Psychosomatics of Throat Diseases, Spasms, and Lump in the Throat

The throat is a commonly used term but not an anatomical one. It refers to the part of the neck in front of the spinal column, including the beginning of the esophagus and upper respiratory tract. The throat is also called the body’s first line of defense against microbes entering from the outside.

The most common throat diseases are:

• ARVI – acute airborne infectious diseases caused by viruses affecting the epithelium of the respiratory tract.
• Tonsillitis – acute infectious disease of one or several tonsils of the pharyngeal ring, inflammation caused by microbes (streptococcus, staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, etc.).
• Pharyngitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the back wall of the pharynx (often as a complication after diseases of the upper respiratory tract).
• Tonsillitis – inflammation of the palatine tonsils (glands) as a result of frequent tonsillitis.
• Laryngitis – inflammation in the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords.
• Adenoiditis – inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsil of the lymphopharyngeal ring. More often diagnosed in children aged 3-7 years.
• Tumors – benign (papillomas, fibromas, leiomyomas, etc.) and malignant (cancer) neoplasms of the larynx and throat.

Common symptoms of throat diseases include:

• Throat irritation and pain,
• Elevated temperature,
• Runny nose,
• Headache,
• Weakness and aching,
• Increased salivation,
• Feeling of a lump in the throat,
• Enlarged lymph nodes,
• Plaque on the tonsils, etc.

The main causes of throat diseases are viral, bacterial, fungal infections, tumors, etc.

Psychosomatics of the Throat

To understand the psychosomatic significance of throat diseases, it’s necessary to know what this part of the body symbolizes.

Louise Hay believes that the human throat symbolizes the path of self-expression. She also considers the throat a channel of creativity.

Psychologist Liz Bourbo writes that the throat connects the heart and the head, i.e., “self-love” and “I am.” This means, the author continues, that a person is obliged to create their life according to their needs, even if someone does not like it.

Dr. V. Sinelnikov writes that the human throat symbolizes the ability to stand up for oneself, to ask for what we want. According to him, the state of the throat reflects the state of a person’s relationships with the people around them: “healthy” (excellent) relationships – a healthy throat.

Also, according to Sinelnikov, the throat is an area of the body where human creative energy is concentrated: it is the channel of expressiveness and creativity. This area is associated with a person’s self-expression.

In this regard, Sinelnikov characterizes people with a sore throat as those who cannot express themselves, their attitude, and cannot stand up for themselves.

Indeed, the throat as a vocal organ helps a person verbally express their thoughts and emotions, their position. One of the common psychosomatic causes of “throat ailments” in adults is dissatisfaction with their self-realization (at work, in the family, in creativity, etc.).

The throat also helps perform another function – swallowing food (both physical and spiritual). But often in relationships, a person has to “swallow” resentment, fear, anger, and other negative emotions. These unexpressed emotions do not leave the person because they cannot forget them, hold onto them, and turn unspoken words over in their minds (especially in adults). Accumulating, these emotions begin to “destroy” the corresponding organ.

Thus, throat diseases show that something or someone (often – oneself) does not allow a person to express themselves through voice or creativity.

S. S. Konovalov’s opinion on the psychological causes of throat diseases is slightly different. He believes that usually, the throat hurts in people who understand their mistakes in communication (shouting, rudeness, indignation, starting scandals, intemperance, etc.) but do not know how to correct them. For those who do not realize that they are acting incorrectly, the disease goes deeper – into the bronchi and lungs.

Psychological Causes of Throat Ailments on a Nervous Basis

Louise Hay identifies such prolonged negative emotions as suppressed anger, inability to express oneself, inhibited creative activity, and unwillingness to change as causes of throat diseases.

Liz Bourbo explains the psychological causes of symptoms related to the throat. For example, difficulty breathing, in her opinion, means that there are few aspirations in a person’s life. The cause of throat pain (including pain when swallowing) and the sensation of a lump in the throat, the psychologist suggests finding through the answer to the question “What situation could not be swallowed, which situation does not go down the throat?”. And a cough indicates an easily irritable person with a developed “internal” critic, who always criticizes and scolds themselves.

V. Sinelnikov asserts that the cause of a lump in the throat is a strong subconscious fear that prevents speaking out.

Psychologists have also found that throat irritation speaks of a person’s desire to express themselves, to shout about themselves to the world.

Psychosomatics of ARD, ARVI

According to Louise Hay, respiratory tract ailments are related to the fear of “breathing” life fully.

