‘WATERING EYE’: MAKING SENSE OF THE SYMPTOM IN THE GENERAL PRACTICE SETTING1

1. Presented at The Body in Mind conference held at St. Mark’s Hospital on 10 June 2005.

Abstract

This paper examines the case of a female patient, a typical somatizer, who presented to her personal general practitioner with the symptom ‘watering eyes’ and requested referral to an ophthalmic surgeon in order to have her tear ducts unblocked. As an illustration of the psychosomatic approach to the patient, three consultations are discussed in some detail during which denied feelings were found to be at least as important in contributing to the maintenance of the symptom, as an obstruction of the lacrimal drainage system that could be corrected by a technical procedure. Understanding functional somatic symptoms in terms of emotions, helped to contain the patient's anxiety, encouraged continuity of care and counteracted the fragmentation of care inherent in multiple specialist referrals.

1. Presented at The Body in Mind conference held at St. Mark’s Hospital on 10 June 2005.

Notes

1. Presented at The Body in Mind conference held at St. Mark’s Hospital on 10 June 2005.