Suggested Interview Questions

Q:What is "They Can't Find Anything Wrong!" about?
A:It is about how to find the cause of an illness even when diagnostic tests are all normal. The book also describes successful treatments.

Q:If the tests are normal, what is causing the symptoms?
A:These patients are physically ill usually because of stresses in their lives that are partly or completely hidden.

Q:What kinds of stress cause symptoms?
A:There are five types of stress that can cause illness: persistent effects of childhood stress, present day stress, depression, post-traumatic stress and anxiety.

Q:How common is it for stress to cause physical symptoms?
A:Studies have shown that about 1/3 of patients seen by primary care doctors have an illness caused by stress.

Q:Are the symptoms caused by stress real or imaginary?
A:The symptoms are real and can be just as severe as those from any other disease.

Q:How does stress make people ill?
A:There is growing evidence that stress or trauma can change how pain is processed in the brain. This can result in nerve signals from the body being perceived as painful when normally they would not be painful.

Q:How does stress that happened in childhood cause illness in adults?
A:Childhood stress can cause adults to lack self-care skills, to suffer mental health problems and to harbor unexpressed, hidden anger, fear, guilt or shame about their early mistreatment. These issues (and others derived from low self-esteem in childhood) can result in physical symptoms.

Q:Is good treatment available for stress illness?
A:Effective treatment is available for each of the five types of stress. Most patients can feel much better fairly quickly.

Q:Who might be interested in the book?

A: In addition to people with unexplained illnesses, other groups who will find the book valuable include health care professionals, anyone struggling with stress, anyone with a friend or relative suffering from stress illness and anyone who appreciates good stories about people overcoming adversity.