Q1) DSM, definition of Psychosomatic Disease

A) DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV)
Psychiatric Diagnoses are categorized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th. Edition. Better known as the DSM-IV, the manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association and covers all mental health disorders for both children and adults. It also lists known causes of these disorders, statistics in terms of gender, age at onset, and prognosis as well as some research concerning the optimal treatment approaches.

Mental Health Professionals use this manual when working with patients in order to better understand their illness and potential treatment

Axis IV: Severity of Psychosocial Stressors
• Events in a persons life, such as death of a loved one, starting a new job, college, unemployment, and even marriage can impact the disorders listed in Axis I and II. These events are both listed and rated for this axis.
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Q2) How does a stressor experienced in the mind get converted into a body symptom

A Mind and body are actually one, but somehow as Plato,the Greek philosopher rightly said,many centuries back, that doctors have made a mistake from time by separating soul from the body. A body symptom is less embarrassing than a
display of loss of control of mental discomfort.A psychosomatic illness, motivates the sufferer to seek help, indirectly for his mental anguish.
Besides this homeostatic mechanism of the mind,it is true and gradually getting Scientifically established that chemicals,hormones,molecules are being secreted by the Discomfort in the mind, resulting in repercussions in different organs of the body.

Q3) Which are the established and accepted Psychosomatic disorders

A Psychophysiologic Diseases
 Skin-Neurodermatitis, AD
 Respiratory-Asthma, hyperventilation
 G I – IBS, Peptic ulcer
 Endocrine-hypothyroid, obesity

Q4) How does Counselling help in relieving a psychosomatic symptom.
Counselling is a process where by the patient shares some of the intimate Details of his private life,emotions,feelings,perceptions. He is the introduced to the fact that mind ,emotions and psychological factors
Are contributory at times the cause of his dermatosis. Once he is convinced he or she opens ans is willing to discuss and resolve Some of the bothersome issues in the mind.

The Psychosomatic symptom does not disappear dramatically, but Does become less intense and improves better with other simultaneous Medication. It also helps to reduce the frequency and severity.

Q4) Is Atopic dermatitis a psychosomatic disease.

A. Though Atopic dermatitis, is an inherited disease,it is very well accepted that atopics Have a personality of seething aggression,less frustration tolerance with intense Almost violent rection with polemics continueing in the mind for long periods.

This could very well be repetitive in behaviour in response to various rejections, Dejections and narcissistic hurts.

In that Atopic dermatitis could be psychosomatic, as the recalcitrant nature, Precipitation and continuation of symptoms could be engineered by the mind.

Q5) What is endogenous depression
Why is aggression or anger a feature of depression

A) In an atopic, do vasoactive mediators get released because of psycholgical reasons and result in itching

Does anger in general have a relation to itching Does anger or a punitive attitude towards self result in itching in Atopics, Is the anger, outwards (environment/others) and inwards towards self,a hall mark of depression.