Buzz
Any condition causing painful symptoms is undeniably frustrating, but imagine how much more intense that frustration becomes when a doctor suggests that the pain is merely 'in your head.' This is true for the following 10 conditions, each of which brings about painful and often disabling physical symptoms, but are thought to have a psychological origin.
10. Exploding Head Syndrome
Exploding Head Syndrome (EHS) causes individuals to experience what feels like an 'explosion in the head,' typically occurring as they fall asleep. Though harmless, this sensation can be terrifying for those who suffer from it. It can also result in sudden awakenings during the night, accompanied by symptoms such as flashes of light, intense heat, chest pain, and an overwhelming electrical sensation throughout the body.
Although this condition has been recognized since the late 1800s, there is limited medical help available for the physical symptoms caused by EHS. Currently, doctors believe that simple reassurance is the most effective treatment, with one patient's symptoms disappearing after his doctor reassured him that his EHS was 'nothing more than an inconvenience.' It is believed that stress, fatigue, and other sleep disorders could contribute to the causes of EHS.
9. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is associated with a range of physical symptoms, including widespread pain, fatigue, depression, and headaches. Despite these symptoms, some in the medical field continue to believe the condition is purely psychological. Dr. Gerard Mesill states, 'People with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) endure not just constant, widespread pain, but also face skepticism from medical professionals who question whether their condition is real. They are often labeled as 'annoying and needy.' In essence, insult is added to injury.'
There is no definitive lab test for diagnosing fibromyalgia. While doctors once relied on a 'tender point exam,' a diagnosis is now based on the presence of 'widespread pain for more than three months, with no underlying medical condition' to explain it. Blood tests are used to rule out other potential causes. Despite estimates suggesting that five million people in the U.S. suffer from fibromyalgia, many doctors still express disbelief over its existence.
8. Somatization Disorder
Somatization disorder is especially difficult for patients because it creates a never-ending cycle of physical pain, fueled by anxiety about the condition. The symptoms are numerous, including amnesia, diarrhea, dizziness, headaches, paralysis, and visual disturbances. Despite the wide range of symptoms, the lack of a clear physical cause has led many doctors to classify the disorder as psychological, causing it to be frequently dismissed.
Due to the absence of an identifiable physical cause, patients with this disorder are often advised to seek psychotherapy, and in some cases, antidepressant medications. Some research suggests that this condition, along with others like it, may have its origins in neurocircuitry.
7. Conversion Disorder
Although the challenges linked to conversion disorder remain serious, the understanding of the condition has evolved significantly since the 17th century, when individuals suffering from what was then called hysteria were often accused of practicing witchcraft and executed by being burned at the stake. While the ancient Greeks were more lenient, they believed the disorder was caused by the 'wandering uterus.'
Despite the progress made since those times, conversion disorder is still viewed as a psychological condition that can cause severe physical symptoms such as seizures, blindness, and paralysis. Those affected by this disorder often have repressed memories of a traumatic experience. Conversion disorder is rare, affecting an estimated 0.03 percent of the population.
6. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can be incredibly difficult, leading to many patients enduring its debilitating physical symptoms without proper care. The misconception that CFS is merely a psychological issue—something imagined, or caused by laziness—is so prevalent that the Institute of Medicine felt compelled to dispel this notion once and for all. They made it clear that chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious, physical condition that shouldn’t be reduced to psychological explanations.
The Institute of Medicine's report highlights that as many as 2.5 million Americans are affected by chronic fatigue syndrome. The condition causes debilitating symptoms such as extreme tiredness, cognitive difficulties, sleep disorders, autonomic issues, pain, and other problems that worsen with any physical activity.
The report also pointed out that chronic fatigue syndrome’s validity is often questioned. In fact, less than a third of medical schools address the condition in their curriculum, and 60 percent of medical textbooks don’t even mention it. This lack of education fuels skepticism among healthcare providers, many of whom incorrectly dismiss CFS as a psychological issue or simply a figment of the patient’s imagination.
