2nd February 2024

Understanding Mind-Body Dualism

There is a dichotomous view or black-and-white thinking that an illness can be either medical or psychiatric. This is clinically valid in that they are two different entities. However, there is an intimate causal relationship between the two. The mind-body connection is the link between a person’s cognition and physical health. It is one’s thoughts, feelings, expectations, emotions, attitude and behaviour in response to these cognitions and physical health.

Theoretically, one can argue that the body and mind cannot exist separately. Clinically, there is an assumption that bodily symptoms always indicate bodily pathology, that mental illness demonstrates some psychopathology, and that they cannot coexist. Confusion arises especially when there are bodily symptoms without bodily pathology.

When someone is stressed at work, they experience a headache, back pain or shoulder pain. When embarrassed, they blush or experience a flush on the face. These are simple examples of mind and body interconnection where the mind influences the body.

There is no clear-cut distinction or line between physical and mental illness. For example, 20% of those with non-epileptic attack disorder may also have epilepsy. Likewise, panic disorder and chest pain can occur frequently following a heart attack.

Both mental and physical illness can, of course, also coexist. Studies say that around half of patients with MUS might be suffering from anxiety and depression. It could be both a causative factor and an impact of illness.