The psychosomatic disorder and the individual-psychological approach

Abstract

This text examines psychosomatic disorders through the lens of Adlerian individual psychology, highlighting the close interaction between emotional factors and physical manifestations. Since the 1940s, medicine has increasingly acknowledged the connection between psychological and physiological processes, promoting an integrated view of illness. Psychosomatics has emerged as a discipline aimed at exploring the mechanisms through which emotions and internal conflicts are translated into bodily symptoms. Psychoanalysis has contributed theoretical insights into the symbolic meaning of symptoms and the personality profiles of psychosomatic patients, identifying traits such as a fragile ego, immature defenses, inhibited symbolization, and a tendency toward impulsive action. In such individuals, pragmatic-operational thinking dominates over mental elaboration, and somatization is seen as a regression to infantile modes of emotional communication. The Adlerian approach offers a holistic interpretation of symptoms, viewing the individual as a psychophysical unity embedded within a relational system. Each bodily symptom expresses an existential project and reflects past experiences. According to Adler, body and mind cooperate inseparably, and every somatic manifestation reveals goals and emotional content, often unconscious. Social interest, essential for human adaptation, is considered innate and supported by stable environmental mechanisms, such as the pleasure derived from maternal affection. This sentiment fosters social cohesion and cooperation. In the case of hypertension, the symptom is interpreted as the expression of a conflict between self-assertion and dependency. The hypertensive individual exhibits hostility, insecurity, relational difficulties, and alexithymia. From an Adlerian perspective, hypertension reflects a will to power that overrides social interest, generating tension and imbalance. Therapeutic intervention must therefore interpret the symptom within the broader context of the patient’s lifestyle and personal history