Most of my patients first come to see me in states of extreme confusion, frustration, and exasperation. They have commonly already seen a number of different doctors—generalists and specialists alike—in search of a coherent explanation for their symptoms, only to be routinely told that all tests have come back normal, and that no medical explanation for their suffering can be found. Sometimes these patients are told that there’s nothing wrong with them. Sometimes, their doctors suggest that they may be suffering from an underlying disease that has not yet been uncovered by medical science. And sometimes, their doctor tells them that the problem is somehow all in their head. At best, sufferers are offered diagnoses that turn out to offer a mere description of their symptoms, rather than an explanation or a pathway to treatment: think chronic pain syndrome, post-COVID-19 syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. Research suggests that around a quarter of general practice patients experience significant persistent physical symptoms, and that roughly 10 percent have a history of multiple, distressing chronic …