S: Obviously. The outbreak of a pathology is due to an extremely complex imbalance, involving genetics, lifestyle, and the social, familial and professional environment.

Therefore, it is necessary to stop believing in the omnipotence of thought and, especially, to stop imagining that we are responsible for all that happens to us, health-wise. It is crucial to take a step back, remove yourself from the magical approach and be aware of the medicine’s drawbacks. The fact is that more and more doctors tell their patients “your pain is psychosomatic,” without going further. That is not satisfactory but on the other hand, there is always a subjective dimension to physical pain.

Thus, our story and emotional conflicts play a limited role in our health.

Everything depends on the individual case. The part played by the psyche in the emergence of a disease can be strong in some patients and secondary in others. This is why it is important to take a global approach with ill people. More doctors should be trained in psychosomatic integrative, a discipline that connects medicine, psychoanalysis and neurosciences. This should be a priority in the training programme of practitioners.

What is the goal of psychosomatic psychotherapy?

J.B.S: The goal is to enable patients to restore an internal balance, in order to solve his/ her narcissistic problem. It is necessary to recognise that when we suffer physically, we can feel trapped in a psychic regression and doubt ourselves. The therapeutic work of the psychosomatic doctor is to restore the first relations with their patient. He should be attentive, empathic and friendly, listening to and speaking about how the person lives, without ever letting the weight of silence settle down. The idea is not to find meaning in the disease because we know that it is multi-causal. Rather, it is to encourage patients to get closer to their feelings and thoughts, and to contribute to their greater well-being, and reconstruction of the psyche.

Basically, do you help people accept their disease?

J.B.S: No, but I help them to live with their disease until they are cured, as far as possible. I help them immerse themselves in the present and reinvest their life. Then, when the therapy ends, I encourage them to embrace the future by imagining projects, which is a sign that the vital tonic energy has returned.

Who are the psychosomatic practitioners? What are their backgrounds?

J.B.S: Psychosomatic practitioners are either doctors or psychotherapists, all of whom are specifically trained in the psychosomatic approach, and must have conducted psychoanalysis or psychotherapeutic work on themselves. They have to be aware of their psychic functioning and their unconscious. Because, whatever we claim, not everyone can become a specialist within this field. The somatic patients are so fragile that they require particular coverage. Even a good psychoanalyst cannot perform such work without having a specific formation.

But how do we know if we have to consult a psychosomatic doctor when we are sick? Are there specific indications?

J.B.S: Patients are not often the best to judge the relevance of such coverage. In most cases, this is endorsed by their general practitioner. But, according to some estimations, only 20% of illnesses are attributed to psychosomatic reasons; the attentiveness of the doctors is often attracted to their patient’s depression or anxiety, and it is these particular symptoms which may trigger patients to consult psychosomatic doctors.

Does undertaking such an approach increase the chances of being cured?

J.B.S: We are not magicians able to prevent death. But we can, in numerous cases (diseases with reversible crisis), support the vital instincts of patients who are seriously ill and, thus, help them to recover. In severe pathological cases, we can contribute to extending their life expectancy.

Stéphanie Torre

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