Treating Somatic Fixation: A Biopsychosocial Approach: When patients express emotions with physical symptoms

Abstract

Somatic fixation occurs when the patient or physician focuses exclusively on the biomedical aspects of a complex illness. Individual, family, and cultural factors promote the expression of emotional experience through physical symptoms. The physician or treatment team establishes a collaborative relationship with the patient and family, integrating biomedical and psychosocial evaluations and respecting the patient's defenses.