[Missed somatic diagnoses--inexcusable, missed psychogenic somatic disorders--a gentleman's offense]

Overlooking somatic diagnoses is judged a serious failing, overlooking psychogenic somatization a minor mistake. This situation derives from the medical theory on which the physician bases his opinions, decisions and treatments. In this case, the mechanistic model deriving from the introduction of physics and chemistry into medicine in the 18th century. A 19 minute verbatim first interview illustrates how the biopsychosocial interview method serves to pinpoint psychogenic somatization in a woman who had been unsuccessfully examined and treated for four years, bringing the underlying blocked process of grief to light and making it the focus of therapy. Savings in time, cost and suffering are obvious.