In her opinion, ARD is caused by prolonged tension when a person feels that they will not have time. Worries, disturbances, offenses over trifles (“I always have it worse than others”) also lie at the heart of this ailment.

Louise Hay writes that the psychosomatic cause of the flu is a reaction to a negative environment and beliefs, as well as fear, trust in numbers.

Psychosomatics of Tonsillitis

Liz Bourbo writes that a person suffering from tonsillitis no longer wants to accept something inside themselves, does not want to agree with something, but suppresses their feelings out of fear. Inside them, there is a suppressed conflict that manifests physically through inflammation.

Dr. V. Sinelnikov asserts that if a person restrains themselves from saying harsh words, “swallows,” suppresses their anger and other emotions, or is afraid to express aloud what they think, then their throat will immediately react with inflammation. Sinelnikov considers that in such a case, the disease is a kind of barrier to expressing the forbidden.

Other authors believe that frequent tonsillitis occurs in people who are forced to come to terms with some old event but cannot accept it. The impetus for the disease can be an unspoken resentment about past events that happened against a person’s will.

Psychosomatics of Laryngitis

Thus, Louise Hay writes that at the base of psychosomatic laryngitis is strong irritation, fear of speaking out, or contempt for authorities.

S. S. Konovalov believes that the cause of this ailment is the constant suppression of emotions that are natural for any person. For example, a person does not dare refuse someone who uses them for selfish purposes, not considering their time and feelings. It is unpleasant for the person, but they do not allow themselves to refuse. Or a person sees someone else being humiliated and feels bad, but they are silent because they do not dare to show their feelings.

S. Konovalov asserts that this is wrong. That the feelings and thoughts of this person are good, and they should be expressed. But not in the form of shouting, but in a form that preserves energy. And the person is afraid of bursting into shouting and therefore remains silent. As a result, their throat becomes ill.

As psychological causes of laryngitis, Liz Bourbo highlights the following: a person does not allow themselves to speak because they are afraid (afraid that they will not be heard or that their words will not be liked by someone), they try to “swallow” their words, but they get stuck in the throat; fears of not living up to someone’s expectations regarding words and speeches; fears before an authority in some area; angry at themselves for saying too much, speaking out, and vows to keep their mouth shut.

Often a person wants to make an important request but remains silent for fear of refusal. Not infrequently, a person, because of various fears, even avoids important conversations or interactions with someone (fear of an interview, exam, etc.).

B. Baginski and S. Shalila see the cause of psychosomatic laryngitis in the refusal of communication and clarification of relationships due to fear of encountering resistance in response to openly expressing one’s opinion. The resulting anger and annoyance, the authors believe, should be expressed in another way. Because external annoyance, as a rule, indicates an internal conflict that needs to be resolved.

Another cause of psychosomatic laryngitis, according to Dr. V. Sinelnikov, is the feeling of one’s own inadequacy. He asserts that all complexes of inadequacy go through the throat because a person constantly scolds and criticizes themselves, dissatisfied with themselves (their appearance or actions).

Psychosomatics of Pharyngitis

According to S.S. Konovalov, the psychological basis of this ailment are fear and difficulties in self-realization, meaning a person has great creative potential that remains unexpressed. Psychologists have identified that constant dissatisfaction with life and suppression of resulting anger can also lead to pharyngitis. Another cause of psychosomatic pharyngitis is the lack of self-realization in a person who, for various reasons, was unable to realize their creative potential.

Psychosomatics in Tonsillitis

Tonsils are aptly called the entry gates of the body, affecting not just the physical but also the metaphysical level. On a metaphysical level, they react to external information and events, and how others treat the individual. If a person reacts negatively and helplessly, they ‘let in’ the ailment. Thus, excessive submission to circumstances, inability to express dissatisfaction, denial of one’s rights, and lack of ability to stand up for oneself can eventually cause inflammation of the tonsils.

Louise Hay believes that the underlying causes of these reactions are fear (as a basic emotion), suppressed emotions, and a lack of creative freedom. It’s also found that acute inflammation of the tonsils is caused by a person’s belief that they cannot ask for what they need. S.S. Konovalov considers the causes of psychosomatic tonsillitis to be such negative experiences as feeling powerless, inability to speak up and defend oneself, suppressed anger from unwillingness to accept circumstances, feelings of inadequacy, and constant irritability because of this. He writes that as emotions are suppressed, irritability will increase, and the disease will intensify, eventually becoming chronic.

