Breast psychosomatics

What psychosomatics says

In psychosomatics, the breasts stand for care and the nest. They're linked to worry for your loved ones: your children, your mom, your husband.

Another theme is separation. When you've been separated from someone you love, or you feel torn away from what's yours.

Often a woman feeds everyone around her and stays hungry herself. Psychosomatics helps you see who you take care of and who takes care of you.

What it is

The breast is made up of lobules where milk is produced, ducts that carry it to the nipple, and fatty tissue.

The most common issues women face are fibrocystic breast changes (mastopathy), fibroadenoma, cysts, mastitis during breastfeeding, and calcium deposits that show up on a mammogram. The most common of these is fibrocystic breast changes. According to the Russian Ministry of Health clinical guidelines (2024), they affect half of all women or more, and they're most often found at ages 40–44. Most changes found in the breast are benign.

It's worth checking your breasts yourself once a month. The best time is day 5–6 from the start of your period, and after menopause, the same day each month.

In Kazakhstan, under the national screening program, women aged 40 to 76 get a free mammogram every 2 years. Before 40, breasts are usually checked with ultrasound.

How it shows up

• Pain and swelling before your period
• Lumps and nodules
• Nipple discharge
• Changes in breast shape or skin

A breast specialist makes the diagnosis.