Article: A psychosomatic diagnosis is a doctor’s way of saying, “I don’t have a clue”

[TiredSam]

I tend to find those who offer up psychosomatic explanations are lazy intellectuals, or intellectual wannabies, or people who are fond of soap operas.

And they like to watch re-runs of old Hitchcock films on afternoon TV whilst eating a piece of fruitcake.

 

[Snowdrop]

It also just goes to show that being taken in by a line of thought isn't about being less educated. Because modern medical practice includes some very expensive diagnostic tools the philosophy coming down from teaching institutions and whoever is footing the bill institutionally is to streamline the process. This includes the thinking that a patient is much more likely to present with a common ailment, easily identified-- the 'if you hear hoofbeats it's a horse not a zebra'.

Any further testing then becomes a relationship issue--that of the particular disposition of the MD to whether they trust the patient and how thoroughly indoctrinated the MD is--at some point for many the zebra a very real creature and in terms of metaphor real disease (if possibly more rare than a horse) becomes a unicorn. There are no zebras only mainstream illnesses of the ordinary kind and psychosomatic.

The irony is that this rather expensively paid for thinking is barely conscious on the part of the Dr. It's not an examined sort of opinion--rather just something they 'know to be so' because of their training.

It would be interesting to compare whatever imperfect statistics we have on some of the more rare illnesses and compare the numbers to what an average GP/PCP might expect to come across in the course of say 5 years of practice. One patient who doesn't fit a described list of regular type illnesses? Ten?

 

[antherder]

Yeah, Freud may have started it all but don't forget those doctors who are (allegedly) learned and well educated. If they continue to be prejudiced or ignorant then that is their choice. Prejudice and bigotry is bad enough from someone who knows no better but, hopefully, has the capacity to learn. From someone who does no better but chooses to be this way...

Exactly.

Warning: The following post contains the repetition of a problem word that may cause a problem for you, if that's the sort of thing you have a problem with. Please note that this is a multipurpose warning/disclaimer - any adverse reaction is your problem, not mine.

So, I think part of the problem is one of repetition, making the same mistake, again and again.

As an example;

I have a particular problem, that I knew was a serious problem (in addition to ME), but doctors assumed my problem was in my head.

Eventually, after years of trying to cope with the pain this problem causes me, the problem became so obvious that they could no longer dismiss it. They had to acknowledge that yes, there is indeed a problem. A big one.

The problem now is that, imo, the treatment they are offering will make my other problems that they have also dismissed in the past, and still continue to dismiss to this day, a whole lot worse.

This is a problem for me, but not for them. The only problem they can see is how to get me to let them treat the problem they can see.

Why can't a doctor just stop for a moment and ask the question;

Given that this patient was right that the problem really is a problem, is it possible that she may be right about the other problems being problems too?

Isn't that called learning? Trying not to make the same mistake again?

It seems to me that they have deliberately chosen not to ask that question, and that is, in my mind, a serious problem. Also, the fact that no doctor has actually admitted they were wrong is, imo, problematic. And quite revealing.

In the interests of full disclosure, my own history of not learning from past experiences is quite extensive (watch out for my memoir, ME, Myself and My Problems, coming soon to a bookshop near you - joke).

And I do keep making that same mistake of thinking a new doctor might listen to my problems...even help me with them, maybe...that one's a killer, isn't it...

What a shame that the old cliche of, "a problem shared is a problem halved," is just vintage psychobabble.

 

[Barry53]

A psychosomatic diagnosis is a doctor’s way of saying, “I don’t have a clue”

I also think attaching the word "syndrome" to an illness usually means the same thing.

 

[alex3619]

It has struck me more and more forcefully recently that a lot of the people pushing psychosomatic models and psychological treatments for ME show all the signs of religious zealots.

Read Webster's Why Freud Was Wrong. This behaviour has been meticulously documented. There should be ICD and DSM codes for it, but alas I don't think there is. Its more a cult than religious though, and there is often a charismatic leader at the core.

 

[trishrhymes]

Read Webster's Why Freud Was Wrong. This behaviour has been meticulously documented. There should be ICD and DSM codes for it, but alas I don't think there is. Its more a cult than religious though, and there is often a charismatic leader at the core.

You're right, it is more like a cult than a religion, I tend to merge the two. See my blog I wrote yesterday:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?entries/is-bps-bio-psycho-social-a-religion.2074/

I'll have a look at Why Freud was wrong sometime - sounds intriguing.

 

[lauluce]

And I do keep making that same mistake of thinking a new doctor might listen to my problems...even help me with them, maybe...that one's a killer, isn't it...

I've been making that one over on over for the last 20 years... I actually know that all doctors are the same and that if I really want something from a new one, all I can do is manipulate him with lies, slowly leading him to do the test I want and arrive to the conclusions that I think are the correct ones, I don't know any other way to get anything for a doctor.