Psychosomatics in Adenoids

Remember that adenoids are part of the lymphatic system, which acts as a cleaner, collecting and removing waste from blood and tissues. The lymphocytes in it also neutralize viruses and bacteria (which are also removed as waste).

On a psychological level, negative thoughts and emotions are also equivalent to waste that hinders a person’s normal functioning and needs to be removed from their inner world. If a person (child) gets stuck in negative experiences, which begin to accumulate, and the psyche can’t neutralize them, the corresponding physical organ begins to swell with negativity. In this case, the adenoids swell, often diagnosed in children.

Psychological Causes of Adenoiditis in Children

What negative experiences cause adenoids to swell in children? Parents’ fears (especially mothers, often without reason: minor, but exaggerated, out of nowhere: this refers to overly anxious mothers). Family quarrels, which sensitive children perceive very painfully (although all small children are sensitive, and probably none react indifferently or calmly to a quarrel between mom and dad). Such children feel the tense atmosphere at home, the coldness in relationships, even if it’s not verbally expressed in front of the children.

They begin to worry in advance that a ‘storm is brewing,’ but cannot share their thoughts and emotions. Thus, Louise Hay also identifies as psychological causes of the ailment family troubles, the child’s feeling of being unwanted. Most psychologists see the basis of adenoiditis in a lack of parental love, constant stress due to fear of parental anger, and fear of loneliness.

Psychosomatics of Tumors and Throat Cancer

Louise Hay found that at the root of throat cancer are deeper wounds and grievances, deep-seated contempt. The soul of a person suffering from cancer is ‘devoured’ by a secret and deep sadness or eaten away by hatred. The person feels: everything is meaningless.

According to Louise Hay, such prolonged negative experiences as dwelling on old grievances and blows; cultivating hatred; increasing guilt; erroneous computerized thinking stereotypes; stubbornness; unwillingness to change outdated patterns can lead to throat tumors. Note that all these negative experiences are either related to the inability to express one’s position or the inability to realize creative potential.

For a clearer psychosomatic picture, remember that a cancer cell behaves like a selfish aggressor. This is the first hint about the behavior of a person with cancer.

It turns out that a person with cancer is not alien to selfishness. As psychologists have found, they are characterized by living only in themselves, being cut off from the world, as well as inflated ego and pride.

The aggressiveness here is manifested as a deadly unforgiven offense at Life, a deep disappointment in life, associated with a lack of self-realization.

Hence, a person, due to circumstances or events in their life, sees no reason to live. They cannot and do not want to change. But this contradicts Life itself, which happens in changes, movements. By refusing to change, a person takes an anti-life stance (I’d rather die, but I won’t forgive, I won’t change, etc.). Like a cancer cell, a person with cancer is also prone to internal self-isolation (this may be related to a personal tragedy that the person hides) from the surrounding world.

Ways to Heal Psychosomatic Throat Disorders If we talk about throat diseases that specifically arise from nervous conditions, then the path to healing will follow this direction:

1. The point of recognizing and accepting one’s emotions: yes, I am angry now because I don’t like this (because I am afraid of that). I have the right to be angry, but being ANGRY means HARMING MYSELF = doing bad for myself. So what can I do for myself in this situation? Accept calmly if it’s beyond my control. IT DEPENDS ON ME (!) MY REACTION to the situation (event, person) and MY FUTURE BEHAVIOR. I can call the situation bad and get angry or I can say to myself: okay, let’s calmly state our position and see. There’s always a choice.
2. The point of replacing negative emotions with positive ones. If you’ve already gotten angry, then, realizing this, you can also command yourself to calm down and look at the situation from a different angle. Don’t forget: YOU ARE THE ONE COMMANDING YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, ONLY YOU! And if so, then change negative to positive. I’ve noticed many times: what seems bad (event, situation, relationships) often carries the possibility for development and transition to something better. This regularity is related to the fact that LIFE ONLY WORKS FOR PROGRESS, so the events of our life HAPPEN NOT JUST LIKE THAT, but work for our development (if understood and accepted correctly).
3. Building and reinforcing new habits of reacting to negativity from others. Here you can choose optimal advice and recommendations, techniques and methods for yourself, which are described in large numbers on the Internet.
4. As for creative self-realization, there’s only one way out: if you already have a favorite activity, be sure to find time for it, as this depends on your mental health (because, when a person is engaged in a favorite activity, they receive a huge positive charge). If you haven’t found it yet, then look, try. Hint: it’s no coincidence that psychologists advise remembering what you loved to do in childhood – this is the work of your soul.

I wish you mental peace and robust health!

Lada