Psychosomatic medicine deals with physical disorders that are also called psychophysiologic disorders, or somatoform disorders. An illness may be considered psychosomatic when it seems to result from strong emotional conditions such as anxiety, trauma, depression, anger or guilt, rather than a physical cause. A physician who specializes in psychosomatic medicine will first test the patient to rule out physical causes. A psychosomatic illness will often respond to pain medication or other medical help, but psychological assessment is required to find the underlying cause of the illness.

Some psychosomatic illnesses are irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, muscle aches, tension headaches, panic attacks, colitis and ulcers, and even infertility. Psychological stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and lower energy levels, allowing the body to create or worsen physical diseases. The way a person handles stress often affects the severity of psychosomatic illnesses.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Connecticut has 20 practicing psychosomatic medicine doctors. Broken out by city, psychosomatic medicine doctor density in Bethlehem is 1, in Clinton is 1, in Farmington is 3, in Hartford is 3, in Meriden is 1, in Middletown is 1, in New Britain is 1, in New Haven is 6, in New London is 1, in Norwalk is 1, in Stamford is 1, in Waterbury is 2, in West Haven is 1, and in Westport is 2.

This New England state is one of the original 13 states; Connecticut’s capital is Hartford and its population is 3,510,297. This state is steeped in history. Visit the past at the Nathan Hale Homestead near New London, or Yale University in New Haven. Tour the home of Mark Twain, the New England Air Museum, or the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Explore a historic tobacco farming area, do some hiking and biking, or visit the numerous antique shops or lighthouses in the eastern coastal area.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Connecticut has a population of 3,510,297. Of this population, 812,182 are under the age of 18 and 472,089 are at or above the age of 65.