The Chicago Seven Psychosomatic Illnesses

Today, almost everyone knows that the body and the psyche are inseparably linked. Any psychical shock always finds its way into some somatic response. In a sense, nearly any illness can be looked at through the lens of psychosomatics.

The term “psychosomatic” was first coined in 1818. The German psychiatrist Heinroth observed that bodily symptoms were shaped by emotional and psychical factors, which in turn contributed to psychosomatic experience. Various schools of thought picked up his idea and developed it further, mapping out the main mechanisms behind how psychosomatic illnesses arise and progress.

In 1950, the physician and psychoanalyst Franz Alexander carried out research at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis and, as a result, identified seven illnesses with psychological causes: peptic ulcer, essential hypertension, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, duodenal ulcer, hyperthyroidism, and atopic dermatitis (neurodermatitis). These seven became known as the “Chicago Seven” psychosomatic illnesses. Alexander recommended that all his patients first consult a psychotherapist (or analyst) before seeing a physician.

Today that list has grown considerably, taking in conditions like coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a range of behavioral disorders.