"Der Spiegel" website One of the most read articles of 2021 , original title: Therapists' coping strategies for burnout and pain: "If something goes wrong in life, the soul will come to report"
Original content summary:
心Due to the disease usually appears in the second half of life. Hann Seaman explains the body's alarm signals and effective ways to combat soul pain.
Summary:
When the soul is in pain, will the body get sick?
Yes, this is why a distinction is made between mental disorders and psychogenic disorders (or psychosomatic disorders). Psychotherapy is useful for the former because it involves thinking and doing, but not for the latter.
What are the categories of mental disorders?
Phobias, such as a fear of heights and closed spaces; or obsessive-compulsive disorders, such as a constant urge to wash hands.
How to distinguish psychogenic disorders?
People are suffering from physical pain that cannot be explained medically. Is
like back pain?
Yes. I'm always shocked that psychogenic disorders tend to occur in middle-aged people. They suddenly develop burnout, become discouraged and can no longer work. Many people believe that their back pain or headaches are due to a high workload at work or relationship difficulties, but this is not the case. Psychogenic disorders are related to conflicts in one's inner world.
What is the difference between mind and soul?
The mind is the self that develops over the course of life and is shaped by our experiences. The soul of and has been there from the beginning, innately. It is the core of who we are. You can quit smoking, you can correct your eating habits, you can reduce your fear of heights through exercise. But you can't change the soul. When we are no longer consistent with ourselves, fail to "meet" life, and take the wrong path, the soul will come to report. It signals through physical symptoms that something is terribly wrong.
Please give an example:
I have a 59-year-old female patient who is doing very well in her career. However, her life rhythm is no longer adapted to this stage, and it is impossible for her to continue living as before. For more than half a year, she had been seeking medical treatment and undergoing various examinations because everyone thought there was something wrong with her body.
What symptoms does she have?
At first, her right leg hurt terribly. The body is smart and sends out warnings to get people's attention. Four months later, the woman developed a cyst on her nerve. After emergency surgery, everything is back to normal. But two weeks later, the pain in my left leg started again.
She doesn’t have a so-called neurocyst at all?
Yes. This woman was very approachable, so I told her: Over the years, you have been living a certain way, climbing up the road of life, reaching a high point. But now into the second half, you should be going downhill. Therefore, it’s time to adjust the pace of your life. This is the soul reminding you through the pain in your legs.
Interviewee Hann Seaman, a psychiatric psychotherapist, recently published "Pain - An Emergency Call from the Body"
Will the soul be harmed by a wrong lifestyle?
does not. Psychogenic disorders cannot be cured by any medication or psychotherapy, or even lifestyle changes. People who are in the wrong profession, or who are unable to maintain a balance between career and family, may suffer from back pain even if they exercise regularly. There is only one way that works, and that is to change the trajectory of your life.
In addition to sleep disorders , the disease gradually occurs and the pain spreads in the body. Women are particularly affected. These women are bound by rigid concepts of life and unable to change. “Don’t run, don’t scream” is the crux of this psychogenic disorder. These patients are unhappy in their relationships and unhappy at work, but they are also not making any positive changes. Many of these patients experienced violence and sexual abuse in childhood. They learned not to move and to endure it all. The soul points to this inner solidification with pain.
It is the soul that causes pain, this is just a theory. The soul is beyond measure.
No, it cannot be explored, so the word "soul" does not appear in psychotherapy. I believe that every child is born with a body and a soul. The power of this child's soul manifests itself directly in the body: it's good for me. I like to eat this. This one smells delicious. This feels comfortable to the touch. Babies and toddlers have an accurate " seismograph " that records what they like and where they want to go. What is the difference between
and adults?
Through socialization, this oneness with oneself and its desires is reshaped. Parents advise their children: "This tastes good! This is wonderful music." But the child may not like the food or the music. The worst-case scenario is that the child and later adults are no longer with themselves. Therefore, especially in mind-body clinics, it is very important that people find their way back to themselves. This works best while painting, making pottery, or music therapy, rather than digesting one's life experiences in long conversations.
But you don’t make pottery with your patients, or do you talk to them?
Yes. I will pre-conversate with them to outline the main thread of their life experiences. Next, make suggestions for it. I will also assign homework to ask the patient to trace his life year by year until a certain time and place, when he is truly happy. Then, imagine "stopping" here and feeling how old he was at the time, what he did, how he felt, etc.
has a patient who is the daughter of a doctor. At a young age, she was intolerant to 134 types of food. She seems to be able to feed only on coke. She came to me because she was having severe panic attacks . When I asked her how she faced the pressure of the college entrance examination, she said: "I have a biology teacher who believes in me." Here's the secret: If you have someone who believes in you and believes that everything will be okay, then you too will find the right path for yourself. This encouragement is very important.
I always tell my patients that you don't have to throw away everything you've accumulated over the years. You should be grateful for what you have accomplished. If you still want to continue working, you can, but with a different attitude. Look ahead, what do you see? You see the whole picture of the future, and it is vast and beautiful. This landscape offers you many possibilities, many paths to take. I especially want to encourage people who have achieved great things in life to choose what they want.
People must know, what do they want?
The soul knows it and then perceives it through the body. During the conversation, I can see if the patient's breathing changes, if they are calmer and more relaxed. Some patients cry a lot. Many people sit with me and cannot "meet" themselves at all. They want to control everything. Then I have to communicate with him very friendly and allow him to immerse himself in the flow of life and drift with curiosity. Many people wonder what needs to change in their lives, and I would say: You don't have to do anything, just feel yourself. Then, watch what happens to you.
This sounds like meditation
The attitude is similar. If someone comes to see a doctor with back pain, I would not recommend psychotherapy, but I would recommend that he practice Qigong alone every morning. This is standing meditation. At this point you return to yourself and your energy is restored. The active intervention of the slow movement of on the internal rhythm is very good.
There is a healthy soul in a healthy body. (Interviewer Marianne Verhoff, compiled by Kou Ying)
