The Group-Analytic Practice treats people with a number of different kinds of somatic symptoms. Amongst these are patients with the signs and symptoms of somatic illness with cellular pathology, whose onset, severity, duration and recurrence is significantly influenced by psychological factors. These are patients with psychosomatic disorder. Such conditions include:
• some cases of essential hypertension
• some varieties of asthma
• eczema
• peptic ulcer
• ulcerative colitis
• rheumatoid arthritis
These conditions tend to be associated with 'alexithymia' (a relative or absolute inability to put feeling into words.) In Britain psychotherapy is often offered only when the physical condition is established in a chronic form. However:
• The therapy group is an excellent place to learn the language of feelings, through learning the language of relationships, in a group.
We are pleased to assess patients with this kind of difficulty and arrange psychological treatment when appropriate. The treatment arranged is most likely to be in a mixed psychotherapy group or a group homogeneous for alexithymia.
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