While I'd agree with this phrase, when it's taken out of context, the analogy the author is making is a horrible one. Skipping past the fact that it completely diminishes the near infinite complexity of the human brain, the clear problem is the ease of root cause determination for both situations.

A analogy which would make more sense, albeit still horrible would be: you feel pain in your arm, and decide to wait, until it gets so unbearable, that you see the doctor. The doctor asks you to try and think what could be the cause, and after some time and much thinking, you finally remember that you broke your arm that one time in the 3rd grade, but didn't go to the doctor, because it healed up itself.

Hence, you have a improperly resolved (cured) childhood trauma, that manifested itself after many years, without my immediate recollection of the root cause. In this case, I would only go to the doctor with the symptom. And, while there is one primary root cause, I'd need some pain relief to at least start thinking straight.

But... coding it that way is the only way the insurance covers it.