Psychosomatics of indigestion
Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is heaviness, burning and a feeling of fullness after eating, sometimes with nausea and burping. Most people get it, it is usually not dangerous and responds to home measures. But if it keeps coming back, you need a doctor. The Ladder method adds questions about what is hard for you to accept and "digest", and it does not replace a doctor.
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When to see a doctor
A GP or gastroenterologist looks for the cause: they ask questions and may order a test for Helicobacter pylori and a gastroscopy. The NHS advises seeing a doctor if indigestion keeps coming back, the pain is severe, you are losing weight, you are often sick or you have the symptoms above. A doctor or pharmacist chooses the medicine.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method indigestion is not explained as "you take everything to heart" or "you wear yourself out". You are not to blame. Indigestion has quite physical causes, and a doctor and check-ups come first. Questions to yourself belong alongside them, not instead of them.
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In the method the stomach fits the image of "acceptance": what is hard for you to accept, swallow and "digest". It is an image, not the cause, and it does not replace treatment or food changes.
On the ladder this shows up as the steps "I swallow the hurt" and "it is hard for me to accept what happened". You can work through them at your own pace alongside treatment.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
More: signs, medicine, sources, questions
How it shows up
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- A burning feeling in the chest after eating
- Feeling full and heavy
- Feeling sick
- Burping and wind
- Food or bitter fluid coming up into the mouth
- Discomfort is worse after fatty or spicy food
What medicine knows
The NHS says most people have indigestion at some point, it is usually not a sign of anything serious, and you can treat it yourself. Most often it is caused by acid reflux, when stomach acid irritates the lining of the stomach and throat.
According to the NHS it can be caused or made worse by certain food and drink (coffee, tomatoes, alcohol, chocolate, fatty and spicy food), being overweight, smoking, pregnancy, some medicines such as ibuprofen, a hiatus hernia, and also stress and anxiety. Sometimes the cause is a stomach ulcer.
Signs according to the NHS: heartburn, feeling full and bloated, feeling sick, burping and wind, bringing up food or bitter fluid into your mouth.
What helps according to the NHS: less tea, coffee, cola and alcohol, not eating 3 to 4 hours before bed, raising your head and shoulders in bed, stopping smoking, not taking ibuprofen or aspirin unless prescribed. A pharmacist can recommend antacids, alginates or proton pump inhibitors.
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Frequently asked questions
Can indigestion be from nerves?
Stress and anxiety can make indigestion worse, but they are not the only cause. More often it is acid reflux, food, medicines or being overweight (NHS). If indigestion keeps coming back, see a doctor.
What does indigestion mean in psychosomatics?
There is no proven "meaning". In the Ladder method indigestion becomes a reason to ask yourself what is hard for you to accept and "digest". It is a question to yourself, not a diagnosis.
When does indigestion need a doctor?
When it keeps coming back, the pain is severe, you lose weight for no reason, it is hard to swallow, you are sick, the vomit has blood or the stool is black (NHS). Then see a doctor.
Related topics
Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.