Approximately 70% of diseases are caused by psycho-emotional shocks, and stomatitis is no exception. Oral diseases occur when we struggle to accept new information or when we inadequately assess situations. If stomatitis has a psychosomatic basis, it can only be cured with a comprehensive treatment: medication intake and psychotherapy.
Psychosomatics of Oral Diseases
Oral diseases are associated with problems in communication and social interaction. Difficulties that become the psychosomatic causes of stomatitis in adults:
- Being ignored by a partner;
- Futile attempts to prove something;
- Irritation;
- Resentment;
- Fatigue.
Fatigue, inevitably arising after long arguments and conflicts, forces a person to retreat. Along with this, stomatitis often develops – inflammation of the oral mucosa, presented as ulcers. This inflammation is necessary for a person to be silent, to recover from the energy spent on conflict, and to finally release accumulated negativity (but in a physical form).
Sometimes stomatitis occurs following a different pattern: you harbored an idea in your head for a long time, arguing with yourself, and then decided to express it but received condemnation. Thus, the psychosomatic cause of stomatitis can be unfulfilled personal potential, unexpressed or rejected opinions.
The psychosomatics of stomatitis resembles the development principle of nervous allergies. Depression, suppressed emotions, anxiety, fear, and other stressogenic factors activate the body’s defense systems. However, the type of stomatitis (there are 4 forms of eruptions and 4 causes of disease development) depends on the individual’s immunity. Ulcers arise from anger and guilt.
Important! Precursors of stomatitis are disputes, quarrels, scandals, conflicts, nervous breakdowns, constant tension, and an unfavorable psychological climate in relationships.
Stomatitis as a Body’s Protest in Children and Adults
Stomatitis is more common in children, but adults can also face this problem. Stomatitis can be a form of protest in response to certain events:
- Frequent conflicts;
- Situations with no apparent solution;
- Dirty and unpleasant situations;
- Situations where you had to scold or insult someone;
- Aggression in response to offensive remarks;
- Misunderstanding in relationships with loved ones, suppression of your opinion, literal and figurative silencing;
- Desire to hold back unpleasant emotions and words;
- Forced silence due to fear of losing benefits.
Pay attention to phrases with double meanings that we sometimes utter: “it’s unpleasant for me to say this,” “a bad taste from work,” “I can’t bring myself to say it.” We ourselves indicate what the body protests against in the form of stomatitis. We just need to be more attentive to ourselves.
The causes of the disease in a child lie in the psychological climate of the family. A tense atmosphere, conflicts between parents, and suppression of the child inevitably lead to oral diseases.
Other causes of childhood stomatitis:
- Change of usual living conditions: moving, changing schools or kindergartens, parents’ divorce;
- Changes in daily routine: lack of sleep or playtime, attending numerous clubs and sections;
- Overprotection and coercion, upbringing as the “idol of the family”;
- Prohibition of favorite activities (“I know better what you need”);
- Misunderstanding and non-acceptance by parents, parents’ busyness;
- Contradictory educational positions of parents, family, and school;
- Conflicts in relationships with peers: not allowed to express themselves, criticized, insulted, ignored.
In adults, stomatitis is often caused by difficulties at work and in relationships with a loved one. Conflicts and contradictions affect the state of the oral cavity.
Oral Diseases as a Body’s Protest
In psychosomatics, the mouth has one of the most obvious metaphysical explanations. It’s responsible for speech. Accordingly, oral diseases indicate that we are holding back something, using bad language, suppressing, biting our teeth, being sarcastic, etc. Let’s examine the theories of three renowned psychologists: V. Sinelnikov, Louise Hay, and Liz Bourbo.
Theory of Dr. Sinelnikov
According to V. Sinelnikov’s theory, any disease reflects a person’s bad thoughts. Mouth ulcers speak of bias and contempt for something or someone. Resentments, biting remarks, claims, sarcastic comments, and anger have accumulated in the subconscious. Wounds on the tongue and the pain accompanying them speak of a loss of taste for life.
Solution to the problem: Accept responsibility for the illness, identify destructive thoughts within yourself, exclude double-meaning phrases from your speech.
