When the Mind Speaks Through the Body: My Personal Journey with Psychosomatics

For a long time in my teenage years and early adulthood, I did not understand how closely the mind and body were connected.

Like many young people, I experienced different physical discomforts, changes in energy, emotional ups and downs, and periods when I simply did not feel like myself. At that age, I naturally looked for a physical explanation. What I did not understand was that sometimes the body can express what the mind has not yet learned to communicate.

Looking back, I can see that a lack of emotional advocacy at home played an important role. My parents cared for me in their own way, but there was not always enough space to talk openly about emotions, fears, pressure, confusion, or the things I was experiencing internally. In many families, including mine, we learn to focus on being strong, responsible, and practical. We learn to manage problems rather than talk about them.

And then there was the influence of my social surroundings.

As a teenager and young adult, we are constantly absorbing messages from friends, society, school, work, culture, and the people around us. We compare ourselves. We worry about what others think. We try to fit in. Sometimes we carry expectations that are not even ours.

When emotions have no safe place to go, they can sometimes find another way out.

For me, this became an important lesson in understanding psychosomatics — the relationship between psychological and emotional experiences and physical symptoms. This does not mean that physical symptoms are imaginary or "all in the head." The symptoms can be very real. Stress, anxiety, unresolved emotions, and prolonged psychological pressure can influence how the body feels and functions.

The body can become a messenger

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that the body sometimes communicates before we have the words to communicate ourselves.

A teenager may not say:

"I am overwhelmed."

Instead, they may say:

"I don't feel well."

A young adult may not say:

"I am under enormous pressure."

They may experience headaches, stomach discomfort, tiredness, sleep difficulties, tension, or simply feeling physically drained.

Of course, these symptoms should never automatically be labelled psychosomatic. Medical causes need to be considered and appropriately evaluated. But when medical explanations do not fully explain what someone is experiencing, it can also be useful to ask:

"What else is happening in this person's life?"

That question can open a very different conversation.

What I wish I had understood earlier

Looking back at my younger years, I wish I had known that asking for emotional support was not weakness.

I wish I had understood that having difficult emotions did not mean something was wrong with me.

And I wish the adults around me had been able to ask more questions such as:

• "What are you going through?"
• "What is worrying you?"
• "How are you really feeling?"

Sometimes a young person doesn't need an immediate solution. They need someone to listen without judging, correcting, comparing, or dismissing what they are feeling.

A simple "Tell me more" can sometimes be more powerful than a long lecture.

Our surroundings become part of our inner voice

As we grow up, we don't just carry our own thoughts. We also carry the voices of the people around us.

"You should be stronger."
"Don't think so much."
"Everyone has problems."
"Just move on."
"Why are you worried about such a small thing?"

These statements may be intended to help, but they can sometimes teach a young person to suppress rather than process their emotions.

Over time, suppressed emotions don't necessarily disappear. We may simply become better at hiding them — from others and sometimes from ourselves.

This is one reason I believe emotional awareness should begin much earlier in life.

My experience became part of my professional understanding

Today, when I look at psychosomatics from a behavioural and mental-wellness perspective, I don't see it only as a clinical concept.

I see it as something deeply human.

My own experiences as a teenager and young adult helped me understand why emotional advocacy matters. They taught me that behaviour, emotions, relationships, environment, and physical wellbeing cannot always be looked at separately.

They also shaped the way I approach people today.

I try to create a space where individuals can speak without feeling that they have to justify every emotion. Sometimes the first step toward wellbeing is simply helping someone understand what they are experiencing.

Perhaps we need to listen differently

If there is one thing I would say to parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone supporting young people, it is this:

Don't only ask, "What's wrong?" Ask, "What's happening?"

There is a difference.

"What's wrong?" can make someone feel like a problem needs to be fixed.
"What's happening?" creates space for a story.

And sometimes, that story is where the real understanding begins.

My journey with psychosomatics has therefore been more than learning about the connection between the mind and body. It has been a personal reminder that emotional advocacy matters.

When we give young people the language, safety, and support to express what they feel, perhaps the body doesn't always have to speak so loudly on their behalf.

Sometimes, being heard is the beginning of healing.

If you want, I can also turn this into a more powerful LinkedIn-style article with a strong opening hook, while keeping the personal story and professional credibility.

— Dr. Sameer Adtani
Mental Wellness & Behavioral Wellbeing