5. Retired Husband Syndrome
Retired Husband Syndrome (RHS) is a disorder primarily found in Japan, where wives begin to experience a variety of physical ailments once their husbands retire. These symptoms can include ulcers, polyps, rashes, and headaches, all of which seem to be triggered by the sudden increase in their husbands' presence at home.
The physical symptoms of RHS are largely stress-induced, stemming from the traditional gender roles that have been deeply rooted in Japanese society for centuries. The growing prevalence of RHS has contributed to a notable rise in divorce rates. Between 1985 and 2000, the divorce rate among couples married for over 20 years more than doubled.
Despite many women in Japan experiencing these physical symptoms, doctors have been unable to identify any medical condition responsible for them, other than the psychological stress that comes from their husbands’ retirement.
4. Psychogenic Dystonia
Psychogenic dystonia is a disorder that leads to involuntary and painful muscle contractions, with no apparent physical cause. While many medical professionals have historically linked this condition to conversion disorders, believing it stems from psychological factors, emerging research suggests a potential neurological origin instead.
Unlike certain types of dystonia caused by genetic mutations, those with psychogenic dystonia do not exhibit any such mutation. However, they do show 'markedly different brain activity,' as evidenced by PET brain scans that track activity in specific regions of the brain. Although the name of the condition suggests a psychological cause (as psychogenic disorders were once called hysterical disorders), recent studies may indicate a neurological basis for what has traditionally been misnamed psychogenic dystonia.
3. Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
This condition is frequently misdiagnosed as epilepsy, leading to incorrect diagnoses. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), as the name suggests, do not arise from the same causes as epileptic seizures but instead are linked to psychological distress. The main distinguishing feature of PNES is the observation of seizures with 'unusual characteristics, such as the type of movements, duration, triggers, and frequency.'
Those suffering from PNES often have a history of traumatic experiences that are thought to be the root cause of the condition. Given the challenges involved in managing the disorder, individuals with PNES often go through a difficult and lengthy treatment process. Dr. Selim R. Benbadis, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, states, 'In addition to being common, psychogenic symptoms pose an uncomfortable and often frustrating challenge, both in diagnosis and management.' Like many conditions that are dismissed as psychological, PNES can be a significant burden for those affected.
2. Chronic Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is generally a treatable illness that usually requires around four weeks of antibiotic therapy. It is caused by a tick bite and is most common in the northeastern United States, though it can be found in various other regions. Chronic Lyme disease, however, is distinct and, while many doctors question its validity, a recent study found that its effects can persist for '4.7–9 years,' with symptoms including 'persistent musculoskeletal pain, neurocognitive issues, or dysesthesia.'
Although the study claims to have definitively proven the existence of chronic Lyme disease, several doctors remain skeptical. They suggest that the improvements patients report are simply psychosomatic and a result of the placebo effect. While many physicians dismiss those who claim to suffer from chronic Lyme disease as hypochondriacs, others believe that the physical symptoms may actually stem from a co-infection. These doctors argue that treating chronic Lyme disease without identifying the true underlying cause could cause more harm than good.
1. Pseudocyesis
Physical signs such as abdominal swelling, the sensation of fetal movement, lactation, and even labor pains typically indicate pregnancy. However, in the case of pseudocyesis, this is not true. Also known as false pregnancy, this condition can affect both men and women and is entirely psychological in nature. Pseudocyesis is included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and it is most commonly seen in regions where medical care during pregnancy is not sought until later stages.
A study published by the US National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine outlined common traits among individuals who experience pseudocyesis. The study observed that 'pseudocyesis shares many endocrine traits with both polycystic ovarian syndrome and major depressive disorder, though the endocrine traits are more akin to polycystic ovarian syndrome than to major depressive disorder.' Additionally, individuals with false pregnancy tend to experience 'increased sympathetic nervous system activity.'
