It’s all in the name! The word ‘Psychosomatic’ is composed of two words – ‘Psyche’ signifying mind and ‘Soma’ signifying body. So simply put, psychosomatic illness is a medical condition that has a mental cause, i.e. it involves both the body and the mind. Psychosomatic illnesses are physical illnesses, but the symptoms of the illness may be caused by stress or emotions rather than by a physical problem in the body. Such a condition can also be considered a mental disorder with physical symptoms.