Healing the Skin: Holistic Approaches to Treating Skin Conditions - Research Paper Example

The focus in this paper is on psychosomatics that are diseases that occur as a result of the connection between certain psychological and physical factors. They occur in the form of physiological disorders but their development takes place on a psychological level. Some of the symptoms of psychosomatics are body pains that result from the development of traumas and increased pressure on the nervous system. Psychosomatics have their basis in the nervous system, which determines the relationship between the body and mind of a human being.

As a result, the key elements that are involved in psychosomatic disorders are the mind and the body. A human body is made up of different systems which have different functions and roles. The alimentary system supplies nutrients to the blood to facilitate growth and development of body tissues and organs. On the other hand, the blood circulatory system supplies oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body, while it also removes carbon dioxide from the body cells. The respiratory system is the source of oxygen that is needed for different purposes in the body.

However, the activities of different organ systems are coordinated by the nervous system. This means that different body organs are connected to the brain through the nervous system. The body of a human being contains millions of nerves that transmit information between the body organs and the brain. This forms the background upon which the body is connected to the brain. . Research studies conducted in the past have revealed seven psychosomatic diseases namely; hypertension, peptic ulcer, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, neurodermatitis and thyrotoxicosis (Wolman, 1968).

Short historical overview The development of the concept of psychosomatics can be traced back to the medieval Islamic world. Sahl al-Balkhi and Hally Abbas were Persian psychologist-physicians who understood illnesses that resulted from the interaction of the mind and the body. They realized that the physiology and psychology of a human being have significant influence on each other. The physicians determined the relationship between physically and mentally healthy patients. In addition, they also determined the relationship between mentally and physically ill patients (Martin,1978).

In the 20th century, Franz Alexander was the leader of a movement that focused on determination of the dynamic relationship between the body and the mind of a human being. This means that the interrelationship between the body and the mind has been a subject of interest among scientists for decades. Scientists have finally found that a significant relationship between the mind and the body of a human being exists (Martin,1978). Categorization of psychosomatics Psychosomatics can occur at different levels.

There are psychosomatics, for instance, that occur at personalized level. These are characterized by psycho traumas in childhood, intrapersonal conflicts, bereavement, disappointments, desire for revenge and extreme accentuation of personality (Apertavia, 2011). There are other psychosomatics that occur at the biological level which include genetic mental and nervous diseases of the parent, genetic body diseases of the parents and different