Bronchial Asthma Psychological Considerations
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 Jan / Feb Vol IV No 1.
Mahesh Parikh.
Emotion may modify the immunological or allergic mechanism responsible for some cases of Asthma. Emotional phenomena may also be related to the development of asthma by means of central nervous system control of bronchiolar junction. A combination of both of these processes in varying proportions occurs in most cases.
A number of studies have suggested a relationship between Asthma and a cyclothymic or hysterical personality. Investigations have shown that there is a wide variation in personality, disturbances among asthmatic patients and that there is no single personality type.
A number of specific conflicts have been reported as leading to bronchial Asthma. Much of the emphasis on the psychological genesis of Asthma has been concerned with the view that the significant psychodynamic process in Asthma is the unconscious fear of loss of the mother or mother figure. Sexual temptations, competitive feelings, narcissistic desires and hostile impulses may precede Asthmatic attacks. Behavior of fantasies with such themes become sources of tension to the asthmatic because they stimulate fears of retaliatory withdrawal or estrangement from a parental figure.
The dependency observed in asthmatics may be secondary to the disease process. The asthmatic attack itself could give rise to an acute need to cling to a mother figure and may therefore tend to reinforce the helpless dependency seen in these patients.
Stimuli regularly associated with the presence of an allergic substance may precipitate an attack in a susceptible person.
Treatment:
Many factors are involved in the development and precipitation of Asthma. Therefore the joint efforts of internist and psychiatrist are important in handling the medical and psychological aspects of the illness. A wide range of psychiatric treatment modalities have been used including individual psychotherapy group therapy, hypnosis, and psychopharmacological agents. Behaviour modification techniques have also been used.
