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. Maine has 3 practicing psychosomatic medicine doctors. Broken out by city, psychosomatic medicine doctor density in Fort Fairfield is 1, in Portland is 2, and in Presque Isle is 1.

When you think of Maine, you probably think of seafood. Maine’s 228 miles of coastline offer residents and tourists breathtaking coastal scenery and numerous summer water sports, though most tourists visit Maine in the warmer months. Ninety percent of the land in Maine is forested, and the Appalachian Trail begins in this state. The capital city is Augusta, and the population is 1,321, 505. Famous Maine citizens include author Stephen King, artist Andrew Wyeth, and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Maine has a population of 1,321,505. Of this population, 272,217 are under the age of 18 and 192,024 are at or above the age of 65.