Psychosomatic complaints in children and adolescents
Psychosomatic complaints in children and adolescents are unfortunately on the rise. These involve physical complaints caused, maintained or aggravated by psychological factors. They may manifest themselves in pain symptoms, loss of motor skills (movement), sensory (feeling) and other symptoms, among others. You can think of the following problems or requests for help:
- Stress-related problems such as headaches, abdominal pain
- Chronic pain and/or fatigue
- ALK / functional complaints: persistent physical (unexplained) complaints (previously called SOLK: somatically unexplained physical complaints)
- Conversion disorder
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
- Respiratory problems such as hyperventilation and dysfunctional breathing
- Sleep problems
- Panic disorders
- Post-traumatic stress syndrome
- Problems with self-confidence, self-image, brooding, etc.
Severe events can bring stress, but smaller or daily negative experiences can also bring stress. Possible signs you may suffer from when stressed:
- Physical symptoms: including accelerated heartbeat, faster breathing, fatigue, lack of energy, altered appetite, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea, sweating, sleep disturbances, dizziness, high blood pressure, trembling/ trembling, stuffiness
- Behavioural symptoms: including nail-biting, sighing, impulsive behaviour, agitation, hot-tempered/irritable, use of medication, gritting teeth, crying fits, social isolation, tense attitude, eating more/less, complaining, pacing, repetitive behaviour (in older people use of alcohol, smoking)
- Thoughts/feelings: anxiety, frustration, insecurity, shame, guilt, depressed, feeling alone, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, irritable, hostile, brooding, dissatisfied, less self-respect, listless, mental fatigue
In the treatment of psychosomatic problems, you can think of coaching (advice on dealing with the complaint / coping), breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, exercises from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), exercises from medical hypnosis such as guided visualisation, (self) suggestion, (positive) suggestive language, etc. We work with training principles such as graded activity and graded exposure (gradually expanding activities). You can also think about advice on social media and screen use. Furthermore, in some cases it is important to take a multidisciplinary approach and we work together with a practice support worker (POH-GGZ jeugd), psychologist, system therapist, hypnotherapist or EMDR therapist. Together, in consultation with the GP, we will decide what is the best approach for your child.