Psychosomatic illnesses can generally be considered as physical illnesses that are believed to be psychologically based; hence they are often referred to as "psychophysiological" disorders.

The task of psychosomatic medicine is to unravel the nature and mechanisms of behavior and psychosocial encounters that may alter the development of the organism, its structure, and its functions.

Maladaptive behaviors and lack of integration in the interactions between an individual and the environment lead to debilitating illnesses. These events require careful scrutiny and analysis.

This resource will stand as the first book devoted entirely to the topic.