Posted by Jim Crandall (204.95.48.203) on August 02, 1999 at 14:13:48:
In Reply to: The all powerful brain posted by Anne Thomas on August 01, 1999 at 11:40:07:
I think it is unfortunate that a lot of people think psychosomatic means "imaginary"; when it literally means mind-body. I have really bad finger and toe nails, an affliction that has been diagnosed as twenty-nail distrophy. I came down with this mysterious ailment at the age of 8, the same year my parents divorced. Coincidence? I don't think so. The emotions, especially undisclosed fear, that I experienced that year could well have changed something in my unbelievably complex body chemistry that causes my nails to grow strangely. The symptoms are not imaginary; even though the cause may be my reaction to emotional trauma.
I haven't been able to identify similar trauma for the onset of periodic clusters or the switch to chronic; but I think it's possible. (Sometimes I have great trouble with deep introspection: I keep running in to this place that really hurts and I get side tracked:>)
God's peace,
Jim