Psychosomatic medicine deals with physical disorders that are also called psychophysiologic disorders, or somatoform disorders. An illness may be considered psychosomatic when it seems to result from strong emotional conditions such as anxiety, trauma, depression, anger or guilt, rather than a physical cause. A physician who specializes in psychosomatic medicine will first test the patient to rule out physical causes. A psychosomatic illness will often respond to pain medication or other medical help, but psychological assessment is required to find the underlying cause of the illness.

Some psychosomatic illnesses are irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, muscle aches, tension headaches, panic attacks, colitis and ulcers, and even infertility. Psychological stress can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system and lower energy levels, allowing the body to create or worsen physical diseases. The way a person handles stress often affects the severity of psychosomatic illnesses.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 78 practicing psychosomatic medicine doctors. Broken out by city, psychosomatic medicine doctor density in Alameda is 1, in Berkeley is 1, in Beverly Hills is 3, in Canoga Park is 1, in Carlsbad is 1, in Carmichael is 1, in Castro Valley is 1, in Crescent City is 1, in Daly City is 1, in Dana Point is 1, in Diamond Bar is 1, in El Centro is 1, in Escondido is 1, in Fontana is 1, in Fremont is 1, in Fresno is 6, in Half Moon Bay is 1, in Hayward is 2, in Imperial is 1, in Inglewood is 1, in Los Altos is 1, in Los Angeles is 21, in Malibu is 1, in Menlo Park is 1, in Monterey is 1, in Orange is 1, in Oxnard is 1, in Pacific Grove is 1, in Pacific Palisades is 1, in Palo Alto is 1, in Pleasanton is 1, in Poway is 1, in Redding is 1, in Sacramento is 4, in Salinas is 1, in San Diego is 2, in San Francisco is 7, in San Mateo is 1, in Santa Barbara is 2, in Santa Clarita is 1, in Santa Cruz is 1, in Santa Monica is 2, in Sherman Oaks is 1, in Soquel is 1, in Stanford is 1, in Sylmar is 1, in Torrance is 2, in Ventura is 1, in Walnut Creek is 1, in West Hollywood is 1, and in Westwood is 1.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.