Theory of Louise Hay
According to Louise Hay, stomatitis speaks of suppressed anger that was not allowed to be released and an opinion that was not allowed to be expressed. Along with this, stomatitis can be a reaction to a biased view of the world, a closed mind, and non-acceptance of new information. Gum stomatitis indicates a lack of a clear life plan, indecisiveness.
Healing affirmations: “I nourish myself with love,” “I rejoice in the generosity of my life,” “I freely express myself and hold no grudges,” “I welcome novelty and new concepts, ready to perceive and assimilate them.”
Theory of Liz Bourbo
According to Liz Bourbo, the mouth symbolizes the ability to swallow and digest ideas. In this case, stomatitis may indicate thoughtless decisions, inability to accept the new. Stomatitis in the form of ulcers speaks of bad thoughts, obsessive ideas, fear, thoughtless aggressive defense, sarcastic criticism of another person. It can also be a consequence of guilt for foul words.
Solution: Develop psychological flexibility, learn openness, and critical but not categorical processing of information. Learn to express your opinion and feelings. You are not obliged to please the interlocutor and predict their reactions to your words.
Treating Psychosomatic Stomatitis
Stomatitis is not life-threatening but causes discomfort, especially if it progresses to an advanced stage and becomes chronic. If recurrences happen often, it’s definitely about psychosomatics. Hence, psychotherapy is needed.
Psychotherapy
In treating stomatitis, the following methods have proven effective:
- Gestalt therapy;
- NLP;
- Hypnosis;
- Family psychotherapy;
- Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy;
- Psychoanalysis;
- Body-oriented psychotherapy;
- Transactional analysis.
In cases of severe psychological disorders, anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants may be needed. But only a psychotherapist can prescribe them.
In psychosomatics, the upper lip symbolizes our hidden desires, and the lower lip – our development environment. If we are angry with ourselves for saying something extra, we bite our lips. But to prevent stomatitis, it’s useful to express ourselves. Allow yourself to express everything you want to, especially angry words.
It’s not necessary to insult someone. Use the unsent letter method: write everything you think, specify the recipient, but don’t send the letter. Or you can swear into the void, imagining the offender in front of you or attaching their photo to a chair. The essence is the same: you need to get rid of the words that are on your tongue.
To correct thinking, try the following exercise:
- Write down all the troubling beliefs, for example, “I’m afraid to express my opinion.”
- Find a positive alternative: “From this moment, I express my opinion boldly, directly, and without hesitation.”
This way, you can create affirmations for each problem. This exercise is effective because it responds to an individual approach.
Medicine
If stomatitis arises as an allergy in response to a product, you need to eliminate the allergen and treat the mouth with an antiseptic. It’s unacceptable to contact a person who has contracted stomatitis. Even if you know the psychosomatic cause of the disease, you cannot rule out the possibility of a medical cause.
Important! Until you eliminate psychological causes, ointments, pills, and other medications won’t help. They can temporarily relieve symptoms, but soon stomatitis will return with renewed force. Or even worse: it will turn into a chronic form.
Prevention of Dental Problems on Nervous Grounds
For prevention, take care of physical and mental health:
- Strengthen and temper the immune system;
- Normalize the work and rest regime;
- Adjust dietary habits;
- Quit smoking and alcohol;
- Restore normal sleep patterns (at least 8 hours);
- Eliminate stressogenic factors (end painful relationships, leave unloved work, change the social circle);
- Follow oral hygiene (brush teeth and tongue twice a day, use floss and mouthwash after each meal);
- Undergo an annual preventive dental check-up;
- Seek timely treatment for teeth, gums, and oral cavity.
It’s necessary to learn to withstand stress, overcome it, and minimize harmful factors in life. In difficult situations, the use of herbal sedatives is acceptable. But even in this case, it’s better to consult a doctor.
Important! Never endure anything. Immediately say what you dislike and/or leave. Understand that your well-being and love for yourself are more important than any relationships, achievements at work, etc. You are the only person who will be with you all your life and every second.
