somatic symptom disorder - get sick, anxiety disappears

Q. Dear Mary, I've been struggling with my physical condition ever since I was in elementary school. I have stomach pains, headaches, nausea, and numbness in my hands and feet. I've been to many hospitals and have been examined, but there's no diagnosis of what's wrong with me. To be honest, I envy the healthy people around me. I've been suffering from this for a long time, and I can't get proper treatment because I can't get a diagnosis. I feel so helpless and don't even want tomorrow to come. Do you know any good doctors? (Josh, 27) 

A. It may be "somatic syndrome disorder." When people have an ostensibly organic illness, such as stomach pain, migraine, or irritable bowel syndrome, their anxiety disappers.* You've been carrying anxiety since you were a child. People find it much better to get sick than to endure mental anxiety. So that's why you get sick physically. That way, your self-worth won't be threatened, right? That's how you protect yourself psychologically. Also, I understand very much how you feel, changing doctors one after another. You must be worried. But this is called "doctor shopping." It's not actually curing your illness, it's to get reassurance from doctor telling you "You are ill." So, you'd better stop looking for a doctor for now.

*By American clinical psychologist Rollo May.