Psychosomatic medicine and psychoanalytic observation: considerations on the mechanism of symptom formation
Horta e Silva, F.; Pontes, J.F.
Arquivos de Gastroenterologia 18(3): 100-102
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-2803 PMID: 7340750 Document Number: 170190
The clinical symptom, perceived at body level, such as pain, dyskinesia, circulatory changes (tachycardia, blushing, pallor) is intrinsic and simultaneous with parallel changes at the mind level, such as anxiety, sorrow, instability, joy, depression and shame. Therefore, it has to be distinguished within the symptom, the overt component - somatic alterations - and the latent component - changes in mental processes. Hence, the global psychosomatic nature is intrinsic to the clinical symptoms.