Somatization of anxiety

  In the busy industrial and commercial society, anxiety is quite a common problem and is accompanied by various physical discomforts. Patients go to cardiology because of chest pain and difficulty in breathing, to ENT because of dizziness and tinnitus, or to gastroenterology because of abdominal pain and constipation, and seek medical help everywhere and do various tests to find out what is wrong, but their condition still does not improve.  Patients often feel nervous, worried, panic, fearful, or have difficulty sitting still, irritability, loss of patience, inability to concentrate, etc. These physical discomforts are all anxiety symptoms, mostly closely related to psychological factors. Generally speaking, anxiety mostly stems from stress, from external demands, unexpected changes, or self-expectations.  The autonomic nervous system is like a mirror, reflecting the internal tension and producing various physiological reactions to anxiety; the person is extraordinarily prone to physical discomfort when he or she is in a state of sensitivity and vigilance. Many patients buy drugs for individual physical symptoms, such as sleeping pills for insomnia and painkillers for headaches, which can only treat the symptoms but not the root cause.  The exact cause of anxiety varies from person to person. If a psychiatrist can diagnose the root cause and prescribe the right medication, when the anxiety is improved, all kinds of physical discomfort will gradually be relieved. Dr. Hsieh said that the treatment of anxiety takes antidepressants as the first choice of medication, and the short-term use of sedatives can significantly improve the symptoms.  In addition, the alternative program “cognitive behavioral therapy” can be done to correct inappropriate thoughts and practices, to help patients let go of excessive expectations and worries, to develop a better way to relieve stress and cope; and “physiological feedback and relaxation training”, through the instrument The “physiological feedback and relaxation training” can be assisted by equipment that allows patients to learn to be aware of the body’s anxiety response and to relieve the tense state through meditation, meditation, abdominal breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation.  As for the so-called “cerebral neurasthenia” or “dysautonomia”, which often creates the illusion that it is a physical disease, Hsieh believes that it is not appropriate. Many patients are misled to go to neurology or undergo unnecessary tests, but do not receive proper evaluation and treatment.