While you are right, there is a common misconception that psychosomatic means that the patient is making up its symptoms and that it’s in his mind. That’s not what a doctor means by psychosomatic, but rather than the symptoms are totally real but that they are originating from stress.

So, any good doctor will try to heal your symptoms regardless of the cause. The only difference when they think it’s psychosomatic is that they’ll also try to treat your stress.

Or perhaps 'the patient is creating symptoms using their mind' eh?

The symptoms exist, they are originating due to thoughts/beliefs in the mind.

Yup. Most doctors are basically glorified pigeonholers. Grab pigeon (patient), find matching hole, put pigeon in hole and read the directions on the hole.

Unfortunately, when there isn't an obvious matching hole they tend to stuff them in wrong holes (there are conditions for which getting the right diagnosis often takes years), or when they don't see any appropriate hole they stuff them in the "crazy" hole. And the doctors are very reluctant to take a pigeon out of a wrong hole, especially if it's the crazy hole.

I recall a thread on here from some years back, diagnosis: anorexia. Real diagnosis: partial gastroparesis. She didn't want to eat because her body wasn't pushing the food on down the system properly and eating was very unpleasant!

> physiological and outside the expertise of a psychiatrist

did you mean to say psychologist? In the US at least, psychiatry is a medical practice area. Writing Rx scrips requires pharmacological training, so you need to hold an MD amd pass medical boards etc. Not sure if DO route is even an option.

Psychology otoh can be practixed with a Psy.D (clinical focus) or Ph.D (research focus) no MD, residency involved.