If Pain Could Speak – The Psychological Language of the Body

I. INTRODUCTION: THE HIDDEN TRUTH IN THE BODY’S SILENCE

"Where do you feel the pain?" — the doctor asks.
"Here," — we answer, pointing to our chest, head, or back.
But sometimes, pain doesn't come from organs — it comes from the heart.
Psychology shows that the body often becomes the voice of feelings that have no words.

In this article:

• What is the psychosomatic approach?

• Which emotional states cause which physical pains?

• And most importantly: what is the body trying to tell us?

II. WHAT IS A PSYCHOSOMATIC APPROACH?

“Psycho” means mind, “somatic” means body.
Psychosomatics is the field that explains the unity of the body and soul.

Main idea: The state of the mind affects the body.

For example:

• Stress → stomach pain

• Fear → sweating, heartbeat

• Anger → increased blood pressure

III. HOW THE BODY SPEAKS

The body speaks, but its language is not words — it is symptoms:

IV. STRESS – THE “SILENT KILLER” OF OUR TIME

The body constantly enters a "fight or flight" mode.
If this response continues long-term:

• The immune system weakens

• Digestion is disrupted

• Skin problems arise

• Hormonal balance is disturbed

The brain senses danger, the body prepares for war — but the enemy is invisible.

V. THE EMOTIONAL ORIGIN OF PAIN

1. Headaches

   • High sense of responsibility

   • Overthinking

   • Internal tension

2. Neck pain

   • Inability to forgive

   • Refusal to look in another direction

   • Rigid thinking

3. Chest tightness

   • Repressed emotions

   • Need for love and acceptance

   • Breathing with fear

4. Lower back pain

   • Loss of support and trust

   • Carrying life’s burdens alone

   • Financial and social pressure

5. Stomach and intestinal issues

   • Inability to "digest" emotions

   • Suppressed anger

   • Denying oneself the right to express

VI. FROZEN EMOTIONS IN THE BODY

As the saying goes:
“The feelings you do not express will speak through your body.”

Psychologically repressed emotions:

• Become trauma

• Are stored in the body’s memory

• Reappear as physical symptoms

Example:
A child suppresses crying out of fear → grows up holding back tears → develops throat tightness and headaches

VII. TRAUMA AND THE BODY

From the famous book by neurologist Bessel van der Kolk:
“The Body Keeps the Score”

Traumas:

• Leave sensory traces in the brain

• The body reacts whenever similar situations arise

• Time passes, but the body stays trapped in the past

VIII. LEARNING TO LISTEN TO THE BODY

Ask your body:

• When did this pain begin?

• What changed in my life then?

• Have I felt this emotion before?

The goal is not to silence the pain — but to hear it.

IX. SPIRITUAL HEALING – HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

• Acceptance:
  See pain not as an enemy, but as a message

• Listening:
  Give time to the body — meditation, breathing exercises

• Expression:
  Turn suppressed feelings into words — through writing, drawing, speaking

• Forgiveness:
  Release anger toward yourself and others

X. REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESS

Leyla, 35
Years of neck pain → Complaint: “I don’t want to see everything”
In therapy: she experienced abuse as a child and feared turning her head

Elchin, 42
Chest pain → Heart is healthy → Complaint: “I can’t breathe”
Reason: inability to express emotions at work and at home

Aysel, 28
Abdominal pain, bloating → No medical cause found
Revealed: every time she is criticized, she gets stomach pain

XI. METHODS TO UNDERSTAND THE BODY’S LANGUAGE

1. Somatic practices

   • Focus on body to identify emotions

   • Yoga, pilates, bioenergy work

2. Mindfulness

   • Observe what you feel within the pain

3. Dialogue with the inner child

   • “Where is this emotion coming from? What fear is speaking inside me?”

4. Psychotherapy

   • Especially somatic experience-based therapy

   • EMDR and TRE (Tension Release Exercises)

XII. BODY AND SOUL IN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Qur’an:
“Your bodies are entrusted to you.”

In Islam:

• The body is a means of worship

• Feelings and thoughts are not only mental — they belong to the body as well

• Fasting, prayer, and ablution train both body and soul

Religions combine bodily cleanliness with spiritual purification.

XIII. WHAT DOES THE BODY WANT FROM YOU?

Sometimes, it simply wants to:

• Rest

• Be loved

• Be heard

• Express anger

• Forgive

• Say: “I exist.”

Pain is not punishment — it’s an undelivered message.

XIV. CONCLUSION: WHEN THE BODY IS SILENT, THE SOUL SCREAMS

Every pain in the body is:
– a trace of a memory,
– an echo of an unspoken word,
– or the silenced scream of a fear.

True healing begins with learning to listen to the body and recognize your emotions.

QUESTIONS TO THE READER:

• Where have you felt pain most often lately?

• Could your body be trying to tell you something?

• What emotion will you allow yourself to express today?