Psychosomatic
Etymology
Built from two Greek roots: psyche, "mind or soul," and soma, "body." The term joins them to insist they belong together. It became common in early-1900s medicine to describe conditions where emotional life expresses itself through the body. Importantly, "psychosomatic" does not mean imaginary — the pain is real; its origin simply runs partly through the mind.
adjective · /sy-koh-suh-MAT-ik/
Describing physical symptoms that are real but strongly shaped or triggered by mental and emotional states.
What it names
A precise word for the fact that stress can genuinely produce stomachaches or headaches — the body and mind are not separate systems.
Example
Her doctor gently suggested the recurring stomach pain might be psychosomatic, tied to the pressure at work.
Related idea
Hypochondria is anxious belief that one is ill; a psychosomatic symptom is an actual physical effect of mental strain.