A psychosomatic understanding of cancer in adults

Cancer is one of the serious pathologies that afflicts more people in the world. Its prognosis is highly variable and depends on genetic, health, social and contextual factors of various kinds.

Like most diseases, its origin is of a complex multi-causal nature and is largely subject to the aforementioned elements.

There is a long tradition of research regarding the psychosomatic elements that influence the appearance, characteristics and course of this pathology.. In no case can they be considered to be unique causes, but part of a complex group of them and an important risk factor.
Let's look at some of the main psychosomatic type characteristics that are observed in many patients of this type and the characteristics that usually cross the different situations. These have been grouped under the name of type C pattern and have been studied mainly from a psychodynamic approach.

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The Type C Personality Pattern

As a broader element, it can be mentioned that people who belong to the type C Personality pattern are characterized by their extreme passivity. In general, they are complacent people who prefer to avoid conflicts. In an everyday social dynamic, they can be seen as very calm or kind people. For this reason, it is not surprising that in many cases there are mood problems concealed under the same characteristics.

As a second important characteristic to mention that there are marked characteristics of helplessness and hopelessness. These two elements have come to be related, as part of multi-causal explanations, with the appearance of melanomas. Helplessness reactions to stress have an important predictive value in this disease.

On the other hand, in this pattern, the element of low negative effect and closely related to it, emotional inexpressiveness, is also of particular relevance. Patients in this pattern present a marked inhibition at the level of their painful emotions, as opposed to a ease and fluency in the expression of positive emotions, such as affection, solidarity, love, joy, etc.

Finally, it is common for there to be some loss of significant people. This can be at the level of a specific loss (mainly of one of the parents) or the absence of a good relationship with them and in most cases, it occurs during early childhood.

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Emergence of cancer according to the Temoshok model

Having already observed the general characteristics of pattern C, it is of interest to review a model that explains the psychological and psychosomatic aspects involved in the onset of cancer.

According to Temoshok, the way in which people respond to stressful situations or events is of particular relevance. For the above, she states that there are three main factors that are relevant in the genesis of cancer, although they do not all influence at the same time. These are the type C coping style, emotional expression, and helplessness/hopelessness, three characteristics outlined above.

First of all, it is necessary to focus on the coping model of the type C pattern. As a combination of variables, people who operate from this type of coping are characterized by the suppression of emotions. From the author's point of view, this creates the ideal conditions for a disease such as cancer to develop. She believes that illness arises in part from the denial of one's own needs and affections.

The aforementioned is related to the second and third factors mentioned by Temoshok: emotional expression and helplessness/hopelessness. It had already been previously defined that both elements belong to the Type C Personality Pattern. Being a difficulty typical of these patients, they appeal to the defense mechanism of rationalization to give understanding of what is happening to them, without being able to deeply consider the world of their emotions and needs affective

Once all of the above has been explained, there are three possible responses that a person may have when faced with stressful situations. and accumulated pain with respect to which he has not been able to face and take charge, being within the mentioned pattern. The first, and perhaps the most desirable, is for a change to take place in the person, being able to develop healthy defense mechanisms that allow us to face and give an outlet to the aforementioned conflicts.

The second possibility is that the type C pattern is partly fractured and the previously mentioned state of hopelessness emerges, which was there before but hidden. This is a good opportunity for the subject to attend therapy and there is the possibility of establishing a more harmonious relationship between the psychological and the biological.

The third possibility, which would largely explain the appearance of cancer, is that the individual sustain this way of processing their emotions and behaving, generating a great risk of the emergence of the disease. As it has been observed, The psychological factors involved in relation to this disease are varied and of the utmost importance in its emergence and course.. It is worth emphasizing that in no case can they be understood as unique and main causes, but rather as part of a multi-causal and extremely complex phenomenon.