Hypochondria, Psychosomatic Disorder, and Placebo Effect: Mind Over Matter – Lab 058

 
 

About This Lab

In this lab, we are talking all about psychosomatic disorders, what they are, how they function, and how they are diagnosed.

First thing’s first (I’m the realest)

  • Mind-body connection is super integral to the body

  • Our minds are constantly taking in info

  • there’s a mental component to every physical disease

  • How can the mind control the body?

  • psychosomatic disorders are NOT the same as pretending. #periodt

    • your brain is rewiring itself

  • What does it mean to have a psychosomatic disorder?

    • anyone can have a psychosomatic disorder

      • the brain can tell you something isn’t right here, so something might not be right in the body. The mind-body connection is so important

        • ex: Simone Biles at the 2020 Olympics. Her mind said, “no,” and knowing that the mind controls the body, which she needed to do flips in the air, she chose herself and withdrew

    • pain is subjective

  • How do you identify someone with psychosomatic disorder?

    • symptoms and patterns don’t fit the biology

    • but diagnoses can take up to years

  • People with psychosomatic disorders deserve better treatment.

  • Big takeaway: if doctors can treat the pain, treat it.

Guest Expert

This lab’s guest expert is Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan, consultant, neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist based at the National Hospital for Neurology in London. She is so dope, and has worked with patients on different spectrums of psychosomatic disorders. Read more here.

Transcript

You can follow along with the transcript here.